8 exotic Caribbean fruits you should try

By | 6 April, 2022 | 0 comments

Caribbean fruits

Travelling is undoubtedly an accumulation of experiences that remain in our memories forever. But, apart from our memory, there is another place where we can accumulate experiences, and that is in our taste buds. Travelling is an extraordinary opportunity to try new things, new flavours and new ingredients.

Fruits are a fun and healthy way to accumulate those taste memories. We always recommend that our guests include fruits in their meals as they are not only full of vitamins, but also help to maintain hydration levels in the body, which is so necessary when you are on a beach holiday and exposed to the sun for long periods of time.

Here’s a list of the most exotic fruits, with all their shapes, textures, colours and flavours, that you should definitely try during your visit to the Caribbean. We promise that you’ll want to eat them more than once!

 

Exotic fruits in Mexico

If you’re planning a trip to Riviera Maya, we’d like to recommend some exotic fruits to try.

1. Mamey

Mamey, exotic Mexican fruit

This fruit is from the sapote family and is also called the mamey sapote. The mamey is an exotic fruit with a thin skin and rough texture, but a soft, creamy interior, very similar to the avocado.

It has a very sweet taste and, unlike other fruits that are prepared as aguas frescas (drink prepared from fruit and water), mamey is often used in milkshakes in Mexico.

It can be found in several states of Mexico, but Yucatan is the main producer of mamey in the country, so you are sure to come across this fruit worthy of any palate during your visit to Riviera Maya.

 

2. Pitahaya

Pitahaya or dragon fruit

Also known as dragon fruit.

This peculiar fruit is very popular due to its appearance, which resembles the armour of a mythological animal, but this has nothing to do with the taste, as it is slightly sweet, refreshing and very easy to digest, ideal for the tropical climate of the Caribbean.

The pitahaya is a cactus plant, so it can withstand drought. The pulp can be two different colours, white and red, and the latter is more difficult to grow (so it is more exclusive, feel lucky if you can find it) but it has a more intense flavour. 

It is, without a doubt, a very exotic fruit and you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to try it if you visit us.

 

3. Carambola

Carambola or star fruit

This fruit is known in the market as star fruit because of its five-pointed shape. Although the skin is sometimes green, it should ideally be yellow or orange when purchased.

The taste is an incredible combination of sweet and sour. It can be used in desserts, as an (edible) garnish for salads or as a mid-morning snack with lemon and chilli.

Carambola can be found in temperate climates. It is originally from Indonesia and Malaysia, but  it is consumed and has been adapted so much in Mexico that it is considered local.

In Mexico, the largest producer of carambola is the municipality of Yautepec in Morelos, although it is also produced in Michoacán, Morelos, Jalisco, Colima, Tabasco, Nayarit and Yucatán.

Nutritional benefits include vitamin A, C and a small amount of carbohydrates and potassium.

 

4. Guaya

Guaya

This fruit has a sweet and sour taste, it is round and small, between 2 and 4 centimetres in diameter, and has a thin green skin with orange flesh.

The flesh of the guaya can be light salmon or peach in colour and is usually eaten fresh when ripe. However, it can also be preserved or made into agua fresca (a drink prepared from fruit and water). The best thing about guaya is that it is used to make desserts, soft drinks and ice cream.

The leaves of the guaya tree are used to make a tea that can relieve nervous disorders, fever and throat infections, the seeds or kernels are roasted and ground to make a syrup that cures intestinal problems and kills parasites. The flowers are rich in pollen and highly valued by bees.

 

Exotic fruits in the Dominican Republic

If you come to the Dominican Republic, we recommend that you let yourself be surprised by the flavours of the following fruits:

 

5. Maracuyá or passion fruit

Fruits of the Dominican Republic, passion fruit

In the Dominican Republic passion fruit is known as Chinola. It is a fruit with a hard shell (not eaten) and an inner pulp with small black seeds. 

It is an explosion of flavour in the mouth, and it has a very characteristic and pleasant smell. It has a sweet and sour taste and is often mixed with sugar. 

It is very refreshing and you can usually find it in juices, or you can also just open the fruit and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. If you have a sweet tooth, you can enjoy its flavour in desserts, cakes and mousses.

It is full of antioxidants and vitamins such as C and A, as well as potassium and phosphorus. If you have never tried it, we highly recommend it.

 

6. Papaya

Papaya

In Punta Cana, we call it Lechosa. It is a very large fruit that has a shell and a core of seeds that are not eaten, and a very fleshy pulp.

It has a very mild flavour, as well as a soft texture in the mouth. Even though it is a fruit full of different properties, it has a sweet and not very predominant flavour, making it perfect for smoothies with other ingredients. You will find it cut and ready to eat at our buffet.

Some of the properties of papaya include being rich in vitamin C and fibre, it is a good diuretic, helps with the production of collagen and contains carotenoids (which help to protect our skin from the sun).

 

7. Coconut

Coconut

If there is one fruit that is synonymous with a tropical paradise, it is the coconut

What many people discover when they come to the Caribbean is that what they know about a coconut (that brown, wood-like ball with white flesh inside) is really just the seed of the coconut. The whole coconut is much bigger and greener. It is also very heavy and you have to be careful when you stand under a coconut tree, because if one falls on your head, it can do a lot of damage! 

At the heart of that woody green mass that is the whole coconut, there is the round seed we are all familiar with. This brown seed hides two treasures: coconut water and white coconut flesh. Coconut flesh can be eaten fresh, or it can be dried and used in baking in the form of coconut flour or desiccated coconut. 

Other well-known coconut products include coconut milk, coconut cream (used in piña coladas among other things), coconut oil and coconut water. Coconut water may be the least known to our guests, but if you would like to try it, we recommend that you find one of our gardeners and ask them to open one of the coconuts growing in the garden for you

Coconut contains antioxidants, vitamin C, and minerals such as iron and calcium, which are very beneficial to our health.

 

8. Mango

Mango

The mango is considered the king of tropical fruits due to its peculiar and exquisite taste. There are many varieties of mango. In the Dominican Republic, they produce the Keitt, which was introduced to the country, and the native varieties Mingolo and Banilejo. 

Mango has a soft skin that is not eaten, and a tasty, fibrous pulp surrounding a large elliptical and flattened seed in the centre. Mango is a fruit that is often appreciated by our guests. You will find it cut and peeled at our buffet, as well as in juices and smoothies. 

It has a very different taste and texture but, like other fruits, it is a rich source of vitamins C, A and E, it is very rich in fibre, assists digestion and contains beta carotenes which help to protect the skin from sun damage.

Exotic fruits at Princess Hotels

Exotic fruits at Princess Hotels

The Caribbean is sun, beach, relaxation, fun, exotic colours and flavours. 

Whether you’re travelling to Punta Cana or Riviera Maya, your taste buds will thank you for enjoying these exotic flavours, and Princess Hotels Caribe can help you indulge.

 

If you have already tried any of these fruits, tell us, which do you like the most? Are there any essential fruits we’ve missed?

Categories: Caribbean, Punta Cana, Riviera Maya

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