Gorging on Rambutan

Yay! It’s rambutan season (or ranbutan as they’re called here). These tropical delicacies burst in your mouth with a sweetness and texture similar to lychee.

We haven’t had any since living in Mexico City a few years back, when they would make an appearance at the markets each summer. Seeing them recently at Mérida’s central market looking so fresh and juicy was a treat. 

A crowd of bystanders looked on as we made a purchase. It was clear that quite a few had never seen rambutans before. One guy asked us what they were. With our broken Spanish failing, we handed out samples to him and his friends and instructed them on how to eat them (tear off the red skin and and devour the soft interior).

Who knows how long the season will last, but while i’ts here, we are considering a visit to the central market daily.

A Star is Born

You know when a new movie comes to town and you are just dying to see it. Yet, for whatever reason, you don’t make it on opening night and it loses its sense of urgency. You may end up seeing it a few weeks later, but the odds are against it.

Well this is now us in Mérida. It’s no longer opening night and our pace of adventure slows. Some things, like the exotic seasonal fruits and vegetables at the central market, are passing us by. It’s now or never (or at least until next year), so time to get moving.

Enter the caimito (or star apple), “discovered” with renewed exploratory vigor. 

This sweet fruit has a wonderfully fleshy center and a creamy juice. It’s like a lychee crossed with a tropical milkshake. After learning to avoid the rind (bitter and pasty), we had teaspoons in hand and were digging out the fleshy centers like professionals.

At 10 pesos for a bag of adventure, it’s a better deal than simply watching it on the big screen.

Market Fresh

Today is our first big dinner party in over two years. We are serving eight plus two kids so it’s all go. We were up by 8am to beat the heat. A quick plate of huevos motuleños at Cafe Pop, and we hit the central market.

At this time of year, the market is at its peak. After six months of cooler weather, all the winter crops are in (think fantastic tropical goodies that evoke thoughts of summer for those above 23°N) and they are looking fantastic.

We bought yellow mangoes so ripe and fresh they were almost glowing. Paired with x’catik chilies and fried epazote leaves, we will have ourselves a delicious mango carpaccio. A stop at our fish guy landed us shrimp to grill and some grouper to ceviche. Back in the vegetable area, we scooped up avocados, cilantro and jicama for a coleslaw to pair with the shrimp and chives for the ceviche. Lastly, we found some wonderfully fresh scallions and crispy chicharrón that will cosy up with our tamarind-roasted pork belly.

Speaking of which, our hunka burning pork love is roasting away in the oven as we speak (the photo above shows how it looked after four hours). Only a few hours to go now, so it’s time for some serious chopping.

There’s Nothing Like a Big Hunk of Meat

Our butcher in the Santiago market is fantastic. Yesterday we told him we needed a four-pound whack of pork belly, and here it is, complete with nipples! What proud parents we are.

This is why we love Mexico. The marketplaces are full of purveyors connecting daily with the source of their wares. It’s not fancy and it doesn’t come with Styrofoam packaging, disinfecting wipes or lattes on the side. It’s simple no-nonsense butchery and it tastes great.

Each night, whole pigs (and other yummy beasts) are delivered direct to the butcher’s counter, where they wait until morning to be broken down for sale. We wander in around 10am, and are greeted by rows of meat hanging from hooks and beautiful livers, hearts and feet glistening in trays below.

In two days, we will dine on our pork belly with new friends. Until then, it will bathe in a marinade of tamarind, piloncillo, allspice, and garlic before being roasted to perfection. From farm to friends, with no plastic in between. Only one issue remains - who gets to eat the nipples?