I am amazed at the difference in foods across the world. What we cannot grow here in the United States we can import. We have an abundance of interesting foods. In my travels, I have noticed how mixed up the foods can get. In my trip to Africa last July, we were shown 3 different kinds of bananas. We had some of the more famous jackfruit, and saw small fruits I can't seem to recall the names of, but they were tasty.
We also saw sweet potatoes that look like our white irish potatoes. In Africa the very same sweet potato we know as orange is white over there.
In Costa Rica the citrus fruit is really mixed up. On one hike along a river, I noticed a tangerine tree. We had purchased some tangerines earlier from a store and they were very sweet. Now it was my turn to climb through a barbed wire fence and pick a few to eat. Now just to be clear, the barbed wire fence was to keep cattle from getting into this area near the river. I was not stealing from private property, or at least that is what was told to me.
As I approached the tree, our host yelled out from the road, "I think those are lemons!"
Now of course I come from the State of Florida, one of the largest growers of citrus in the U.S. Not to be outdone in knowledge of local fruits, I replied to him in jest, "I think you may be colorblind. Clearly these are tangerines!" I did notice many un-ripe fruits on the tree that had a yellow tint to them so obviously from the road they would look like lemons.
I picked 5 or six of the ripest ones on the tree. Never have I seen such wonderful tangerines! I brought them back like a hunter that had been on safari for 12 days and made a kill that will feed the village for weeks. I proudly threw them up the hill to my waiting friends so I would not lose them on my climb back to the road.
"Did you taste one?" came the shout from our host as he caught one. "Not yet, but I will now!" was my reply as I peeled into the fruit. Yep, same texture skin as we all know for a tangerine that peels so easily. These even look like they might be seedless! A good, dark orange color inside says they are ripe and ready to eat. Looks really good! Now the first bite, and.....wow! Maybe this one isn't quite ripe yet. Or wait....maybe it tastes like something else I know. Perhaps a lemon?
My gracious host began to tell me all the wonderful things they make with these lemons. He told us that the yellow fruit that looks like lemons as we know, are also here in Costa Rica, but are not very strong in taste. These lemons are used to make ceviche, and great lemonade.
How many lessons in Sunday school did we have on how God doesn't judge us by the outside, but by what is on the inside? Don't judge a book by it's cover sound familiar? Yes, I was reminded of this lesson once again. And as I thought about the many uses for lemons, I thought they probably go really well with humble pie too.
We also saw sweet potatoes that look like our white irish potatoes. In Africa the very same sweet potato we know as orange is white over there.
In Costa Rica the citrus fruit is really mixed up. On one hike along a river, I noticed a tangerine tree. We had purchased some tangerines earlier from a store and they were very sweet. Now it was my turn to climb through a barbed wire fence and pick a few to eat. Now just to be clear, the barbed wire fence was to keep cattle from getting into this area near the river. I was not stealing from private property, or at least that is what was told to me.
As I approached the tree, our host yelled out from the road, "I think those are lemons!"Now of course I come from the State of Florida, one of the largest growers of citrus in the U.S. Not to be outdone in knowledge of local fruits, I replied to him in jest, "I think you may be colorblind. Clearly these are tangerines!" I did notice many un-ripe fruits on the tree that had a yellow tint to them so obviously from the road they would look like lemons.
I picked 5 or six of the ripest ones on the tree. Never have I seen such wonderful tangerines! I brought them back like a hunter that had been on safari for 12 days and made a kill that will feed the village for weeks. I proudly threw them up the hill to my waiting friends so I would not lose them on my climb back to the road.
"Did you taste one?" came the shout from our host as he caught one. "Not yet, but I will now!" was my reply as I peeled into the fruit. Yep, same texture skin as we all know for a tangerine that peels so easily. These even look like they might be seedless! A good, dark orange color inside says they are ripe and ready to eat. Looks really good! Now the first bite, and.....wow! Maybe this one isn't quite ripe yet. Or wait....maybe it tastes like something else I know. Perhaps a lemon?
My gracious host began to tell me all the wonderful things they make with these lemons. He told us that the yellow fruit that looks like lemons as we know, are also here in Costa Rica, but are not very strong in taste. These lemons are used to make ceviche, and great lemonade.
How many lessons in Sunday school did we have on how God doesn't judge us by the outside, but by what is on the inside? Don't judge a book by it's cover sound familiar? Yes, I was reminded of this lesson once again. And as I thought about the many uses for lemons, I thought they probably go really well with humble pie too.
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