Fruit Camera

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Fruits

Snapshot of one of three fruit pictures decorating the walls of our living room. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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Juicy Mangoes From the Tropics

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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Tropical Fruits

For most of my life I’ve turned my back at fruits.  Since I lived in a banana plantation, bananas were so abundant, that we didn’t perceive the value of the fruit.  The same was true with other fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, papayas, mandarins and so forth.  After I started feeling the pinch of getting old, our family doctor has consistently advised me to start eating fruit. It’s excellent for your health.

Being Panama a country with an ample variety of tropical fruits, I’ve heeded my physician’s advice and fruit is now part of our daily diet.  My wife has always been a devout fan of fruits, that’s why she looks a lot younger than me.  Every time we go to the supermarket to buy our stuff, we try to squeeze as much fruit as our budget will permit.

Below are several pictures of tropical fruits recently purchased at El Machetazo, the supermarket where we buy our groceries every two weeks, after receiving our Social Security’s check.  Even though they look a little rough on the outside, they were in good condition on the inside.  Here we go.

Snapshot of an assortment of tropical fruits which form part of our daily diet. We take fruits very seriously to enhance our health. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of several tropical fruits found in Panama. Are you able to recognize and name each one of these fruits? Give it a try and test your fruit knowledge. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of an assortment of tropical fruits which we try to eat whenever our budget permits. We are now aware of the importance of eating fruit to enjoy a healthy life. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.

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Ripe Mangoes

In Panama, the mango fruit is found all over the country.  In the former Panama Canal Zone, the American authorities planted thousands of mango trees, mainly because of their capacity to cool the environment.  The mango tree is not only a beautiful tree, but it also shelters the land from the sizzling Panama tropical sun.

Even though mangoes are plentiful in this part of the world, it has not won the hearts of its inhabitants.  During the dry seasons, zillions of mangoes fall to the ground and rot, due to the indifference of the population.  It’s most unfortunately, since the fruit is absolutely delicious.  I’m sure there are many industrial uses for this sweet tropical fruit.

For example, mangoes can be used to make juices, smoothies, ice cream, fruit bars, raspados, aguas frescas, pies, and sweet chili sauce, or mixed with chamoy, a sweet and spicy chili paste. It is popular on a stick dipped in hot chili powder and salt or also as a main ingredient in fresh fruit combinations.

In Central America, mango is either eaten green mixed with salt, vinegar, black pepper and hot sauce, or ripe in various forms. Toasted and ground pumpkin seed (called pepita) with lime and salt are the norm when eating green mangoes. Some people also add soy sauce or chili sauce.

Recently my wife went to Aguadulce to visit her relative and brought back a bag full of mangoes.  Since then we have been having a feast with this delicious fruit.  We cut the outer peeling off with a knife and then slice the pulp in small pieces and place them in the refrigerator.  After a short while it is ready to eat.  Yummity, yum, yum, yum.

Below are several pictures of some of the ripe mangoes brought by my wife from her trip to Aguadulce.  Here we go.

Snapshot of ripe mangoes brought home from Aguadulce during a recent visit of my wife to her relatives in the countryside. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of a bowl full of ripe mangoes ready to be sliced up and eaten as a dessert. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of several mangoes grown in Aguadulce. Notice the beautiful colors of this yummy tropical fruit. Photo ©Omar Upegui R.

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Strolling Through a Street Market in Panama

While I strolled through a farmers’ market in Panama City, Panama, I happened upon several agriculture products which many would find to be exotic if they reside in other parts of the world.  I’m thinking of far away countries such as Iceland, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and Australia, just to name a few.

Amongst the products that I saw during my foray into the street market’s territory; were peeled coconuts, maracuyá fruits, ripe tomatoes and long hanging clusters of garlic.  This is how it looked like.  Here we go.

Photograph of a small collection of peeled coconuts. Coconuts are used in Panama to make "arroz con coco" which is a delicious dish very popular in the Province of Colon. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photograph of a box of maracuyá fruits. These are classical fruits in Panama used to make "Chicha de Maracuyá". Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photograph of a beautiful stock of bright red tomatoes. Italians in Panama are skilled cooks in making a special tomato sauce to eat with pasta. We have a decent population of Italian citizens in Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photograph of long clusters of garlic hanging from wires at the San Miguelito street market. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

My old monitor has been behaving erratically during the last fifteen days.  It shakes, wobbles and trembles like Chubby Checker during his prime days in the Sixties.  I’ll take it to the computer doctor sometime this afternoon.  I don’t know when I’ll have it back since “Mañana” is a classical word in this part of the world.  If you experience a long radio silence, you know what’s going on.

As soon as the monitor is healthy again, I’ll get back to you guys with more narratives and pictures about this wonderful piece of land called Panama.  Until then, Good Day.

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Natural Tropical Fruit Shakes

During my recent photowalk at San Miguelito, I was looking for textures, patterns, shapes, faces and of course, color.  I found them all.  The following photographs depict the rich colors of Panama fruits deposited inside large glass containers.

It was just what I was looking for.  Take a look and enjoy a scene from a farmers’ market at San Miguelito in Panama City, Panama.  The colors are great.

