Being born and raised in the Caribbean for me has been a great opportunity to enjoy the wonderful things that most people crave in this region of the world. The weather is tropical, which means it’s mostly sunny for the better part of the year. But that aside, the Caribbean is a
place full of unique culture and, of course, food! To be more specific; fruits! The climate in our region is one that is perfect for the production of most of the fruits that we enjoy. There is vast number, one that I’m not even sure that I can count. Some are common in other parts of the world, but others are rarely known, even to us locals, which actually has me excited to delve into exploring what my own country has to offer.
Bael
This is one that I had no idea about. It is a fruit that is native to India, and is considered sacred to Hindus. It also goes by the name of Stone Apple, and has a floral, citrus flavor. I don’t know if this only grows in the countryside, but I have never seen it at any markets that I frequent.
Perhaps it’s time that I make a field trip to Mayaro or Fishing Pond. Have you known about this?
Bilimbi
I kid you not! For years I have been seeing this tree all over the place with this odd looking green fruit, and I’ve always thought that it was poisonous! The tree has a sticking appearance that looks quite similar to a Five Finger tree (star fruit), and that is very apt, considering that the other name for the fruit is the One Finger. I have yet to take a bite form one of these, but those who have eaten it say that it is crunchy, juicy and very sour. I’m not a big fan on anything too sour, but maybe it’ll be good to make a chow out of. People who do know about the one finger fruit use it to make achar and chutney. Hmmm…maybe I have eaten it after all and just didn’t know.
Black Sapote
This has got to be the weirdest one on this list. This fruit is round and green, and looks to me like an unripe pomegranate. That all changes when you get to the insides though. This fruit looks, feels and taste like chocolate pudding! What!? I have never heard of or seen a fruit,
something that grows on a tree, tasting like one of my favorite foods right off the bat! I’m not going to believe it until I taste it for myself! This would make one hell of an ice cream I imagine.
Custard Apple
When I was younger I remember having one of these our yard. They definitely look weird, almost like they belong in the One Piece manga. Its flesh is white and has a unique custard-like flavor. It’s a shame though, because as of late, I have not been seeing many of these anywhere.
The trees that I do see are blighted.
Sapodilla
Another fruit that I loved growing up was sapodilla. The other name for this is Naseberry. Yep, sapodilla is actually a berry. I would have never known because of the size. The flesh is brown, similar to the skin, and is a bit grainy, like pears. I believe that this is one of the sweetest fruits ever, and I love it! The sap that oozes from the stem or just under the skin can be quite sticky.
There is a whole lot more that I could talk about, and I guarantee that there is more that I’m missing. Trinidad and Tobago is country that is so full of variety when it comes to fruits, most of which goes unknown or ignored. Why aren’t we capitalizing on this, and turning our agriculture into a global product? There are many reasons that factor into this that I would like to talk about some other time. For now
though, I might try finding some of the fruits I mentioned here and see what I can make out of them.
