Colombia is famed for its exotic fruit. So I discovered tasty things like Limonada de Coco and Guanabana
But I had a craving for fresh squeezed orange juice. I found plenty of Navel oranges. Great for eating. Thick skinned, no juicy mess as you peel and eat the sections.
But where were the Valencia oranges? The kind that is loaded with juice. I saw these green things in the store. What were they? I figured maybe they were fruit that wasn’t ripe or something exotic. Nothing in the neighborhood tiendas fruit and vegetable section is ever labeled or with the price visible.
It took me a YEAR to figure out that these were oranges for juicing. Green oranges. And way sweeter with more juice than Valencias.
I am 70 and keep learning something new all the time. Not all oranges are orange! Some are green
This is the first time that I hear of green oranges. Thanks to your post I learned something new today as well. Have you discovered any other interesting fruits and vegetables? What about dishes?
I am eager to hear more of your stories in Colombia, for example which is your favourite place there and what impressed you the most so far?
You must be a mindreader. My 1 minute Connect Application video is about my favorite place here in Envigado, Colombia. Not ready yet.
And my list is about places to find spicy food here. Lots of people think that South America is homogenous and all people from Latin America like spicy food. Not true.
The natives in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Northern Brazil like spicy food. There may be other places too, but I just haven’t visited there yet.
But Colombians hate spicy food. In Colombia, you will hardly ever find even salt and black pepper on the table in a restaurant. Soy sauce or Tabasco? Not likely. Garlic bread in an Italian restaurant. Nope. Not on the menu. Oregano. You can buy it in some stores (and it might have been on the shelf for years) but spices are generally not used much in restaurants.
Colombians like their food bland. The favorite food is an Arepa. A corn pancake similar to a tortilla but without any flavor. The butter or cheese or chocolo they put on top has a little flavor but the arepa to me is like eating cardboard.
Thank you for the detailed reply. I didn’t know that Colombians prefer their food plain. They sound just like me - I also don’t eat spicy food, not to mention the hot variations, and I rarely put any condiments in my dishes. Even when I cook, I use the bare minimum of spices.
I am glad that you are applying for Connect Live 2019. It will be a very interesting experience for you and I can tell you are an adventurous person. Good luck and please feel free to ask if you need any help or tips.