Page 12 - AHATA

Tuesday 13 June 2023 locAl
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Fruit Loose & Veggie Boost: Aruban fruits and vegetables

Fresh fruits make a tropical holi- nary purposes. It is a medium-sized ton. A classic favorite dish in Aruba
day’s picture complete. Whether bushy tree with evergreen leaves is Sopi di yambo. It has long been
you see the mangoes hanging in and fruit that develops in pods favored as a food for the health-
the trees or the fresh fruit cocktail characterized by long, brown conscious. It contains potassium,
on the side table of your pool bed, shells. Inside is a sticky, fleshy, juicy vitamin B, vitamin C, folic acid, and
the link is there: you are in the trop- pulp, which is the Tamarind fruit. calcium. It’s low in calories and has
ics. Aruba grows her own fruits and Both sweet and sour in taste, the a high dietary fiber content. Re-
veggies and there are some pretty fruit contains a significant level of cently, a new benefit of including
out-of-space local species you vitamin C, as well as vitamin E, B okra in your diet is being consid-
may never had heard of, but really vitamins, calcium, iron, phospho- ered. Okra has been suggested to
healthy and delicious. rous, potassium, manganese, and help manage blood sugar in cases
Druif dietary fiber. There are also a num- of type 1, type 2, and gestational
Mispel There is no chance you did not ber of organic compounds that diabetes. Season: year- round.
This is a fruit with a character (5- bump into one of the sea grape make tamarind a powerful antioxi-
10 cm/2-4 inches). It does not ripe trees while spending your vaca- dant and anti-inflammatory agent. Bonch’i Cunucu
until it is picked or falls off the tree. tion on Aruba. The sea grape plant Season: March. A long, small bean, boiled for a
Mispel is hard with a sandpaper like is often used in ocean-side land- When it comes to veggies the is- side dish or snack. Long beans
texture when immature, soft and scaping in sandy soil right on the land certainly offers a home-grown have a chewy, crunchy texture–
juicy when ripe. It's technically a beach and it produces clusters of selection. They taste delicious and more so than snap beans–and a
berry, but contains a skin similar to fruit that resemble grapes. Are sea have their specific talents to boost flavor reminiscent of the dry navy
that of a kiwi. It's grainy and sweet, grapes edible? Yes, they are. Ani- your immune system. Start the day bean or asparagus. Besides stir-fry,
with a light, musky flavor. The sap mals enjoy sea grapes and humans with a ‘batida’ (smoothie) en- soups and salads, the long bean is
or gum from the tree is also a can eat them as well, and they are riched with a local veggie touch a good choice for stewing, braising
source of 'chicle' the original ingre- used to make jam. They contain or select your restaurant that offers (to remain chewy and firm), sauté-
dient used to make chewing gum. very low calories and sugar, en- local vegetable dishes to get the ing, shallow frying, and deep fry-
Rich in tannins, antioxidants shown abling good bacterium to digest real pure taste of it. ing. With cooking, the long bean’s
to contain anti-inflammatory com- food and excrete waste quickly bean flavor intensifies. Long beans
pounds, and vitamin C, essential which is effective in preventing are low in calories, about 45 calo-
for healthy immune function. Sea- constipation. Season: Sep-Oct. ries per cup, and rich in vitamin A
son: year- round. and also contain vitamin C and
potassium. Season: year-round.

Comcomber chiquito
This is a sort of local squash, but
looks like a cucumber with prickly
skin. The taste however is bitterer
than the cucumber and the veg-
Shimarucu etable is smaller in size but bigger
Maybe Aruba’s most popular wild in width. Inside is a soft, fleshy pulp
fruit tree. You may have noticed and seeds, just like the cucumber. Pampuna
cars at the side of the road and Comcomber chiquito is grown in In the endless summer of Caribbe-
Kenepa people picking those red berries. the island and used in salads and an living we only have to concern
Ovoid green fruit that grows in Well, that’s Shimarucu. The local ‘stoba’ (stew) or on its own in vin- ourselves with a wet season and
bunches on trees up to 30m high. habit to stop for these delicious egar. The veggie contains multiple a dry season. Still we do indulge
The fruit is related to the lychee fruits goes from generation to gen- B vitamins, including vitamin B1, vi- heavily in the pleasures of pump-
and have tight, thin but rigid skins. eration. Its fruit’s degree of sour tamin B5, and vitamin B7 (biotin). kin and enjoy Caribbean pumpkin
Inside the skin is the tart, tangy, or depends on the amount of rain it B vitamins are known to help ease recipes year round. A popular dish
sweet pulp of the fruit covering gets. Red Shimarucus tend to taste feelings of anxiety and buffer some in Aruban restaurants is Sopa Di
a large seed. The pulp is usually better than orange. The fruit has of the damaging effects of stress. Pompuna, don’t miss it. This dish is
cream or orange colored. Kenepa super power: a true vitamin bomb. Additionally this veggie is rich in made of pumpkin soup, and pars-
strengthens the immune system, Adults only need to eat 3-4 of these two of the most basic elements ley. Pumpkins are rich in flavonoid
and prevents the reproduction of berries to meet their daily recom- needed for healthy digestion: wa- polyphenolic antioxidants such as
bacteria and viruses in the body. mended amount of Vitamin C. ter and fiber. Season: year- round. xanthin, lutein and carotenes and
This fruit is highly recommended Season: Rainy months (Oct-Jan). also contain vitamins. Pumpkin
to treat lung infections and urinary Yambo seeds are a good source of ome-
tract infections. It also helps to cure Tamarind Family of Okra, also known as ga-3 fatty acids, vitamins, miner-
insomnia and rejuvenates the ner- A delicious, sweet fruit that has a ‘lady’s fingers’: a green flowering als and proteins. Pumpkins are
vous system. Season: the fruit typi- wide variety of uses and applica- plant. Okra belongs to the same used to make desserts, breads and
cally ripen during the summer. tions, both for medicinal and culi- plant family as hibiscus and cot- soups.q