While I may tell my students that my favorite fruit in
mango, that isn’t exactly the truth. Don’t get me wrong, I immensely enjoy
eating (and drinking) mango both green and ripe. I eat it at least once a week
if not more. But what I truly love, errr... am addicted to, is saowarot or passion fruit.
Don’t let the tough exterior fool you. It may appear to be a
red potato that you forgot in your vegetable drawer for several months.
However, as the old adage goes, it doesn’t matter what’s on the outside, it’s
what’s on the inside that counts.
My favorite part of eating the passion fruit is the first
initial whiff after slicing off the top. The intoxicating odor bulls me over
with promises of what’s yet to come. If I could walk around all day, and
continually smell the passion fruit I would be completely content.
The inside is a bit like an extremely juicy pumpkin, bright
orange, and filled with seeds. After the first bite, the intense sweet and sour
explodes on my palate, (sadly) knocking out my sense of smell. Despite the
seeds, the texture is completely smooth, almost like a liquid floating across
your tongue and down your throat.
Every time I scoop up the succulent pulp and slurp it down,
I seriously consider how I would catch this experience with words. However,
everything comes out trite or cliché. To truly experience this fruit, you are
just going to have to go try it yourself.
