MaryJo 9: Spicy Fruit

Among the availability of countless different types of foods, nothing can top sitting down and enjoying a big bowl of fruit. While still being healthy, you can enjoy something so sweet and delicious and not feel guilty about it. They are equally as great in unhealthier options like pies, muffins, or cakes. A universal favorite, fruit was made to naturally be versatile and enjoyed in almost any dish imaginable ,or just by itself.

A few days ago, after my mom brought home a case of watermelon spears, I came home looking forward to digging in to a few to refresh myself from a long, boring day at school. I picked a few of the best looking ones, and, after placing them into a bowl, added my final touch: sea salt. As I was in the middle of sprinkling my soon-to-be crime against humanity, my brother walked into the kitchen at the wrong moment and stared at me with disbelief and something that seemed like betrayal. Faced with a threatening audience, I could have spent a half hour explaining how the salt perfectly plays off the flavors of the watermelon and actually highlights the sweetness that is there instead of masking it, but he just shook his head and left without any words to be said.

Ever since I was growing up, I have been taught by my mom to season food. Mexican cuisine is based around

its spice and strong flavors, and they don’t stop at savory dishes. Even a majority of Mexican candy and sweets are flavored with chili and salt, including, of course, fruit. Dried fruit is more often than not covered in chili seasoning, and street vendors are always selling chamoyadas, fruit shaved ices topped with spicy seasonings. At home, one of my all-time favorite things to eat is chopped mango topped with a chili and salt seasoning called tajín. What sriracha is to a lot of people, tajín is to me. I have a habit of putting it on top of most fruit, popcorn, cucumber, and anything that seems to work for me.

Although what I just described isn’t the healthiest, seasoning food doesn’t just have to be loading your fruit with salt. My mom has always seasoned my vegetables with different spices like adobo, pepper, and garlic. Most people don’t enjoy eating vegetables because of their bland flavor, but it’s only bland if you make it bland. If people were more open to seasoning their food, I think their palates would open up a lot more with them.

Do any of you season your fruit? If not, would you be willing to try?