Page 17 - AHATA

a11
local Tuesday 24 June 2025
Fruit Loose & Veggie Boost: Aruban fruits and vegetables

Fresh fruits make a tropical
holiday’s picture complete.
Whether you see the man-
goes hanging in the trees or
the fresh fruit cocktail on the
side table of your pool bed,
the link is there: you are in
the tropics. Aruba grows
her own fruits and veggies
and there are some pretty
out-of-space local species
you may never had heard
of, but really healthy and
delicious.
Mispel
This is a fruit with a charac- Season: the fruit typically vitamin bomb. Adults only veggie contains multiple B
ter (5-10 cm/2-4 inches). ripen during the summer. need to eat 3-4 of these vitamins, including vitamin
It does not ripe until it is berries to meet their daily B1, vitamin B5, and vitamin
picked or falls off the tree. Druif recommended amount of B7 (biotin). B vitamins are
Mispel is hard with a sand- There is no chance you Vitamin C. Season: Rainy known to help ease feel-
paper like texture when did not bump into one of months (Oct-Jan). ings of anxiety and buffer
immature, soft and juicy the sea grape trees while Tamarind some of the damaging ef-
when ripe. It’s technically spending your vacation on A delicious, sweet fruit that fects of stress. Additionally
a berry, but contains a skin Aruba. The sea grape plant has a wide variety of uses this veggie is rich in two of
similar to that of a kiwi. It’s is often used in ocean-side and applications, both for the most basic elements
grainy and sweet, with a landscaping in sandy soil medicinal and culinary pur- needed for healthy diges-
light, musky flavor. The sap right on the beach and it poses. It is a medium-sized tion: water and fiber. Sea-
or gum from the tree is also produces clusters of fruit bushy tree with evergreen son: year- round.
a source of ‘chicle’ the that resemble grapes. Are leaves and fruit that devel- Yambo
original ingredient used to sea grapes edible? Yes, ops in pods characterized Family of Okra, also known
make chewing gum. Rich in they are. Animals enjoy sea by long, brown shells. In- as ‘lady’s fingers’: a green
tannins, antioxidants shown grapes and humans can side is a sticky, fleshy, juicy flowering plant. Okra be-
to contain anti-inflamma- eat them as well, and they pulp, which is the Tamarind longs to the same plant
tory compounds, and vita- are used to make jam. They fruit. Both sweet and sour family as hibiscus and cot-
min C, essential for healthy contain very low calories in taste, the fruit contains a ton. A classic favorite dish
immune function. Season: and sugar, enabling good significant level of vitamin in Aruba is Sopi di yambo.
year- round. bacterium to digest food C, as well as vitamin E, B vi- It has long been favored salads, the long bean is a
Kenepa and excrete waste quickly tamins, calcium, iron, phos- as a food for the health- good choice for stewing,
Ovoid green fruit that which is effective in pre- phorous, potassium, man- conscious. It contains po- braising (to remain chewy
grows in bunches on trees venting constipation. Sea- ganese, and dietary fiber. tassium, vitamin B, vitamin and firm), sautéing, shal-
up to 30m high. The fruit is son: Sep-Oct. There are also a number of C, folic acid, and calcium. low frying, and deep fry-
related to the lychee and organic compounds that It’s low in calories and has a ing. With cooking, the long
have tight, thin but rigid Shimarucu make tamarind a power- high dietary fiber content. bean’s bean flavor intensi-
skins. Inside the skin is the Maybe Aruba’s most popu- ful antioxidant and anti-in- Recently, a new benefit of fies. Long beans are low in
tart, tangy, or sweet pulp lar wild fruit tree. You may flammatory agent. Season: including okra in your diet calories, about 45 calories
of the fruit covering a large have noticed cars at the March. is being considered. Okra per cup, and rich in vitamin
seed. The pulp is usually side of the road and peo- When it comes to veggies has been suggested to A and also contain vitamin
cream or orange colored. ple picking those red ber- the island certainly offers help manage blood sugar C and potassium. Season:
Kenepa strengthens the ries. Well, that’s Shimarucu. a home-grown selection. in cases of type 1, type 2, year-round.
immune system, and pre- The local habit to stop for They taste delicious and and gestational diabetes. Pampuna
vents the reproduction of these delicious fruits goes have their specific talents Season: year- round. In the endless summer of
bacteria and viruses in the from generation to genera- to boost your immune sys- Bonch’i Cunucu Caribbean living we only
body. This fruit is highly rec- tion. Its fruit’s degree of sour tem. Start the day with a A long, small bean, boiled have to concern ourselves
ommended to treat lung depends on the amount ‘batida’ (smoothie) en- for a side dish or snack. with a wet season and a
infections and urinary tract of rain it gets. Red Shima- riched with a local veggie Long beans have a chewy, dry season. Still we do in-
infections. It also helps to rucus tend to taste bet- touch or select your restau- crunchy texture–more so dulge heavily in the plea-
cure insomnia and rejuve- ter than orange. The fruit rant that offers local vege- than snap beans–and a fla- sures of pumpkin and enjoy
nates the nervous system. has super power: a true table dishes to get the real vor reminiscent of the dry Caribbean pumpkin reci-
pure taste of it. navy bean or asparagus. pes year round. A popular
Comcomber chiquito Besides stir-fry, soups and dish in Aruban restaurants
This is a sort of local squash, is Sopa Di Pompuna, don’t
but looks like a cucumber miss it. This dish is made of
with prickly skin. The taste pumpkin soup, and parsley.
however is bitterer than the Pumpkins are rich in flavo-
cucumber and the vegeta- noid polyphenolic antioxi-
ble is smaller in size but big- dants such as xanthin, lutein
ger in width. Inside is a soft, and carotenes and also
fleshy pulp and seeds, just contain vitamins. Pumpkin
like the cucumber. Com- seeds are a good source of
comber chiquito is grown omega-3 fatty acids, vita-
in the island and used in mins, minerals and proteins.
salads and ‘stoba’ (stew) Pumpkins are used to make
or on its own in vinegar. The desserts, breads and soups.