Previous
Tropical fruits aplenty
WELCOME BAHAMAS NASSAU, CABLE BEACH & PARADISE ISLAND
WBN10 - Dine_Fruits
Tropical fruits aplenty
Vendors offer a taste of The Bahamas
What are those strange-looking fruits that vendors sell on the street? Depending on the season, they may be peddling guineps, hog plums or “dillies,” all of which are native to The Bahamas and loved by the locals.
A wide variety of unusual fruit grows in these islands, including the guava, the best known and easiest native species to find.
If there is one fruit that truly represents The Bahamas, it’s the versatile guava, which is harvested from late spring through the early fall. Its pink, succulent flesh is used in the unofficial national dessert–guava duff–as well as to make jams, jellies and cocktails.
Paul Hayward, senior resort executive pastry chef at Atlantis Paradise Island, says “Guava is the fruit of The Bahamas in the world of pastry [because] it is used in classic dishes.”
Hayward believes that creating the perfect dessert with this popular fruit is an art form. “Guava duff is a variation of an English steamed jam roll that uses guava to replace the jam. Nowadays most Bahamians have abandoned the fresh guava and gone to the poached canned variety, but the older generation still insist that the fresh fruit is far superior.”
To select your own guava, he suggests that you look for yellow or slightly green ones that give to slight pressure. He says the fruit can then be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days before losing its freshness.
Sugar apples are another delicious fruit that grows in The Bahamas. Sugar apple trees flower during the dry winter months, and the fruit ripens in the summer.
They don’t look anything like the ordinary apples you see in supermarkets back home. Their pebbled, dark green skin may not look very appetizing, but they’re one of the tastiest local fruits.
Also known as “sweetsop,” sugar apples are juicy and refreshing, but they contain hard, poisonous seeds. Most Bahamians discard the seeds, but others save and grind them into a natural insecticide.
“Dilly” and soursop
Soursop, a large, acidic fruit with white, fibrous flesh, also thrives in tropical climes. It has an oval shape and green, leathery skin, which is covered with tiny spikes that are easy to remove when the fruit is ripe.
As the name suggests, soursop is tangy, and it’s prized for its unusual flavour. Some Caribbean people believe that placing soursop leaves under a sick person’s bed can break a fever.
Another tropical treat is the sapodilla, or “dilly,” which grows on a hardy evergreen tree, the bark of which produces a resin that can be used as a base for chewing gum.
The small, round fruit looks similar to a kiwi, but its yellow to brown flesh tastes much like a sweeter, caramelized version of a pear, thus lending itself to the creation of desserts.
Guinep, available from early to late summer, is another local delicacy. These small, green fruits grow in bunches like grapes and have a flavour that is reminiscent of the litchi nut. The pulp can be mixed with lime juice and ginger to make a refreshing cocktail.
Succulent plums
Hog and scarlet plums can be found throughout the islands. A distant relative of the mango, the hog plum is yellow, sweet and juicy. The scarlet variety has a similar taste. Both of these plums are well suited for making sauces, jams and chutneys because of their texture and sweetness.
All of these rare fruits are sold in season at small roadside markets and by street vendors. Some of them may also be found on the menus of many restaurants, including fine-dining establishments. In those places you can bring your meal to a sweet conclusion with a special treat such as classic guava duff or a dish of sapodilla ice cream.
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-Mail: Click here
Internet: https://
Disclaimer:
Information in editorial and listings is subject to change at any time.