Today I had a cultural experience.
I subscribe to an organic produce delivery service called My Personal Farmer. For 3200 pesos/month we receive a box of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables once a week, delivered directly to our neighborhood. The produce is grown in Mindanao, harvested the morning of the delivery, and flown up to Manila the same day. I am enjoying this service for three reasons 1) I've never tasted such delicious vegetables 2) The (almost) doorstep delivery is fantastic and 3) I have the opportunity to experience new fruits and vegetables.
For example, this is a marang:
I think I just had a zombie experience.
When it arrived our helper told me how to open it once it had ripened. She was very excited when we received it and said that we would be able to smell when it ripened. She did not, however, warm us that I would wander around the house for a half hour looking for the horrible smell before finally tracking it down. You could smell it outside our front door!
However, the fruit inside is actually pretty good. Smells can be deceiving.
wow, that thing is a bit creepy!
ReplyDeletehow GREAT that you have a CSA of sorts.
What's the name of that fruit? I know the durian smells awful, but it doesn't look like it, however the inside of the fruit looks a lot like a "CHIRIMOYA" which is delicious.. If you see it, try it but the chirimoya doesn't have any smell to it and the outside is smooth, it has a soft skin...
ReplyDeleteLet me know what it is, I'm curious!
It's Friday, and that means that the Weekly State Department Blog Roundup is up - and you're on it!
ReplyDeleteHere is the link: http://cyberbones.blogspot.com/2010/09/weekly-round-up.html
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It's a marang. These tropical fruits are so interesting! If the purpose of a fruit is to spread the tree's seeds, why does it have such an effective odor repellent system?
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of the jackfruit in Jakarta. The ripe ones smelled so horrible but inside tasted like juicy fruit bubble gum.
ReplyDeleteI thought you were eating a hedgehog at first. That is what the unopened fruit resembles. Since my olfactory sense is impeded by my Sjogren's Syndrome the disgusting smell would not bother me unless it was really, really strong.
ReplyDeleteWhat interesting cultural experiences you are having. Thanks for sharing your new world with us.