Fruits Of Paradise

Puerto Rico is full of batida (smoothie) and piragua (shaved ice) stands that offer fruity refreshment to thirsty passersby. However, some popular Puerto Rican fruits may be unfamiliar to visitors from outside the Caribbean:

Acerola: Known to some in English as the West Indian cherry or haw fruit, the acerola is a soft, bright red fruit that tastes like a cross between an apple and a cherry. It is one of the more common fruit juices on the island.

Parcha: The parcha, or passion fruit, has a tart taste that mixes well with the sweeter elements of batidas. The fruit has a hard purple or yellow rind, with many black seeds inside.

Guanábana: In English, soursop. The Puerto Rican variety is the largest type. The fruit has a white, pulpy interior; the shape of a pear; and the skin of a lime. It can be identified by its acidic, fruity flavor with hints of nuts.

Guayaba: Guava, round with yellow skin and pink flesh, offers a sweet and slightly acidic kick when its juice is added to drinks. The many hard seeds make it difficult to eat the fruit itself.

Plátanos: Plantains look like large, rough bananas, but the similarities end there. Raw, green plantains, known as verdes, have a slightly bitter, crunchy taste. Deep-fried and mashed plantains, which can appear as amarillos (sweet variety) or tostones (dry variety) taste like a hearty bread.