I love to try new fruits when I travel, so if you are a visitor to Jamaica I hope you will too. My favorite thing to do is go to the local market of a foreign country and randomly pick the strangest looking fruits.
So far it’s been a hit or miss situation. I have discovered some beautiful fruits. However, in some cases I have ended up eating the wrong part of the fruit! Don’t worry!
I will make sure this doesn’t happen to you! In the picture above you have the Jackfruit (A), Guinep (B) and Sweet sop (Sugar Apple) (C). I just thought I would give you some information about all three:
Jackfruit (A) – Don’t let the smell turn you off. You will love it trust me! Jackfruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the world. You can have a look at the nutritional benefits of Jackfruit here .
I usually buy my Jackfruit in the Flat bridge area on the road to Ocho Rios. I have also seen them selling Jackfruit on the roadside on the route from Ocho Rios to Montego Bay.
Vendors will usually peg the Jackfruit for you. However, if you decide to buy a whole Jackfruit here are a few tips. Cut the Jackfruit in half and use cooking oil on your knife. The sap can be sticky.
Cut out the white part in the middle. You will see a series of pegs. Peel off the cream colored plastic part (don’t eat this) and beneath it you will see a light yellow peg.
This is the part you eat. Careful there are large seeds inside it.
Guinep (B) – I used to love these as a kid. I still do! They are very common during the summer months. When they are in season you will see a lot of people on the roadside selling them.
The guinep is a large seed covered by a thin beige coloured pulp that has a sweet and tangy taste. This article on the Jamaica Observer website will give you more details –10 reasons to enjoy guineps
Sweet sop (C) – Another name for this fruit is Sugar Apple; however, in Jamaica we call it Sweet sop. These are a personal favorite.
The sweetsop skin is lumpy but don’t be fooled by the texture. When ripe they are soft and you can break them open. There are a series of black seeds covered by a white creamy custard like flesh.
This Wikipedia link can give you more details.
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