| One of the great pleasures of vacationing in a villa, | | | | you will get in that tropical destination. Even an |
| cottage or apartment and not a resort, especially an | | | | orange will surprise you. For starters, it's not orange |
| all-inclusive resort, is that you get the opportunity to | | | | but any combination of green, yellow and brown. And |
| meet local people and try local things. In big hotels | | | | the taste - well, you just have to taste a real orange |
| and resorts, the management plays it safe and gives | | | | in the tropics to appreciate it. |
| their guests the same old things. You could be in any | | | | But let me introduce you to a fruit that you probably |
| of a number of destinations and if the resort staff | | | | have never heard of yet alone tasted - one of my |
| do not mention their destination by name, you could | | | | favourites, the naseberry. In some countries, like |
| be forgiven for thinking you were somewhere else. | | | | Trinidad, it is called a sapodilla, and in India it is called |
| Beach vacations in tropical climates are very popular, | | | | the chikoo. It looks like a small potato with a rough |
| during the winter months, especially with North | | | | brown skin. Wikipedia states: "The fruit has an |
| Americans. The lure of white sand beaches dotted | | | | exceptionally sweet malty flavor. Many believe the |
| with coconut trees under a warm sunny sky is hard | | | | flavor bears a striking resemblance to caramel." |
| to resist. But even the most ardent sun worshippers | | | | I won't be surprised if most people reading this have |
| start to get restless after a couple of days of lying | | | | never heard of naseberries, even if they have visited |
| on the beach, and wonder what they can do for | | | | Silver Sands Jamaica many times. They are in season |
| some fun. | | | | now (March), so if you are there, ask your |
| There are the water sports and of course, | | | | housekeeper or cook or driver to get you some |
| depending on your destination, there will be local | | | | naseberries. Or better still, go to the market and |
| sights and attractions that you must see and do. But | | | | impressive the higglers by asking for naseberries. |
| there is something else you can do that does not | | | | Naseberries are picked when mature and ripened off |
| cost a bundle and which I am sure you will find very | | | | the tree. The ripe fruit softens, and you simply break |
| interesting. | | | | it open with the fingers to reveal a light brown to |
| You can discover all kinds of exotic fruits, some of | | | | rust-coloured flesh with shiny black seeds. Some |
| which you have probably never seen or heard of | | | | people eat the skin but I find it a bit rough. Discard |
| before, let alone tasted. In March, in Jamaica you can | | | | the seeds and pop the juicy flesh into your mouth. |
| sample watermelons, Gros Michel bananas, pineapples, | | | | It's so sweet that the late Forbes Burnham, former |
| otaheite apples, pawpaws, grapefruits, oranges, | | | | Prime Minister of Guyana, once exclaimed that "only a |
| jackfruits, mangoes, star apples, and naseberries. | | | | woman is sweeter than the sapodilla"! |
| What a thrill to taste all these exotic fruits! You may | | | | Tastiing the local fruits when you are staying in |
| think that some of these fruits are commonplace and | | | | Jamaica villas is one of those small but important |
| you are right, but what you buy in your supermarket | | | | pleasures that you can enjoy on your tropical |
| in North America does not taste the same as what | | | | vacation. |