Friday, May 30, 2008

Taperebá fruit

The day that I walked that muddy trail over to Lira Maia's soybean field, I discovered a taperebá tree (Spondias sp.) with the largest fruit of this kind ever. Most trees (Spondias lutea) produce fruit about half this size. I thought I was about to feast on the fruit, but as I sank my teeth into it, I discovered that there wasn't much pulp. Most of it was seed. The same for the smaller fruits too. By the way, we can buy taperebá pulp year around in Santarém. It's one of the favorite pulps for making juices. The fresh fruit is an excellent appetizer with the local rum.

4 comments:

Gil Serique: Culture, Windsurf & Wildlife In the Amazon said...

HI Alex,

your notes on Tapereba watered me mouth!!!! It is one of my favourite fruit and probably the most aromatic. Cajá sounds like the name they call it somewhere else in Brazil.

Sandpiper (Lin) said...

That sounds yummy. I wish I could have seen your face when you bit into it and hit the seed. ;-) I wouldn't mind one of those rum drinks either. I enjoyed your posts about the Orchid Bee and the Spittle Bug, too.

Steven Winn Alexander said...

Gil, yeah it's called cajá in other parts of Brazil. There's actually any English name for this one, hog's plumb!

Sandpiper, I assure you that the local rum (Cachaça)goes down much better with the taperebá fruit.

Gil Serique: Culture, Windsurf & Wildlife In the Amazon said...

I totally agree with Steve when he bluntly assures that cachaça goes down deeper far better with Taperebá...i miss the samples at the museum already.