Las Fruitas

In the mercado that spills out of the daily market and onto Avienda 31 de Octubre, open air stalls offer myriad varieties of fruit. Some are familiar: mangoes (two varieties), bananas (at least five), guavas, papayas, pineapples, oranges, blackberries, strawberries, avocados, cherries and grapes. In small moments of bravery, I sally into the market, bringing back a new trophy each time.

I sample tomates de árbol - strange egg-shaped fruits with a mottled maroon and crimson sin. When I peel it, the apperance and texture are entirely tomato, but the taste is an earthy tartness that, I find out later, makes an excellent ¨juice¨ (fruit, agua purificada y asucar)

I try tamarind, cracking the dried pea-pod like husk for the sticky fruits inside. I´m surprised, after using tamarind paste and encountering it in indian restaurants to find that the fruit is mostly seed.

It's not until our profesoras take us to the market that we make the aquaintance of some of the more obscure (to us) Ecuadorian fruits. Like pepina, whose thin yellow skin hosts purple stripes and whose taste and texture bring mellon to mind. and naranjilla (little orange), a small member of the citrus family with a flavor akin to kumquats. Its tartness likewise lends itself to juice and ice cream.


After offering us a quarter of guayaba each, and discussing its characteristics in spanish, Elizabeth roots around in the remaining half for the gusano, or worm, that is often found there. "Protein", I say, "I feel it moving", Mike says. While the custard-like texture puts some off, the fruit can be used medicinally to treat diarrhea.

We end our tasting with a family of fruits whose juicy, and somewhat slimy flesh surrounds a multitude of small seeds. "Pomegranite", I think, "Salmon roe", Mike suggests. Elizabeth hands us each a spoon. The flavors range from sour to sweet and each sports a thick husk that needs to be ¨cracked¨ to get at the fruit.

The lesson fuels my bravery, and I expand my forays to ordering jugo de naranjilla with dinner, and buying guayaba jam for our morning breakfast. We find the heladeria and watch the sorbet-like ice cream being made. Fruit juice and sugar are beaten in a copper bowl nested in a larger bowl which is lined with reeds (to serve as insulation) and ice. Taxo and maracuyá for Mike, and guyabana and mora for me. What will we find next?