Page 32 - bon-dia-aruba-20200624

a32 local
Wednesday 24 June 2020
Fruit loose and veggie boost

ORANJESTAD — Fresh fruits make fruit tree. You may have noticed
a tropical holiday’s picture com- cars at the side of the road and
plete. Whether you see the man- people picking those red berries.
go’s hanging in the trees or you Well, that’s Shimaruku. The local
enjoy the fresh fruit cocktail on the habit to stop for these delicious
side table of your pool bed, the fruits goes from generation to gen-
link is there: you are in the trop- eration. Its fruit’s degree of sour
ics. Aruba grows her own fruits and depends on the amount of rain it
veggies and there are some pretty gets. Red Shimarukus tend to taste
out-of-space local species you better than orange. The fruit has
may never had heard of, but they super power: a true vitamin bomb.
are really healthy and delicious. Adults only need to eat 3-4 of these
berries to meet their daily recom-
Mispel mended amount of Vitamin C.
This is a fruit with a character (5- Season: Rainy months (Oct-Jan).
10 cm/2-4 inches). It does not ripe
until it is picked or falls off the tree. Tamarind
Mispel is hard with a sandpaper like A delicious, sweet fruit that has a
texture when immature, soft and wide variety of uses and applica-
juicy when ripe. It's technically a tions, both for medicinal and culi-
berry, but contains a skin similar to nary purposes. It is a medium-sized
that of a kiwi. It's grainy and sweet, bushy tree with evergreen leaves
with a light, musky flavor. The sap and fruit that develops in pods
or gum from the tree is also a characterized by long, brown
source of 'chicle' the original ingre- shells. Inside is a sticky, fleshy, juicy
dient used to make chewing gum. pulp, which is the Tamarind fruit.
Rich in tannins, antioxidants shown Both sweet and sour in taste, the ‘stoba’ (stew) or on its own in vin- cently, a new benefit of including
to contain anti-inflammatory com- fruit contains a significant level of egar. The veggie contains multiple okra in your diet is being consid-
pounds, and vitamin C, essential vitamin C, as well as vitamin E, B B vitamins, including vitamin B1, vi- ered. Okra has been suggested to
for healthy immune function. Sea- vitamins, calcium, iron, phospho- tamin B5, and vitamin B7 (biotin). help manage blood sugar in cases
son: year- round. rous, potassium, manganese, and B vitamins are known to help ease of type 1, type 2, and gestational
dietary fiber. There are also a num- feelings of anxiety and buffer some diabetes. Season: year- round.
Druif ber of organic compounds that of the damaging effects of stress.
There is no chance you did not make tamarind a powerful antioxi- Additionally this veggie is rich in Bonchi' Cunucu
bump into one of the sea grape dant and anti-inflammatory agent. two of the most basic elements A long, small bean, boiled for a
trees while spending your vaca- Season: March. needed for healthy digestion: wa- side dish or snack. Long beans
tion on Aruba. The sea grape plant ter and fiber. Season: year- round. have a chewy, crunchy texture–
is often used in ocean-side land- When it comes to veggies the is- more so than snap beans–and a
scaping in sandy soil right on the land certainly offers a home-grown Jambo flavor reminiscent of the dry navy
beach and it produces clusters of selection. They taste delicious and Family of Okra, also known as ‘la- bean or asparagus. Besides stir-fry,
fruit that resemble grapes. Are sea have their specific talents to boost dy’s fingers’: a green flowering soups and salads, the long bean is
grapes edible? Yes, they are. Ani- your immune system. plant. Okra belongs to the same a good choice for stewing, braising
mals enjoy sea grapes and humans plant family as hibiscus and cot- (to remain chewy and firm), sauté-
can eat them as well, and they are Konkomber chiquito ton. A classic favorite dish in Aruba ing, shallow frying, and deep fry-
used to make jam. They contain This is a sort of local squash, but is Sopi di Jambo. It has long been ing. With cooking, the long bean’s
very low calories and sugar, en- looks like a cucumber with prickly favored as a food for the health- bean flavor intensifies. Long beans
abling good bacterium to digest skin. The taste however is bitterer conscious. It contains potassium, are low in calories, about 45 calo-
food and excrete waste quickly than the cucumber and the veg- vitamin B, vitamin C, folic acid, and ries per cup, and rich in vitamin A
which is effective in preventing etable is smaller in size but bigger calcium. It’s low in calories and has and also contain vitamin C and
constipation. Season: Sep-Oct. in width. Inside is a soft, fleshy pulp a high dietary fiber content. Re- potassium. Season: year-round.q
and seeds, just like the cucumber.
Shimaruku Konkomber chiquito is grown in
Maybe Aruba’s most popular wild the island and used in salads and