Page 14 - MIN VOS

A14 LOCAL
Saturday 14 OctOber 2017
Fruit Loose & Veggie Boost

ORANJESTAD - Fresh fruits original ingredient used to ripen during the summer.
make a tropical holiday’s make chewing gum. Rich
picture complete. Whether in tannins, antioxidants Druif
you see the mango’s hang- shown to contain anti-in- There is no chance you
ing on the trees or the fresh flammatory compounds, did not bump into one of
fruit cocktail on the side and vitamin C, essential for the sea grape trees while
table of your pool bed, the healthy immune function. spending your vacation on
link is made: you are in the Season: year- round. Aruba. The sea grape plant
tropics. Aruba grows her is often used in ocean-side
own fruits and veggies and Kenepa landscaping in sandy soil
there are some pretty out- Ovoid green fruit that right on the beach and it
of-space local species you grows in bunches on trees produces clusters of fruit
may never had heard of, up to 30m high. The fruit is that resemble grapes. Are
but really healthy and deli- related to the lychee and sea grapes edible? Yes,
cious. have tight, thin but rigid they are. Animals enjoy sea
skins. Inside the skin is the grapes and humans can
Mispel tart, tangy, or sweet pulp eat them as well, and they
This is a fruit with a charac- of the fruit covering a large are used to make jam. They
ter (5-10 cm/2-4 inches). seed. The pulp is usually contain very low calories
It does not ripe until it is cream or orange colored. and sugar, enabling good ful antioxidant and anti-in- known to help ease feel-
picked or falls off the tree. Kenepa strengthens the bacterium to digest food flammatory agent. Season: ings of anxiety and buffer
Mispel is hard with a sand- immune system, and pre- and excrete waste quickly March. some of the damaging ef-
paper like texture when vents the reproduction of which is effective in pre- fects of stress. Additionally
immature, soft and juicy bacteria and viruses in the venting constipation. Sea- When it comes to veggies this veggie is rich in two of
when ripe. It’s technically body. This fruit is highly rec- son: Sep-Oct. the island certainly offers the most basic elements
a berry, but contains a skin ommended to treat lung a home-grown selection. needed for healthy diges-
similar to that of a kiwi. It’s infections and urinary tract Shimaruku They taste delicious and tion: water and fiber. Sea-
grainy and sweet, with a infections. It also helps to Maybe Aruba’s most popu- have their specific talents son: year- round.
light, musky flavor. The sap cure insomnia and rejuve- lar wild fruit tree. You may to boost your immune sys-
or gum from the tree is also nates the nervous system. have noticed cars at the tem. Start the day with a Jambo
a source of ‘chicle’ the Season: the fruit typically side of the road and peo- ‘batida’ (smoothie) en- Family of Okra, also known
ple picking those red ber- riched with a local veggie as ‘lady’s fingers’: a green
ries. Well, that’s Shimaruku. touch or select your restau- flowering plant. Okra be-
The local habit to stop for rant that offers local vege- longs to the same plant
these delicious fruits goes table dishes to get the real family as hibiscus and cot-
from generation to genera- pure taste of it. ton. A classic favorite dish
tion. Its fruit’s degree of sour in Aruba is Sopi di Jambo.
depends on the amount Konkomberchiquito It has long been favored as
of rain it gets. Red Shima- This is a sort of local squash, a food for the health-con-
rukus tend to taste better but looks like a cucumber scious. It contains potas-
than orange. The fruit has with prickly skin. The taste sium, vitamin B, vitamin C,
super power: a true vi- however is bitterer than the folic acid, and calcium. It’s
tamin bomb. Adults only cucumber and the vegeta- low in calories and has a
need to eat 3-4 of these ble is smaller in size but big- high dietary fiber content.
berries to meet their daily ger in width. Inside is a soft, Recently, a new benefit of
recommended amount of fleshy pulp and seeds, just including okra in your diet
Vitamin C. Season: Rainy like the cucumber. Konk- is being considered. Okra
months (Oct-Jan). omber chiquito is grown in has been suggested to
the island and used in sal- help manage blood sugar
Tamarind ads and ‘stoba’ (stew) or in cases of type 1, type 2,
A delicious, sweet fruit that on its own in vinegar. The and gestational diabetes.
has a wide variety of uses veggie contains multiple B Season: year- round.
Paradise in the Caribbean and applications, both for vitamins, including vitamin
medicinal and culinary pur- B1, vitamin B5, and vitamin Continued on next Page
poses. It is a medium-sized B7 (biotin). B vitamins are
bushy tree with evergreen
leaves and fruit that devel-
ops in pods characterized
by long, brown shells. In-
side is a sticky, fleshy, juicy
pulp, which is the Tamarind
fruit. Both sweet and sour
in taste, the fruit contains a
significant level of vitamin
C, as well as vitamin E, B vi-
tamins, calcium, iron, phos-
phorous, potassium, man-
ganese, and dietary fiber.
There are also a number of
organic compounds that
SALES OFFICE +297 2801005 info@leventaruba.com make tamarind a power-
MOBILE +297 5927275 www.leventaruba.com