Archive for the ‘Fruits’ Category

Natural containers for Margaritas, Mojitos and Piñas Coladas

Saturday, May 5th, 2012

Natural containers for Mojitos and Piñas Coladas by Rudy Girón

I found this booth selling piñas colada and mojito smoothies at the doorway of pseudo Mexican restaurant. I had the mojito flavor and it was very, very good, especially for the hot weather we had today in Antigua Guatemala. Of course, these a good way to observe the Cinco de Mayo, a very important celebration for Mexicans everywhere except almost all of Mexico. However, I would order lime and pineapple margaritas or any citric smoothie with a few shots of tequila or mezcal, don’t you agree?

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Sweet and juicy granadillas are in season now in Guatemala

Thursday, April 19th, 2012

Sweet and juicy granadillas are in season now in Guatemala by Rudy Girón

Granadillas (Passiflora ligularis) are often confused with Maracuya (Passiflora edulis) because they look similar, especially the yellow maracuyá (passion fruit). However they taste different, granadillas are sweet while maracuyá are more acidic.

Granadillas, Passiflora ligularis, commonly known as the Sweet granadilla or Grenadia is a plant species in the Passiflora genus. The epithet ligularis comes from the plant’s ligulate corollae. It is native to the Andes Mountains between Bolivia, Venezuela and Colombia. It grows as far south as northern Argentina and as far north as Mexico.

The fruit is between 6.5 and 8 cm long and between 5.1 and 7 cm in diameter. The outer shell is hard and slippery, and has soft padding on the interior to protect the seeds. The seeds, which are hard and black, are surrounded by a gelatinous sphere of transparent pulp. The pulp is the edible part of the fruit and has a soft sweet taste. It is very aromatic and contains vitamins A, C, and K, phosphorus, iron, and calcium. (source: Wikipedia)

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Mango season has arrived to Antigua Guatemala

Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

Mango season has arrived to Antigua Guatemala by Rudy Girón

I am not sure if it was at the end of January or if it was in February, but mangoes began showing up in all shapes, sizes and colors. The mangoes above are known as mango pico de loro, parrot’s beak mango. The going price for these mangoes was Q1 each (about $0.12).

Who wants mangoes with pepitoria, chile, salt and lime juice?

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Guatemalan Fruit: Pitayas

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Guatemalan Fruit: Pitaya

Pitahaya season is here!

A Pitaya (pronounced /pɨˈtaɪ.ə/) or pitahaya (English pronunciation: /ˌpɪtəˈhaɪ.ə/) is the fruit of several cactus species, most importantly of the genus Hylocereus (sweet pitayas). These fruits are commonly known as dragon fruit. The vine-like epiphytic Hylocereus Pitaya producing cacti are native to Mexico, Central America, and South America. Hylocereus has adapted to live in dry tropical climates with a moderate amount of rain. The dragon fruit sets on the cactus-like trees 30–50 days after flowering and can sometimes have 5-6 cycles of harvests per year… continue reading at Wikipedia.

You can buy pitayas in your nearest mercado or supermarket right now. There’s an upcoming article in REVUE magazine about the pitayas with a recipe for Ginger Dragon Delight which has rum and pitahayas as the main ingredients. You can find the article on page 66 of the July 2011 issue of REVUE magazine.

Have you ever had pitayas?

Today’s entry is a follow up on the comment left by Lynn on June 1:

Accidentally stumbled on your site somehow, and it made me nostalgic for all things Antigua and Guatemalan. Was there exactly 10 years ago for a couple of weeks, and spent every day in amazement. I remembered a fruit someone shared on a boat to Santiago Atitlan, the most sublime stuff of paradise, it had bright fuschia-colored flesh, and I looked for it everywhere for years, but never really knew what it was and have never found out since. Would you have a clue? These pix make me long to take a return trip. Soon.

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Posted in Food & Drinks, Fruits | 6 Comments »