A stand at a San Miguelito farmers' market which sells natural food beverages. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photograph of several large jars full with tropical foods in close formation. I could identify papayas, pineapples and Honey Dew cantaloupes. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

When the weather is steamy hot and your face is red and moist with sweat, nothing beats a natural tropical fruit shake.  You can take my word for it.  Good Day.

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A Golden Apple in the Tropics

This is a fruit found in Central America known as “yuplón”; however the literature on vegetation and fruit trees specifically defines it as Jobo, whose family’s name is Anacardiaceae and its scientific name is Spondias mombin L, (Soondrias cvtherea) or Spondias Dulcis (Spondias Cytherea) depending on its variety. I understand the name yuplón comes from the English word Jew plum or Jewish plum. It’s also known as “golden apple.”

It grows easily in tropical climates where moisture is plentiful and sufficient rainfall. This fruit is original from the Polynesian Islands. It is highly nutritious as it contains water, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, vitamin C, iron, copper, zinc and phosphorus.  The whole nine yards in nutrition.

I haven’t eaten a yuplón since I was a kid in Changuinola, trillions of years ago.  Below is a picture of a yuplón which I recently found at a street market in San Miguelito.  This is it my friends:  A yuplón.

Photograph of a man holding three "yuplones" at a street market in Panama City, Panama. The image triggers memories of Changuinola where we feasted with this golden apple of the tropics. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

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Is It Mamón Chino or Rambutan?

The answer is that both are one and the same.  Mamón Chino or Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum)) are the names of is a medium-sized tropical tree in the family Sapindaceae and the fruit of this tree. It is native to Malaysia, Indonesia, The Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia,  although its precise natural distribution is unknown.

Rambutan  is closely related to several other edible tropical fruits including the lychee, longan, and mamoncillo which we explained in yesterday’s post. The name rambutan is derived from the Malay word rambut, which literally means hairy caused by the “hair” that covers this fruit, and is in general use in Malaysia and The Philippines and other countries of Southeast Asia.

The outer skin is peeled exposing the fleshy fruit inside which is then eaten. It is sweet, sour and slightly grape like and gummy to the taste.  The fruit is dark red with a “hairy” surface, thus the name rambut as explained earlier.  The fruit are usually sold fresh, used in making jams and jellies, or canned. Evergreen rambutan trees with their abundant colored fruit make beautiful landscape specimens.

I found a stand selling this Asiatic fruit and immediately took some pictures for your appreciation.  I also bought several fruits to take more shots when I got home.  The home pictures was a humoristic approach of presenting the fruit in a rather stylish manner.  Mixing mamones chinos with celery, bananas, water, and green sweet pepper is not exactly exquisite French cuisine, but let me say that it was fun and the colors were great.

These are the pictures taken of mamones chinos in Panama.  Here we go.

Photograph of a box full of bright red mamones chinos at a street market in Panama City, Panama. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

A setting of mamones chinos with several other fruits and veggies in an effort to capture the contrasting colors and shapes of the subjects. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

The red fabric is not a table-cloth; it's one of my red T-shirts which I used to accentute the redness of the fruit on the plate. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Notice how the color of the fabric underneath the plate is reflected on the surface of the water inside the cup. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

And now you know more about this hairy tropical food sold at many of our farmers’ markets in Panama.  Good Day.

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The Green Honey Berries of Panama

During our visit to the farmers’ market of San Miguelito, we came upon a delicious fruit which Panamanians love.  In Panama we call this fruit mamones or mamoncillos.  The scientific name is “Melicoccus Bijugatus”.

The fruit clusters are branched, compact and heavy with nearly round, green fruits tipped with a small protrusion, and suggesting at first glance small unripe limes, but there the resemblance ends. The skin is smooth, thin but leathery and brittle.

The glistening pulp (aril) is salmon-colored or yellowish, translucent, gelatinous, juicy but very scant and somewhat fibrous, usually clinging tenaciously to the seed. When fully ripe, the pulp is pleasantly acid-sweet, but if unripe, acidity predominates.

In most fruits there is a single, large, yellowish-white, hard-shelled seed, while some have two hemispherical seeds. The kernel is white, crisp, starchy, and astringent.

Call them what you will, mamones, mamoncillos, honey berries, Spanish limes, genips or quenepas, this tropical fruit is one-of-a-kind.  It has an outer shell one removes to reveal a sweet grapelike seed to suck on like a newborn baby.

It is related to lychee nuts, since they have a similarly leathery shell, soft, slimy flesh and a large and round sweet seed.  The flesh is a peachy or pinky color and delicious to savor.  They are very popular in Latin America in countries such as Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Panama.

The seed can be roasted in a microwave after sucking the juice outer covering of the pinkish-color seed.  I understand in Puerto Rico, the seed without the shell is added to local rum.  After fermenting for five days, it’s called “bili”, a popular drink during the holidays and special festivals.

I took a couple of photographs of these funny looking green cherries which I found at a farmers’ market at San Miguelito.  Here we go.

Photograph of a stand of mamones at a San Miguelito farmers' market. Tried as I did, I couldn't capture the eyes of this young saleswoman. I think I'm losing my persuasive mojo. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photograph of a box full of mamones. If you look closely, the boxes were originally used to import Chilean grapes. Photos by ©Omar Upegui R.

Please return tomorrow, for more pictures of our visit to a street market in Panama City, Panama.  Good Day.

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