Have you ever eaten tropical fruit in a tropical place like Costa Rica?

It’s a completely different experience than eating that same fruit after it’s been shipped to a cooler climate. They have to pick the fruit before it’s ripe so that it can survive the shipping time. So it can never be as sweet and flavorful as when you get it where it’s grown.

For example, I’ve now eaten tons of sweet, juicy, Costa Rican pineapples. There’s no way I can go back to eating those pathetic excuses for pineapples that are available in Washington.

Traditional Costa Rican food is simple and not really something to get too excited about. But it’s a different story when it comes to their exotic tropical fruit.

And I’m talking about way more than just pineapples and mangoes. Today, we’re going to talk about some weird tropical fruits. (Maybe some of them won’t be weird to you, but they were to me coming from Washington state).

Let’s get started!

Granadilla (Grah-nah-dee-ya)

The first time I saw the inside of a granadilla, my first thought was the old Sigourney Weaver movie Alien.

Before you open it, it looks like an orange Christmas tree ornament. To open it, you squeeze firmly around its middle until the shell breaks (it’s not very hard). Then you can simply pull apart the two halves.

Inside, there is a gelatinous blob of seeds. Each seed is encased in a little clear, juice-filled sac. The seeds are all stuck together in one big gooey ball. I will admit, it took me a bit to get past how it looks to give it a try.

Once I did though…

A ripe, sweet, juicy granadilla is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. At some times of the year, you can get them, but they’re not that great. When they’re in season, however, this weird tropical fruit is to die for! They’re usually the best in the summer, like from January through April.

It’s scientific name is Passiflora Ligularis. I had a hard time finding the English version of the name. Some seem to refer to it as sweet passion fruit. That makes sense because it’s in the same family as passion fruit but is sweet rather than tart.

Like pretty much all seeds, granadilla is full of good things for you. You can get Vitamins A and C, along with a dose of potassium and dietary fiber.

Guanabana (gwuh-nah-buh-nuh)

I know this weird tropical fruit as guanabana since I first learned of it here in Costa Rica. It’s called soursop in English.

It’s on the expensive end of the fruit price spectrum so I bought a small one for the photos. This fruit can get to be huge, though. It tops out at around 15 pounds!

It’s green and spiky on the outside. The inside is solid, juicy white flesh with black seeds throughout.

The flesh is not firm like an apple or melon, so it’s tough to eat without making a mess. But it is definitely worth the effort! This weird tropical fruit is sweet with just a touch of tartness and is absolutely delicious.

It is often used in drinks and smoothies, and if you get the chance to try it, I heartily recommend it. Unfortunately, most places use “pulpa”, a processed version with sugar added that is not nearly as good, but easier to store. So when you order be sure to ask whether it’s “pulpa” or the real deal.

We bought a tree and planted it in our yard and I’m excited for when it starts producing. I’ve heard you can make a delicious homemade ice cream out of it. When I make it, I’ll be sure to tell you how it turns out.

The fruit is a great source of Vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber, with a bit of magnesium and Vitamin B6 thrown in.

Uchuva (oo-choo-vah)

This is a weird tropical fruit that I only recently became aware of. I’m still not quite sure how I feel about it. I have a friend who thinks they taste just like sweet tarts and she absolutely loves them.

They do have a strange, tart flavor, but personally, I would never have made that connection. I am still deciding whether I like them or not, but they’re definitely worth a try so you can see for yourself.

This fruit is known by several names. Uchuva in Spanish and goldenberry, cape gooseberry, and Peruvian ground cherry in English. It’s also called la Fruta del Amor (the fruit of love) because it supposedly has strong aphrodisiac powers.

The fruit comes wrapped in a shell made from a leaf-like material. Simply squeeze it to loosen the fruit from the stem and pop it out of the shell. It is round and small, a bit smaller than grapes on average. It’s also pretty firm like a grape. It has a bunch of tiny seeds inside but you can eat it whole just like a blueberry or strawberry.

Goldenberries pack a punch when it comes to nutrition, some even call them a superfood. You can get Vitamin C and A and even some protein out of these little fruits. They are full of antioxidants and supposedly are really good for your kidneys and liver.  

Weird Tropical Fruits

So what do you think of these weird tropical fruits? Would you try them if you had the chance?

This is by no means all of the strange fruits that I’ve learned about since coming to Costa Rica. Keep an eye out for my next installment on weird tropical fruits. I’m slowing gathering pictures as fruits come in season so I can show you what they look like.

You’ll have to come visit so you can find out what they taste like!

Until next time…

Cara