Barbados is beautifully landscaped
The name of the country comes from the moss and figs of the island; Rihanna's hometown; With an area of only 430 square kilometers and less than one-fifth of the area of Beijing, can you imagine such a projectile land being called "Little China" by foreign media?
Festive costumes worn by Barbados people
Take a look at Barbados, why it's called "Little China," and the fragrant fruits of this palm-sized island nation that waft throughout the year.
Why Barbados is called "Little China" is all due to foreign media reports
One is an Oriental country, the other is an American country, the two are separated by 18,000 miles, how did Barbados become a "little China"?
All this stemmed from the slow economic development of Barbados after its formal independence. China, which has always been "helpful", has extended a helping hand.
A Chinese-aided hotel project
China has not only built roads on the ground, but also built homes for homeless people affected by the hurricane and upgraded Barbados' underground drainage system. In addition to this, a coastal ship, 30 electric buses, a hotel and sanatorium were donated to Barbados, and even the National Stadium of Barbados was Chinese repaired.
This series of acts of kindness was met with the attention of foreign media, calling Barbados a "little China".
Although Barbados is relatively backward in economy, with less than one-fifth the size of Mainland Beijing and one-third of Hong Kong, Barbados' natural climatic conditions and unique geographical location have created its ecologically diverse characteristics, and the fruits here are fragrant and delicious all year round.
In the Caribbean, delicious fruits waft throughout the year
Located on the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, Barbados is the easternmost island of the West Indies, with its capital in Bridgetown, with an area of 430 square kilometers.
Barbados takes its name from the Portuguese "Os Barbados" or the Spanish "Los Barbados", both meaning "the bearded ones", which means wild fig trees everywhere. Another theory is that when the colonists landed on the island, they found that the island was covered with moss, like a beard, so they named it "bearded island".
Fruit vendors in Barbados
Whichever name it is, it is enough to illustrate the good ecological environment of Barbados.
Barbados is rich in a range of tropical fruits, including bananas, mangoes, golden apples, star fruit, coconuts, grapefruit and guava, which are common in China. In addition, the island also has specialties such as "fat pork fruit", "acacia tree", "Barbados cherry", "avocado", "breadfruit" and so on.
Here's a selection of Barbados's quite local fruits, let's take a look at what kinds you've seen and eaten?
■ Persimmons with black meat - black meat persimmons
The flesh of the black persimmon is black
Black persimmon, also known as "black yarn porter", originated in Mexico, was later brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards, and then spread to Countries and regions such as Malacca, Mauritius, Hawaii, Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Black flesh persimmon hanging from a tree
Some people describe it as tasting like chocolate pudding and having a very similar meat texture. But some people say that its black flesh is so that people can't eat it at all. In Barbados, its pulp can be mashed, beaten and filtered, mixed with orange juice, brandy, and eaten with cream. In addition, it can be mixed with wine, cinnamon and sugar as a dessert. In Central America, fermented black meat persimmons can also be brewed into brandy-like liqueurs.
■ Barbados fatty pork tree fruit
The color is indeed like pork
The Barbados fatty pork tree fruit (Chrysobalanus icaco) is a coastal species that grows in the form of a single plant or bush, usually on sand dunes and rocky headlands. Although the species can survive the enormous pressures of storms, salt spray and floods, it is short in stature, relatively intolerant of shade, and only survives where competing vegetation is scarce.
The fruit is shaped like plums and apricots
The ripe fruit is ovoid or spherical in shape, with thin skin and a color ranging from pinkish white to purple. The white cotton pulp tastes relatively tasteless, but Barbados kids love to eat it. You can also remove the skin of the fat pork and fruit, put it together with the real fat, add it together and simmer it together and enjoy it.
■ Grapes growing on the beach - "sea grapes"
Bunches of sea grapes
▲Ripe sea grapes are red
Like Panama, the beaches of Barbados are also home to many grape-like fruits, known locally as "sea grapes".
Although it is not close to the grapes, it has the same taste as musk grapes and grows in bunches.
Unripe sea grapes
Ripe "sea grapes" turn red, the fruit is very tasty, and can also be used to make jam and can also be used to make cider.
■ Shakya fruit with small thorns
Also known as soursop
▲Although it has thorns, it is soft
In addition to its distribution in Barbados, it is also produced in Panama, Mexico, Cuba and other places.
This fruit is very unique, the fruit is covered with a green thorny outer layer, and the inside is almost the same as the fruit of the buddha fruit - white cheese-like flesh with small black, inedible seeds.
