It's time, once again, to play your favorite game and mine...NAME THAT FOOD! (Applause!)
Today's mystery food is a fruit called Guamuchiles. They grow on thorny trees also called Guamuchiles. The fruit pods resemble very plump green beans. The fruit itself is very firm and can be white or pink in color. And each guamuchil has a black seed inside.
To eat the guamuchiles, you must remove the outer green layer and the black seeds, leaving the white or pink fruit to be eaten raw. This is one of the few fruits that aren't eaten with salt, chile and lime juice.
As for it's flavor, let me just say that it's an acquired taste. When I first tried guamuchiles, I didn't care for them much. They tasted like grass or leaves and left a bitter taste in my mouth. I later learned that the pink guamuchiles are much sweeter than the white. I'm still not a big fan of guamuchiles, but I can eat a couple every once and a while. Hubby and his family are crazy about them.
If you're in Mexico and you happen upon Guamuchiles in the market, buy a few and taste them for yourself. But be warned, don't eat too many, because they produce a lot of gas.
I thought you would be talking about guacamole with chilies. This however looks much more interesting.
ReplyDeleteWe have a tree on the malecon. Families show up every night to munch on the fruit. I did not care for the fruit at first. Now, I just don't care.
ReplyDeleteNever seen those before!! I would like to try them!
ReplyDeleteAlways like to learn about new food..I thank you. Blessings, Catherine
ReplyDeleteso interesting! i am always buying kitchenware made of guamuchil wood, but i didn't know they gave off fruit. do they grow in your area as well? the sales guy says that guamuchil comes from guerrero mostly.
ReplyDeleteI have a guamuchil tree in my house... my dogs LOVE them... but then... they.... toot... a lot!! lol - I don't care for them, but read once that are great to kill stomach bacteria and mild infections.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of them...how cool though! Thanks for sharing something new!
ReplyDeletehi, here in philippines we called it camachile, it is known as snack food when it is in season, elders thought that it is a good supplement for people with uric acid problems.
ReplyDeleteused to go to visit family in mexico around the time this fruit was in season. DELICIOUS! Pitayas are also a delicious fruit u dont find around the us.
ReplyDeletethese are delicious i had some in Nayarit Mexico. my grama had a huge tree and a couple of small ones .my neighbors have a couple of trees here in Whittier ca. but they are still small. and i have 6 seeds but i need some info on how to and when to plant them because the plant is kinda delicate.i had a few small trees and they were doing good untill i gave them to my brither and they died on him.this fruit u can also put them to dry and eat them like raisens. also u can buy them in Tijuana mexico. and smuggle the seeds across the border, thats how i got my 6 seeds
ReplyDeleteYou are silly , I just bought a tree here in HomeDepot in Santa Cruz , Ca. Never seen until today so new to me but will try it out.
ReplyDeleteI lived in the Copper Canyons for a year. The ranch I stayed on had tons of these trees. The seed pods would show sometime around April or May. The locals would get long poles with hooks on the ends to collect them. I would eat them a lot to save on buying food. They were a killer snack. If you dry them out they get a bit of a sweet taste. I saw both kinds there pink and white. I thought the pink ones were the best. Before I left I collected a whole pack full of them. When I went up into the mountains where they did not grow I used them for trading.
ReplyDeleteI have a guamuchil tree and my dog eats the little pods. I was concerned at first but everyone says its' fine. I've never tasted them before, so I don't know why my dog loves them. It's come down to my dog being on a leash outside 24/7 because he just won't stop eating them off the floor.
ReplyDeletei have 200 small trees to sell in watsonville ca.. e-mail me @ reubenekis@yahoo.com
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