When you enter another culture, there are bound to be differences in customs, ways of doing things, clothing, and, of course, food.

In Mexico, once you get used to “chili” (aka hot peppers) and salsa in or on everything and drinks that come in bags, there are unusual foods, such as:

Mamey – A large orange fruit resembling a small oval cantalope with orange fruit that tastes a little like sweet potato.

Sapote – White – a strange slimy, somewhat acidic fruit (which I do not care for) and black – which I dubbed the chocolate pudding fruit because, when ripe, the flesh is deep brown, almost black, with the consistency of pudding and a somewhat chocolatey taste.

Nopales – Cactus, served a variety of ways cooked and raw.

Jicama – A starchy tuber, like a potato but sweeter and juicier. Imagine a potato crossed with an apple. Eaten raw, often with chili.

Plantains – Like a  banana only starchier. You may be accustomed to them, as I am, fried.

Imagine my surprise when I took a bite of my lentil soup and what appeared to be potato turned out to be a plantain.

Variety is the spice of life right?!!!