Umbu

As I have said before, when we venture to the grocery store or the farmer's market, we try to find something new to try. Sometimes these items are recommended to us. Sometimes they are something we find by accident. Sometimes they are delicious while others end up in the trash.

This weekend, we were intrigued by this package of interesting fruit.

Of course, we have to come home and either ask someone or search for the appropriate way to eat the fruit as it is new to us.

In researching I found that this fruit has just recently gained fame in the past few years. The Umbu is in the same family as the Mango. These were very small, like a large olive, but can range in size from cherry to large lemon. They grow green and hard on the plant, and turn yellow when they are ripe and ready. This fruit grows in the Caatinga, a region in northeastern Brasil that is made up of desert vegetation, with shrubs and thorny forests. This fruit has to be harvested by a gentle hand as they are easily damaged.

Looking at the unique name I became curious. It seems that this word comes from the indigenous word y-mbu meaning tree that gives drink. This makes complete sense after eating one of these!

The skin of this fruit is very rough. As we were reading how to eat, many people said that they had made the mistake of eating the skin. We avoided that thanks to Google! To eat, you simply cut off the tip of one end and then suck out the juice. Most of the inside is the giant seed covered in a little bit of pulp.

To describe the taste is very difficult. It is a mixture of sweet and sour, but one so good that you can't stop eating them. The initial taste is tart and causes that reaction in the back of your mouth and the puckering of your lips. This is quickly followed by a sweet sensation as the rush of liquid enters your mouth. For being such a tiny fruit, there is an abundance of juice!

The boys really enjoyed the fruit and we really enjoyed their reactions to the first taste! Zane was eager to try, and his faces are the best! Greg and I can not stop laughing at Alden. He looks like he is going to get sick and he hasn't even tried it yet!!!

Alden was very tired and not wanting to try after his brother's reaction! However, he was smiling and licking his lips which is how I knew he liked it. 

Overall, this was a hit. Alden, after trying, kept eating them. He asks at every meal if he can have them now. I can't complain as it is a good source of Vitamin C!