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A16 LOCAL
Wednesday 16 OctOber 2019
Fruit Loose & Veggie Boost
plant is often used in ocean-side land-
scaping in sandy soil right on the beach
and it produces clusters of fruit that resem-
ble grapes. Are sea grapes edible? Yes,
they are. Animals enjoy sea grapes and
humans can eat them as well, and they
are used to make jam. They contain very
low calories and sugar, enabling good
bacterium to digest food and excrete
waste quickly which is effective in prevent-
ing constipation. Season: Sep-Oct.
Fresh fruits make a tropical holiday’s pic- Shimaruku
ture complete. Whether you see the man- Maybe Aruba’s most popular wild fruit tree.
go’s hanging in the trees or the fresh fruit You may have noticed cars at the side of
cocktail on the side table of your pool bed, the road and people picking those red
the link is there: you are in the tropics. Aru- berries. Well, that’s Shimaruku. The local
ba grows her own fruits and veggies and habit to stop for these delicious fruits goes
there are some pretty out-of-space local from generation to generation. Its fruit’s
species you may never had heard of, but degree of sour depends on the amount of When it comes to veggies including okra in your diet
really healthy and delicious. rain it gets. Red Shimarukus tend to taste the island certainly offers is being considered. Okra
better than orange. The fruit has super a home-grown selection. has been suggested to
Druif power: a true vitamin bomb. Adults only They taste delicious and help manage blood sugar
There is no chance you did not bump into need to eat 3-4 of these berries to meet have their specific talents in cases of type 1, type 2,
one of the sea grape trees while spending their daily recommended amount of Vita- to boost your immune sys- and gestational diabetes.
your vacation on Aruba. The sea grape min C. Season: Rainy months (Oct-Jan). tem. Start the day with a Season: year- round.
‘batida’ (smoothie) en-
riched with a local veggie Bonchi' Cunucu
touch or select your restau- A long, small bean, boiled
rant that offers local vege- for a side dish or snack.
table dishes to get the real Long beans have a chewy,
pure taste of it. crunchy texture–more so
than snap beans–and a
Jambo flavor reminiscent of the dry
Family of Okra, also known navy bean or asparagus.
as ‘lady’s fingers’: a green Besides stir-fry, soups and
flowering plant. Okra be- salads, the long bean is a
longs to the same plant good choice for stewing,
family as hibiscus and cot- braising (to remain chewy
ton. A classic favorite dish and firm), sautéing, shal-
in Aruba is Sopi di Jambo. low frying, and deep fry-
It has long been favored as ing. With cooking, the long
a food for the health-con- bean’s bean flavor intensi-
scious. It contains potas- fies. Long beans are low in
sium, vitamin B, vitamin C, calories, about 45 calories
folic acid, and calcium. It’s per cup, and rich in vitamin
low in calories and has a A and also contain vitamin
high dietary fiber content. C and potassium. Season:
Recently, a new benefit of year-round.q
