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A8
Thursday 22 OcTOber 2020

Fruit Loose

and there are some local
species you may never
heard of, but they are re-
ally healthy and delicious.

Mispel
This is a fruit with a charac-
ter (5-10 cm/2-4 inches).
It does not ripe until it is
picked or falls off the tree.
Mispel is hard with a sand-
paper like texture when
immature, soft and juicy
when ripe. It’s technically
a berry, but contains a skin
similar to that of a kiwi. It’s
grainy and sweet, with a
light, musky flavor. The sap
or gum from the tree is also
a source of ‘chicle’ the
original ingredient used to
Fresh fruits make a tropi- mangoes on the tree or the the link is there: you are in make chewing gum. Rich
cal holiday’s picture com- fresh fruit cocktail on the the tropics. Aruba grows its in tannins, antioxidants
plete. Whether you see the side table of your pool bed, own fruits and vegetables shown to contain anti-in-
flammatory compounds,
and vitamin C, essential for in preventing constipation.
healthy immune function. Season: Sep-Oct.
Season: year- round.
Shimaruku
Druif Maybe Aruba’s most pop-
There is no chance you ular wild fruit tree. You may
did not bump into one of have noticed cars at the
the sea grape trees while side of the road and peo-
spending your vacation on ple picking those red ber-
Aruba. The sea grape plant ries. Well, that’s Shimaruku.
is often used in ocean-side The local habit to stop for
landscaping in sandy soil these delicious fruits goes
right on the beach and it from generation to gen-
produces clusters of fruit eration. Its fruit’s degree
that resemble grapes. Are of sour depends on the
sea grapes edible? Yes, amount of rain it gets. Red
they are. Animals enjoy Shimarukus tend to taste
sea grapes and humans better than orange. The
can eat them as well, and fruit has super power: a true
they are used to make jam. vitamin bomb. Adults only
They contain very low cal- need to eat 3-4 of these
ories and sugar, enabling berries to meet their daily
good bacterium to digest recommended amount of
food and excrete waste Vitamin C. Season: Rainy
quickly which is effective months (Oct-Jan).q