El Salvador is in the tropics, the part of the world located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. That means it is hot. Right now, El Salvador is experiencing the warmest months of the year, as dry season ends and rainy season begins. We’ve been “enjoying” temperatures in the upper 90’s (Fahrenheit) and humidity for weeks now.
One benefit of a tropical climate, however, is a lot of tropical fruit. Everywhere you look in El Salvador there are trees and bushes and vines that give fruit, and the kids at Love & Hope Children’s Home love it. We aren’t just talking about pineapple and watermelon. El Salvador boasts a huge variety of tropical fruit that many people have never even heard of!
Our driver, Alberto, heads to the local market every week to buy produce. He always buys the basics (watermelon, pineapple, imported apples, melon) and brings home whatever fruit is in season.
The Love & Hope kids are always anxious for mango season, and right now, El Salvador is right in the middle of it. It is common in El Salvador to eat mature, sweet, yellow mango, but it is perhaps more common to smother that mango in lime, salt, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and ground pumpkin seed powder. Sound strange? Don’t decide until you’ve tried it!
Guavas are also native to El Salvador. The guavas we eat are green. Almost the entire guava can be eaten because the seeds are so small, there is no need to eat around them. Again, if the kids had their choice they would liven their guava up with lime, salt, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and ground pumpkin seed powder.
Can you tell the difference between a banana and a plantain? Both are very, very abundant in El Salvador, and both are very, very cheap! A banana, as you know, is sweet and eaten raw. A plantain is hardier, and can be described as a cooking banana. Plantains are delicious fried, paired with re-fried beans, which is how Love & Hope usually prepares them. But plantains are also eaten boiled, or cooked with honey, or sliced potato chip thin and fried until crunchy. They are a staple here in El Salvador, very versatile.
Also in our refrigerator this week are “nances.” This tiny fruit looks like yellow berries and the caregivers at Love & Hope Children’s Home often use them to make a drink.
Oranges are also very common and very cheap in El Salvador. The oranges we typically buy are tougher than a Florida orange. Most people sprinkle a little salt on top, and then bite or suck the flesh out from the orange membrane.
Mamoncillos are a tiny green fruit, the size of a grape. To eat mamoncillos, you first have to bite through and dispose of the outer shell. Inside is a large seed covered in a sweet, jelly-like membrane. Mamoncillos are delicious as is, but we also put them in juice-drinks.
Limes are a necessity at Love & Hope Children’s Home. Our kids (and everyone else) love them! We use the juice to flavor other fruit, salsa, fish, guacamole, and sometimes soup. Occasionally for lunch, we enjoy limeade! Another favorite of our kids to squeeze lime juice into a bag of Doritos or other type of corn chip. Yum!
Avocados are also a favorite and right now they are in season. Luckily, at Rachel’s house (and also where our teams stay), there is an avocado tree! Sometimes we send the kids up there to pick the enormous avocados! We use avocados whenever we can: a slice with soup, mashed into guacamole with onions and tomatoes, or smeared onto a sandwich.
We also use a lot of fruit to make fresh fruit drinks. No juicer is needed; we blend up the flesh of a watermelon, pineapple or melon in a blender, add some water and sugar, and are left with a delicious drink. These pineapple’s were blended into a delicious “fresco” for lunch.
Tropical fruits are part of life here in El Salvador. Fruits like grapes, pears and apples are often times very expensive, and only bought on special occasions, like Christmas. What fruits are normal fare for you and your family?