There is a general air of expectation and growing excitement as the festive season of lights comes into view - everyone making plans to return to family or village, a week in advance of the festivities - so that one feels as if everything is grinding to a halt, long before the actual dates of 13th and 14th November. Some businesses close for 5 days or more and everyone is on the move. Chinese lanterns and coloured lights illuminate the darkest corners and even the city slums are strung with tinsel.
Shops are piled high with elaborately decorated boxes of varying grades of opulence, packed with cashew nuts, almonds, raisins and chocolates, for those who can afford them and the smaller shops carefully weigh out little plastic bags of kismis, (raisins) for those who can only afford a few grams of festive food.
However, I think the real treat of this time of year is the 'Custard Apple' ! Never having come across it before, the intricacies of this New World, tropical fruit, need explaining. They resemble an artichoke in a way, yellowish in colour - with raised cells, a little reptilian, if you think of them as scales, like the pudgy paw of a crocodile or armadillo ! "You have to look for fruit where the raised cells are beginning to divide away, as if ready to split, then you should feel the fruit - it should be very soft to the touch" she explained. "Avoid the hard ones - they won't ever ripen !"
The fruit opens at the slightest pressure, revealing a soft custardy interior, packed with watermelon size seeds. Then with a little spoon, you can scoop out the custardy interior - the flavour is like no other fruit - rich, creamy and delicious !
Shops are piled high with elaborately decorated boxes of varying grades of opulence, packed with cashew nuts, almonds, raisins and chocolates, for those who can afford them and the smaller shops carefully weigh out little plastic bags of kismis, (raisins) for those who can only afford a few grams of festive food.
However, I think the real treat of this time of year is the 'Custard Apple' ! Never having come across it before, the intricacies of this New World, tropical fruit, need explaining. They resemble an artichoke in a way, yellowish in colour - with raised cells, a little reptilian, if you think of them as scales, like the pudgy paw of a crocodile or armadillo ! "You have to look for fruit where the raised cells are beginning to divide away, as if ready to split, then you should feel the fruit - it should be very soft to the touch" she explained. "Avoid the hard ones - they won't ever ripen !"
The fruit opens at the slightest pressure, revealing a soft custardy interior, packed with watermelon size seeds. Then with a little spoon, you can scoop out the custardy interior - the flavour is like no other fruit - rich, creamy and delicious !
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