I happened to notice a pile of new mystery fruits today at Maria's fruit & vegetable stand, so I asked her about them. "Apple", she said. "Belizean apple." She said they were sweet with just a little sour taste, and that the skin was edible. What did I have to lose? She picked out a nice one for us, and we added it to our pile of baby bananas and limes.
The "apple" must have been reasonably priced as we got it, along with four small limes, and a nice-sized bunch of bananas, for just $8 BZD ($4 US). And of course Maria threw in a few other veggies for good measure, since we're frequent customers.
When I got home, I started my usual googling to determine exactly what this lovely burgundy pear-shaped fruit actually was. Turns out, it is a Rose Apple, named because it tastes like rosewater. Cool! Rose Apples are very low in calories but high in Vitamins A and C, calcium, and niacin. What's not to love? At this point, I gave it a sniff, and it does have the aroma of old-fashioned roses -- you know, roses that actually have a fragrance. My mother loves all things rose and frequently sprinkles rose water over fruit for a simple Greek dessert, so I wish she could try this interesting new fruit along with us.
The "apple" must have been reasonably priced as we got it, along with four small limes, and a nice-sized bunch of bananas, for just $8 BZD ($4 US). And of course Maria threw in a few other veggies for good measure, since we're frequent customers.
When I got home, I started my usual googling to determine exactly what this lovely burgundy pear-shaped fruit actually was. Turns out, it is a Rose Apple, named because it tastes like rosewater. Cool! Rose Apples are very low in calories but high in Vitamins A and C, calcium, and niacin. What's not to love? At this point, I gave it a sniff, and it does have the aroma of old-fashioned roses -- you know, roses that actually have a fragrance. My mother loves all things rose and frequently sprinkles rose water over fruit for a simple Greek dessert, so I wish she could try this interesting new fruit along with us.
Next to a small lime to show the size
But the proof would be in the tasting. The flesh inside is fine and very white. It has a large seed and some "fuzz" around it that I scooped out with a spoon, then I sliced the fruit. The skin is edible and soft, so there's no need to peel it.
Interior of Rose Apple
The taste and texture resembled a pear doused in rosewater, with slightly finer flesh, not grainy the way a pear can sometimes be. It's nice, but like some of the other new tropical fruits we've tried since moving here, I am not sure I'd go out of my way to eat it plain. I think it would be nice in a fruit salad with brighter colored fruits or chopped up in yogurt. It would also be a good addition to a fruit smoothie.
But it can't beat my favorite "new" fruit since moving here. That honor still goes to the pitaya (dragonfruit). Love the seeds, texture, and flavor of that one, but it's out of season at the moment. I blogged about it in this long post (scroll down to July 5 for info and photos). But I'm always up for trying yet another tropical treat!
But it can't beat my favorite "new" fruit since moving here. That honor still goes to the pitaya (dragonfruit). Love the seeds, texture, and flavor of that one, but it's out of season at the moment. I blogged about it in this long post (scroll down to July 5 for info and photos). But I'm always up for trying yet another tropical treat!
And on a different subject entirely...
Have our adventures given you the itch to come visit Belize yourself? We usually keep this blog completely non-commercial, but are making a small exception this time since this involves a friend and neighbor of ours....
Ambergris Caye, Belize vacation special - 50% off!
Just in case anyone reading this has a flexible schedule and wants to come stay in a beautiful beachfront condo SOON, our neighbor Mike's unit is available from Feb. 18 through 28 due to a cancellation. He's offering 50% off the usual rate with a four night minimum. This is a one bedroom luxury condo with a sofa bed in the living room as well. It's a gorgeous unit, just completed last summer. The view of the Caribbean Sea from the large veranda is unbeatable! The special price is $224/night (+ hotel tax/fees of 15%) for those days. Please see Mike's VRBO link for full details and photos, and tell him Barry and Emily sent you!
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