Dragontini . . . a Dragons tale!

The abundance of interesting exotic fruits in Costa Rica and shopping at the open Farmers Market creates the urge to learn and experiment with new found treasures!  This odd looking fruit reminds me of an artichoke but it is PINK!  The Pitaya is also known as Dragon Fruit because they say it looks like the head of a dragon sitting on top of the cactus plant it grows on.

Popular in Costa Rica this colorful fruit has enormous health benefits and it is positively loaded with antioxidants, calcium, iron and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and C.  It is low in calories and high in fiber and is beneficial in controlling blood pressure, blood sugar and improves eye site.



Typically used for making juices and smoothies, you can also just cube it up and serve it chilled in the fruit shell as a quick and easy dessert! It is used in many different ways in cakes, cookies and sorbets but my creative juices . . . no pun intended . . . blended this luscious hot pink pulp into a healthy drink to share with my amigos!

Dragontini

1/2 of the Pulp of one Dragon Fruit

4 Cups Premium Vodka

2-3 T Agave Nectar (or Sugar)

4 Strawberries

Ice

Blend this up in the blender until smooth and 

pour into martini glasses.  The beautiful bright pink color is all that is needed for the presentation!

This recipe can also be revised to make a pitcher full of Dragon Punch that is great for the beach by adding some lemonade and a bottle of Sprite or Ginger Ale.  A real thirst quencher!  Serve over ice and enjoy the healthy benefits! 

Sometimes the Kiss of the Dragon 
can be a very interesting tale!  

Pura Vida!

Sticky Sweet, Seasonal Snacks!

 It is that wonderful time of year again when the mamon chino trees are heavily laden with this fascinating spiny fruit that is so much fun to crack open and chew on the amazing pulp that is found inside!  While enjoying a drive in the countryside you will find many roadside fruit stands boasting their supply of this popular fruit that hangs in bunches still on the tree stems because this keeps it fresher until it is eaten or used to make jams and jellies.  

This precious Tica girl caught our eye as she waved at us as we passed beckoning us to consider the harvest that she and her mamá had to offer.  We were happy to stop and purchase a nice bunch from her at the bargain price of only 1000 colones which is only $2.

This was also the first time I had seen this yellow variety of the mamon chino that in Costa Rica is known as "wild" rambutan!  To learn more about mamon chinos please read my previous blogpost  

Mamon Chinos! ...Rico!

And just to clarify....  they are only sugar syrupy, juicy sticky 

... not prickly sticky!

Mamon Chinos! . . . Rico!

Mamon chino is an exotic fruit sporting a red shell with soft spines growing all over it. It resembles a fat, round, red caterpillar and has a large delicious grape like fruit inside its outrageously interesting shell.  It is also known as a Rambutan which means hairy! 

The tasty meat of the fruit, which is easily broken apart, is typically just popped in your mouth to suck and chew on the sweet juicy pulp, but be sure and spit out the large seed.

It is most convenient to just eat the fruit fresh as it is a lot of work to open and remove the seed from a large number of fruit.  Sometimes the fruit is used to make jellies and jams.  If you are patient enough to open enough of the fruit a jam can be made by cooking equal weights of the pulp and sugar together with sufficient lime juice (about 5%) or pectin to help the jam set.

And if you are interested in something really different try this recipe!

                                                                          Savory Stuffed Rambutans

• 2 cloves garlic, firmed.
• 2 teaspoons (approx) firmed coriander roots
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves (or sage) vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce.
• 4 tablespoons palm sugar .
• 1 chopped de-seeded chili pepper
• 2 cups fresh or canned rambutans 

Drop the edible oil to fry the crushed garlic and coriander roots. When garlic becomes golden brown , add all the other ingredients except rambutans into this mixture . Cook well and stir until the mixture turns brown and fairly dry. Add rambutans into the ingredients. Cook and mix well for about 2 minutes. Serve as an entree or as a main course with rice...

Mamons do not store well, but if kept cool sealed in plastic with high humidity, they can be kept for about 2 weeks.

To learn more about this amazing fruit check out the Wiki article Rambutan. 

Enjoy your Mamons 

that are also rich in Vitamin C!

Pura Vida!