Page 8 - AHATA

Saturday 14 January 2023 locAl
A10

Fruit Loose & Veggie Boost

Fresh fruits make a tropical cure insomnia and rejuve- bushy tree with evergreen

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