What’s in Season? Winter Treats in Grenada

St George's Market, Grenada

When living in the tropics one quickly gets into the rhythm of eating what is in season, and the dishes reflect the bounty of the rainy season. Avocados are just about finished, but can still be found if you are lucky, as can the odd mango. What does appear now on the table are special meals for visiting and celebrating Christmas as the year comes to an end.

Soursop

Soursop is available almost year round and is a very strange looking fruit. The flavor of the soursop is somewhat of a mixture between strawberry and pineapple but with a tart citrus flavour and a hint of coconut or banana. It has a nubbly green skin and a creamy white flesh with inedible seeds, and it is best cut up like a watermelon. Due to the extreme messiness in preparation, it is usually served as a juice or smoothie, but is also popular as ice cream flavouring.

Peeled Golden Apple

Golden Apples are not like apples! More like a mango in flavour and appearance, the oblong fruits can be prepared green such as in a salsa or wait until they are ripe and eat as a mango, either raw or baked into a dessert such as a crumble! They have a strange spiky pit inside which you have to cut or eat around, and have a light, delicious tangy sweet flavour. Golden Apples also make a wonderful juice.

Bananas and Rock Figs are still plentiful, as are Pawpaws( Papayas) and limes but a particularly important addition to holiday entertaining in Grenada is sorrel. It is key to Christmas entertaining as it is made from red flowers that bloom in December. Sorrel is dried then boiled with spice and enjoyed as a ruby red Christmas punch. Sorrel can be thick and syrupy or diluted with cold water or club soda… a naughtier version can include adding rum! Spiced sorrel punch is reminiscent of spiced apple cider, with a hint of raspberry flavour. There are so many recipes for sorrel juice that experimentation is the only way to find your favourite!

Spiced Sorrel Punch

Spiced Sorrel Punch – Serves 16
2 lbs. dried sorrel flower (sold in bags at markets)
8 cups water
2 pieces cinnamon stick
1-2 inch of fresh ginger , sliced
5-10 cloves
2 cups sugar or to taste
Optional – 1 tsp orange or lime peel, or bay leaf

Rinse the sorrel, then place in pot. Add water, and all other ingredients except sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit & steep for a few hours or overnight. Strain and sweeten to taste. Flavor with rum if desired. Refrigerate and serve chilled.