July 9th, 2011

In the Dominican Republic they are called Mamoncillos, But, in Puerto Rico they are called Quenepas

It is a typical summer day in Florida; rain and more rain.  But guess what?  I went to Publix, the local supermarket.  Strolling around the different isles, thinking how nice the snow birds are gone.  I don’t consider myself a snowbird.  I come to Delray a few days here or there, at the most 10 days at a time.

Something caught my attention at the produce stand; green bunches.  I wondered if they were quenepas.  I have not had that fruit in probably 30 plus years.  It said they were mamoncillos from the Dominican Republic.  I had forgotten that was one of the other names given to this tropical fruit.  I took some and had to open one right then and there.  I was not mistaken; the taste of this fruit brought me back to my years growing up in the Island of Puerto Rico.  The street vendors used to sell them in paper bags.  Fear had been instilled in all of us children because the fruit is, actually, very slippery.  Definitely not for unsupervised kids.

Quenepas are also called Spanish limes.  They might look like a small lime but that’s where the similarities stop.  It is a tropical fruit of South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and some parts of Africa and the Pacific.

Quenepas grow in bunches.  Summer is their season.  In Puerto Rico, the quenepas are from the town of Ponce.  I think my cousins, who lived in Ponce had a tree in their backyard.  Maybe if they read this post they will confirm it. 

In describing the fruit, I think the best I can come up with is, that it is a cross between a lychee and a lime; maybe.  It has a good layer of skin.  The way to eat it?  Just crack it with your teeth then put it in your mouth and suck around the large seed.  Sorry, but that’s how you do it.

The pulp can be tart, tangy and usually, so deliciously sweet.

Quenepas stain.  It is a brown, ugly stain, so watch it.

Another interesting fact about quenepas is that they are used to make Bili, which is a drink that ferments rum, preferably pitorro (Puerto Rican moonshine).  Bili is indigenous to the islands of Vieques and Culebra.  Both of these islands are located between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Back on April 13, 2010 I wrote a post about this drink and a few others.  If you would like to see it, just click on the month of April, 2010 and scroll down to the 13th.

Still enjoying the quenepas as I write this post….waiting from my brother, Miguel….we will see if he is surprised, or not….or does not care at all….talk to you later….have a good one!!

Update:  Miguel just arrived bearing from his yard the most amazing mangoes, which are the next best thing to quenepas.  He screamed when he saw the quenepas; many years have passed since he had seen them, as well.

April 13th, 2010

Pitorro, Bili, Arancello, only in Puerto Rico

O.k., it is part of the Puerto Rican culture and other names given to this moonshine rum are Pitrinche, Canita, Lagrimas de Mangle, and Curao.  It is produced by distilling sugar cane.  As there are hardly any government-owned sugar cane mills, its production has diminished.  But, there was a time that it was found quite easily.  Let’s not forget that the sale of Pitorro is illegal. 

Mrs. P, had some Pitorro in her Hacienda, for her own consumption.  One bottle is all you need.  At times the alcohol content is above the 80 or 90 proof.  Hers is made with cranberries.  I found it a little strong.  A little? Definitely, strong and I only smelled it.

The next homemade alcoholic beverage was Bili.  Bili comes from the islands of Vieques and Culebra.  These islands are part of Puerto Rico and are located between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Gorgeous islands.  Remember the movie Lord of the Flies?  The original movie was filmed in Vieques.

Bili is a drink that ferments rum, preferably pitorro, and quenepas.  I have not had quenepas in years.  Loved them growing up.  The quenepas are ripe in the summer.  They have a green hard shell that cracked with you teeth will expose a tart, tangy and yellow pulp.  It does have a pit.  Mrs. P’s Bili looked almost ready and even though it is still made with pitorro, the smell was not quite as potent; don’t kid yourselves because it is.

The next drink could really be more like an after dinner drink; a digestif.  Mrs. P. will call her drink an Arancello.  Just like the limoncello her Arancello is made with the rind of the fruit, except in her case, she uses oranges and the word for orange in Italian is arancia. Rum and simple syrup are the next ingredients.  Beautiful color, the Arancello is kept in the refrigerator.  Light with a fantastic citrus smell.

Mrs. P had everyone for the day at Hacienda Pellerano on Sunday.  The menu consisted of different appetizers like cheeses, shrimp, and a main dish of pork loin, accompanied by the ever present red rice and beans made by Mr. P., followed by different desserts. The guests that tried the Arancello thought it was the perfect ending to the meal.

Once again, I will have to mention that there is nothing better than sharing a meal with family and friends in a relaxed setting.

My Puerto Rican posts are not finished yet, sooo…later,