Website design By BotEap.comKnow the Chontaduro or Palm Fruit

Website design By BotEap.com“What’s that?I asked, looking at the plum-sized fruit the woman was peeling in her hand.

Website design By BotEap.com“These are chontaduros from the coast.” “How would you like yours?“

Website design By BotEap.com“How can I have them?“I asked back.

Website design By BotEap.com“You can take them with salt or honey.“

Website design By BotEap.com“Then give me two of each.“

Website design By BotEap.comThe middle-aged black woman sat on the top staircase that led into the mall. Her clothes were well worn, reflecting a hard life and a lower class. She went to work immediately. After peeling four of the fruits, she cut them in half lengthwise to extract the single black seed from the center with a small paring knife. She then dipped the fruit into a small bowl with salt covering half of the fruit. Repeating the procedure with two more chontaduros plucked from a full plastic container on her lap, she dropped them into a narrow plastic bag as she drizzled a stream of honey first over one and then another inside the bag on top of the first. . A separate bag contained the two salty. With the thick, tough skin peeled, the lone seed removed, and the fruit quartered, there’s no waste. She preferred the salty ones.

Website design By BotEap.comA little-known culinary treasure

Website design By BotEap.comscientifically named Bactris gasipae, the chontaduro, or palm fruit as it is sometimes called, is common in many of the Pacific Ocean coastal regions of Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, and Ecuador. Varieties also grow in parts of the West Indies. Some of his many other names include Cachipay, Pejibaye, Pijuayo and pupunja. The skin (epicarp) of the fruit can vary in color from red to orange or yellow depending on the variety of the palm. It has a firm texture, a slightly starchy flavor, and its flesh is dry and somewhat fibrous, but it is very popular. In Colombia, for example, it is used in dozens of recipes, but it is mostly eaten boiled in salted water, peeled, and then dipped in salt or drizzled with honey. To date, the prickly pear has limited popularity outside of its home growing regions. However, this is beginning to change, as its use in gourmet fares increases and its availability expands. However, the palm fruit is a little-known culinary treasure that is making its way up the exotic food rankings.

Website design By BotEap.comCooking with Chontaduro

Website design By BotEap.comHowever, in sauces, soups, stews, and baked delights, prickly pear has no equal. The fruit of the palm can also be used to make flour, jellies or pressed to release its high cholesterol oil. Most people eat the fruit after boiling it in salted water, then peeling it and dipping it in salt, jam or honey. When the boiled fruit is peeled and peeled, it can be crushed, grated, ground, or processed into a puree base, then used in sauces, creams, or bases. A particular favorite is a cooked palm fruit sauce poured or glazed over fish and shellfish. Its unique flavor makes it an interesting base for soups and stews. The pulp can be pickled, fermented, gelatinized, or dried and ground for use in a wide range of further applications. So if you’re looking to spice up your own recipes, try cooking with chontaduros for a unique flavor kick.