But its taste is not as sweet as the domestic Shakya fruit, but it is a mixture of sweet and sour.
It belongs to the same family as Shakya Fruit
▲It can be used to make drinks
Sweet pulp is used to make fruit juices, as well as candy, sorbets and ice cream seasonings. It is also served as a drink by beating it with condensed milk, brown sugar, all spices, rum and crushed ice.
■ Breadfruit, once known as "eaten by the poor"
The breadfruit fruit is not large
The "breadfruit" and the "baobab tree" in Suriname are two different fruits, the latter being representative of Africa and the former being the food of slaves.
The high yield of "breadfruit", the high starch content, and the ease of cultivation make it once a fruit for slaves, so there is a saying that "poor people eat".
Baked breadfruit
Breadfruit is a close relative of jackfruit, and the two are very similar in appearance, but one size smaller than jackfruit. It is found in the Caribbean, India and the Malay Islands. People generally like to use it to cook, roast or fry it, and the taste after cooking is very similar to bread and potatoes.
However, now that breadfruit is becoming more and more popular in the market, you can now see it in many markets in Suriname.
■ "Bread nuts" that eat only seeds
Also breadfruit
In addition to the fleshed breadfruit, there is also a "bread nut" in Barbados, sometimes referred to as the "Mayan nut". Both are breadfruit trees. Compared to the former, bread nuts have very little pulp but many seeds, so the locals mainly roast it and eat its seed part.
But people only eat its seed part
The fruit of the bread nut is almost the same as bread — round green, covered with short, dark, regular spikes on the skin, and about the same size as the breadfruit, but more oval in shape.
When breadfruit is green, it is considered a vegetable. Unripe bread nuts are often used in stews and soups. The pulp and seeds of bread nuts can be used to make curry. After the seeds have been boiled in brine, they can also be roasted or steamed. When roasted, they taste like coffee and chocolate.
■ Wild mangoes that Barbados people call "golden apples"
Wild mangoes that look like plums
Barbados call it the "Golden Apple," but it's a mango.
Its Latin name is "Ambarella", transliterated as "Ampha", also known in India as wild mango.
When it is immature, the meat is crisp and firm. As it ripens, it turns yellow, softens, has the acidity of an underripe mango and the sweetness of a pineapple, and gives off a fragrant scent.
But it is a close relative of Mango
Both ripe and unripe fruits can be eaten raw and are often used for juicing, ginger sugar stewing, or marinating with chili peppers and spices to make dishes.
■ Aquigo that looks like scrambled eggs after cooking
The pulpy part of the aquid fruit
Akigo is widely distributed in the Caribbean.
The Ackee fruit, when immature, resembles a green pear and gradually turns into a seductive orange-red color over time.
Once ripe, the outer rind will burst open, revealing three shiny seeds, as well as the bright yellow flesh around the seeds.
However, you must pay attention to the consumption of Thekee fruit, because in addition to its flesh, other parts, including the seed, are toxic, and the immature or overripe Fruit is also toxic. Only after the explosion, a short period of two or three days to eat is the best time.
The peel of ripe agies will crack
Ackee fruit has a wonderful taste, when eaten raw, it will taste nutty, but when cooked, it tastes like a scrambled egg. It is often cooked with many dishes and is one of the delicious representatives of the Caribbean.
■Monkey pot fruit that can be refined
The fruit shape of the monkey pot fruit is very peculiar
The name "monkey pot fruit" comes from an old proverb - "a wise old monkey does not put his hand into a pot". It is said that young monkeys will stick their paws into a fast-ripening fruit, because the paws are full of nuts, so they can't pull it out, while the old monkeys will know it's best to be patient and will pull out the nuts one by one.
The top will fall when mature
The fruit of the monkey pot is like a jar, with many ridges and grooves on the surface, coconut-sized, round, woody, and has a top cover when ripe. There are 8 to 40 seeds in the fruit, and there are about 8-40 seeds in it, oval in shape, and the endosperm is rich in oil. After the seeds are shelled, they can be eaten raw, roasted or boiled before eating.
In addition, its wood can also be used in construction, cabinets, and to make tool handles, as well as other wooden items.
Fruit stalls in Barbados
Of course, Barbados is also rich in other fruits, such as Bajan cherry, cocoa fruit, bilingpurin, vomit fruit and other fruits unique to the region.
If you can't get used to it, there are also citrus, orange, grapefruit, grapefruit, and mainstream fruits such as mango, passion fruit, pineapple, and watermelon. So, when you come to Barbados you don't have to worry about fruit.