Fruit of the day: jocotes

With the mission staff on vacation, I have time to wander the market looking for new treats to try. I'll share my fruity findings for the next few days.

I thought I'd start with an important one: jocotes

There are several varieties available at different times of the year. Some have a tougher, bumpier skin. some ripen yellow instead of red. But these are the best. They are a type of wild plum. And when red, ripe, and soft are sweet like a plum. They have a big gigantic pit, so you need to eat a bowlful. That's no problem, as there are mountains of them lining the streets. A bag of around 50 sell for 20 cordobas. (less than a dollar).

These are probably Jonathan's favorite Nicaraguan treat. He likes them dead red ripe. People here also like to eat the green ones which are sour. Several ladies I met today in the market were buying huge quantities to make a dish called "cuznaca" (which I have not tried) that, if my listening skills were accurate, involves boiling and baking the jocotes along with rice, cinnamon, sugar, and onions. (yea, I know. I asked like 3 times, they totally said onions.)

they're tiny

but packed with juicy flavor

and mostly full of pit