Tropical fruit is one of the things that drew us to Central America, especially Costa Rica. Eating tropical fruit is a flavor explosion wherever you are in the world. However, it hits differently when you eat the tropical fruit in the place where it is grown. In Costa Rica, you have the opportunity to eat the freshest fruit, perfectly ripe off of the tree as farmers often harvest the fruit the same day or day before it is brought to the market. Oftentimes the tropical fruit is sold on the side of the road or paraded around town in pickup trucks announcing the harvest on their loud speaker.
Even though there are just two seasons, wet and dry, our patience is still awarded with seasonal bounties of different fruits. When the rains start to fall, we know we can start looking forward to an endless supply of mamon chino (rambutan) and that pitaya (purple dragon fruit) is not far behind. Mangos, pineapple, passionfruit, bananas and papayas are always available. Different varieties of zapote (sapote) e spring up throughout the year too and are a special treat. The mamey sapote with its rich and custardy flesh tastes like a holiday inspired dessert with its hints of warming spices and pumpkin pie-like flavor. The nispero sapote has a more grainy texture and refreshing taste with a spice-forward finish of cinnamon and nutmeg. It is truly ethereal. We do have to give the Costa Rican pineapples their warranted praise. Their flavor is unparalleled. When the pineapples are just ripe they have a slight tartness that makes your taste buds zip and when they are completely ripe with a golden yellow color they are pure sweetness with no hints of acidity. The slightly underripe pineapples are great for savory applications while the perfectly ripe pineapples are great for desserts and smoothies..
There are still so many tropical fruits we have yet to try. Some fruits are so delicate that they will not make it to the market and need to be consumed soon after picking. We cannot wait to taste the tropical fruits that we have yet to discover. Our stomachs and tastebuds are waiting. What are some of your favorite tropical fruits?
