"Monkey Snot" and Other Delicacies

There are many things about Costa Rica that are fun to experience. One of these is the variety of exotic, albeit sometimes strange fruits and vegetables available here. A favorite of our children is lovingly called "monkey snot" by gringos (also known as passion fruit). The shell is thin and when opened has several small seeds that are about the size of sunflower seeds. They are surrounded by a sweet flesh and are crunchy when chewed. Yum! The picture on the above left is of the mamón chino. The spines are surprisingly soft, and the seed inside is surrounded by a sweet flesh that you suck on and then spit out the seed. They are very popular here as a snack and fortunately very cheap as well.

Above to the right is the mangosteen. We were first introduced to a small cousin of this fruit at the beach. It is incredibly sweet. The outer shell is very similar to "monkey snot" and the inside seeds are too hard to eat, but the flesh around them is very tasty.

I learned finally why the cashew nut is so expensive. As you can see from the picture the cashew is actually attached to a fruit (Maranon) on the cashew tree. The nut itself is actually poisonous prior to cooking. It is the case that the double shell surrounding the raw cashew, which is technically a seed and not a nut, contains urushiol, a resin that can create significant skin rashes, and can be toxic when ingested.
Urushiol is the same chemical found in poison ivy, and it is present on the leaves of the cashew tree as well as in the raw cashew shell. Processing raw cashews can be a laborious and nightmarish ordeal, and people who work in cashew processing plants tend to exhibit greater allergies to cashew shells over time. There is a high incidence of skin rashes among people who either harvest or process raw cashews.

A favorite of Costa Ricans is the cas. They use this fruit mostly to make natural fruit drinks (frescos). You can actually take its fruit and peel it and place the flesh in the freezer. When you are ready for a cold refreshing drink you just place it, seeds and all, in the blender and blend away. There is no need to add sugar or anything. It is very delicioso and healthy!

Apples, grapes and pears are very expensive here. It is actually considered a nice gift. My language teacher was thrilled when another student gave an apple as a present at Christmas. Watermelons are available here but a bit pricey too. Now what they lack for in the usual fruit offerings they make up for in the availability of fruits like pineapple (about $1.25 a piece), mangoes ( around $.50 each), and papayas ( less than $1/ lb). Lemons, limes and mandarin oranges grow in people's yards, so I can buy 6 for $1 most of the time. Coconuts are so easy to find here that people actually buy them at the feria (market) with a straw in them just to drink the juice and then throw the rest away.

So next time you find yourself biting into a big juicy hamburger and feel sorry for us eating our vaca flaca ("skinny cow"our nickname for the beef here in Costa Rica), just remember that we can eat our weight in tropical fruits like "Monkey Snot"!