Who Needs Pumpkin?

It’s October, which means in the US everything is pumpkin flavored.  Coffee, bread, muffins, ravioli, you name it people will put pumpkin in it.  I know this.  I did it myself last year.  I love pumpkin.  But since we are decidedly not in the states this October, we’re enjoying the distinct flavors of tropical fruits instead.

A still life fruit salad doesn’t make the most fascinating photography, but its the best way I had to document some of our fruit selection.  I had intended to photograph it at the market, but the market in Granada is hectic.  Stalls overlap one another under the shade of metal roofs or tents, the walkways create a narrow maze, and people push through from every side (often carrying huge sacks of rice or baskets of fish.)  A stall selling children’s clothing sits next to a butcher (nauseating smells are free!) which sits next to baskets of produce.  It’s chaotic and dark – a horrible combination for photography.

So instead of trying to photograph the market, I chose to just photograph some of our fruit post-purchase.  I realize some is more interesting than others, but its still pretty cool to get it all locally for cheap.

Here’s a little rundown:

Pineapple  You know this one.  The pineapples here are juicy, sweet, and abundant.  This one cost us about US$0.50.  Good thing they are cheap – we inhaled this entire thing in about 18 hours and are ready to buy another.

Carambola (Star Fruit)  Probably not unfamiliar, either.  Orange with green edges, this fruit slices into the shape of stars.  It’s sour and kind of like an orange.

Pitaya (Dragonfruit)  This fruit is magenta and shaped like an artichoke.  Inside, the flesh looks like a giant beet with little black seeds.  It’s sweet, firm and kinda tasty, but very messy.  Like a beet, it leaves red juices everywhere and stains your hands.  John looked like a vampire white eating it.

Calala (Passion Fruit)  Green and round, when you cut open this fruit the inside looks like a sludge of seeds.  We learned in Peru that you are supposed to swallow the seeds whole along with the goo that surrounds them.  Its slimy and a bit sour – not my favorite thing to eat.  I have an issue with textures.

Rambutan (lychee variant)  John dubbed these ‘hairy berries’ when he bought them on a bus ride a few weeks ago.  They look like little sea urchins, but are relatively easy to crack open.  The inside looks like an eyeball – a clearish globe that tastes like a mix of berry and plum.

We’ve also purchased coconuts, oranges, and bananas, I just didn’t photograph them.  They’re all tasty – I’m a big fan of the small bananas that are sweeter and more flavorful than what you find at home.

Enjoy your pumpkin-spiced October, US friends!  I’ll look forward to PumpkinFest 2013, but for now I’m off to buy another pineapple.