Tidings Magazine

It’s easy to be dismayed by the stuff people are eating these days. Junk-food consumption is reaching epidemic proportions, but folks who eat their fruits and veggies are hearing lots of bad news about what’s in (or on) the imported produce on the market. China and California have recently been tarred with that brush, leaving diehard herbivores to look for other secure sources for healthy foods.

Brazil has become a serious contender in the fruit-export industry. It’s not just the land of bikinis and cosmetic surgery any more! I have been buying Brazilian fruit for years and never suffered from any of my purchases. The stuff is delicious, exotic and certified free of “grey water” germs and toxic chemicals. On a recent tour of northeast Brazil, I witnessed the life of a melon destined for export first-hand, from where and how it was grown to how it was packed and shipped to Canada. I was impressed with the great care with which the fruit was treated — almost twice as impressed as how delicious it tasted.

I’ve spoken with produce buyers from across Canada to find out what tropical fruit has gained in popularity of the past few years — bananas are still the number-one purchase. They stand out for being a fruit that can be quickly digested and is rich in fiber, potassium and vitamins. And yes, according to these buyers, we still eat bananas under-ripe, before the skin is flecked with brown spots.  

Mangoes

Tony DiMarco, who has been buying tropical fruit for over thirty years for his Harvest Wagon stores in Ontario, tells me that mangos imported from Mexico and Brazil in particular are extremely popular. Here in the Great White North, folks have discovered that mangoes are great in fruit salad or in salads that contain poultry. This fruit also compliments pork dishes; it can also be grated or cubed while under-ripe and eaten with salt and pepper.

Mangoes are oval-shaped and about the size of a large pear. The thin leathery skin of ripe mangoes varies in colour according to the variety, from light yellow to a reddish or purplish tint. The flesh is sweet, juicy and golden yellow in colour and it contains a large flat pit. Tommy Atkins and Haden are the most popular varieties.

They are usually sold firm and will need time to soften. Look for clear, unblemished, taut skins and an aromatic scent. Leave at room temperature for a few days, until the fruit yields to gentle pressure and gives off a heady, sweet, tropical aroma. Speckled fruit indicates advanced ripeness, not spoilage. Refrigerated mangoes (only refrigerate when ripe) will last for a week or more.

Papaya

Without a doubt the most popular and delicious papayas are the Hawaiian Solo and Sunrise and the Brazilian Red Amazon varieties. Their flavours are sweet, and the interior colour alone makes you smile. With this variety, there’s no need for lime juice to perk up the flavour.

Papayas contain anti-oxidants such as beta-carotene, a high level of vitamin C, minerals like potassium, magnesium and calcium; they’re also very low in sodium. And it is the fruit with the highest-known level of alkalinity. Papayas contain the enzyme papain, which is an excellent meat tenderizer, because it breaks down the meat’s protein.

The skin of the papaya is very delicate and can be easily bruised, spoiling the fruit. When the fruit is unripe, it is green and hard; little by little the colour changes to yellow or light orange in splotches, until it completely loses any traces of green. Papayas are great in salads, fruit kebabs, salsas and breakfast drinks.

When the papaya is sliced open to be consumed, you’ll notice its seeds are connected by fibres to the pulp and can be found in large quantities. They are small and shiny-black, and though they are often discarded, they are edible and can be dried to use as you would crushed black pepper.

The larger varieties of papaya can be used as a vegetable while still green and hard. Bake or cook it like squash.