mame

you can find them in the markets... but more often along the street... being sold by a man holding a huge knife to start the opening process for you if you so choose... mame! mame is ever so quickly becoming one of my favorite fruits. if there were a category for favorite fruit that didnt look or taste like a fruit, it would top the list. although fresh, it's texture is more like a dried fruit. it is quite the experience to taste. i have yet to master the skill of opening it... or for picking out a ripe one.. but the eating part i have completely under control ;)

my first experience with mame... involved spending time in the kitchen of SALI with one of our students, whom.. actually wasn't even one of my own students but somehow we started a friendship, despite the learning of english bringing up together. Marta is full of personality, every time i get to see her. She studied tourism in her university and is currently a tourist guide in our area, which is why she is studying English. She loved to talk to me about the history of Peru and share information about food... people.. everything she can think of. Marta's mother sells fruit in a local market.. so she always has some kind of fruit with her. when she learned that i had never experienced mame before... she quickly... pulled one out of her purse... and before i knew it had opened it up and was sharing it with myself and other students. we were all kind of in shock, a mame is a little big to just be carrying around in your purse. but ..that explains marta, you never know what is going to happen next she is full of surprises. and very generous.