I found these interesting fruits at the Mexican produce section of the market. They are the fruits of the cactus plant. They are known by many other names including cactus or prickly pear.

Native to Mexico where they refer to them as tunas. They also grow wild in parts of the Southwest U.S.  I have seen people grow them successfully here California.  And this is the time of year where they are about to ripen.

These are the green variety.  I have tried the red flesh variety but I like the taste of the green version.  This taste very much like honeydew melons.

But they are very tricky to prepare.  There are little spikes that come out of the eye.  It is recommended to place the fruit on an open flame and burn off the prickly hair like spines.  Or maybe wear leather gloves when handling them.

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CNNMoney.com reported in July of this year that “barely half the population has dental insurance”. That is a high percentage.

Just a few months ago when I got a gold crown to fix a damaged tooth, it cost me about $600. And that’s with dental insurance. The price they quoted without dental insurance would be $900.

But just step across the border to Mexico at a DentiCenter office and the cost is $250. That’s a huge price difference!

DentiCenter is a small but growing chain of full-service dental centers sitting along the U.S. border of California, Arizona and Texas. The 6 offices are located in Mexico but 97% of its patients come from the U.S.

Vacation in Baja and vist the dentist too. Photo from The Travelers Journal.

I would probably go to the office in Baja, Mexico and visit the beautiful beaches and cove. Then it wouldn’t be so bad to visit the dentist, as long as you get a short vacation out of it.

The idea of traveling abroad for medical care is becoming common. There are even medical tourism companies that cater to just that idea. Especially in Thailand and India.

DentiCenter is one that caters to dental care. The center is founded by Dr. Juan Eng, a USC-trained periodontist from the Baja peninsula. They have been in business for 20 years now. DentiCenter’s services includes free transportation for all patients a convenient shuttle to and from the Mexico-U.S. border.

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One plant I like to introduce from my succulent collection is the rat tail cactus. I love it when they bloom, as the flowers come in an orange red color.  

When I first got a small cutting of this succulent (a few years ago) it was just one prickly stem. And now it’s just spilling out all over the pot.

Rat tail cactus originate in the highland plateaus of Mexico, but are cultivated throughout Latin America.  In my case, they are growing very well in our northern California climate.

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Champagne mangoes have become quite popular in California, possibly in the rest of the country too.

They can easily be found at most Asian grocery stores sold by the case.  Many are imported from either Mexico or the Phillipines.  I’m sure Thailand and Vietnam is not far behind with their own harvest too.

They are also known as Manila mango, honey mango, or simply yellow mango.  What ever it’s called, it’s really the sweetest mango I’ve ever tasted.

The flesh is bright orange or yellow and the flesh is very soft.  The skin is very thin.  And the seed is small.  The pulp is not stringy like other ripe mangoes.  Although the common variety (usually grown in Florida) are just as good in their own way.

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I really like Sapota.  And was happy to find these frozen Sapota (or Sopadilla) at the Asian food market.  They are from Thailand and sold in packages of 5 for $2.50.  They are the next best thing to the fresh ones.

Since they are frozen, you may want to leave them out for a bit to let them soften up.  Then scoop out with spoon and eat the sweet flesh part.  I was surprised at how sweet they were, almost like maple syrup.  The skin is edible too, but I haven’t tried it yet.

In India and Thailand, they are usually made into drinks mixed with sweet condensed milk and ice.  Or just blend with milk and sugar to make a shake.  The fruit itself is so sweet, it’s like a good desert in  fruit. In Thai they are called “lamut” pronounced “lamoot”.  In Singapore, they are referred to as “chiku” fruit.

They grow in hot tropical climate.  Sapota can be found growing wild in the forests of southern Mexico and northern Central America.  Also refer to as both Sapodilla and mamey.  I have had Mexican ice cream (paleta) made with mamey and it is the best ice cream ever.  They usually sell out really fast too.

Here is a better picture of sapota or mamey tree.  Photo from Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery in Australia.  Daleys has many different varieties of mamey or Sapota to chose from as well.  It a looking neat tree, remind me of Papaya tree too.

I used to always buy the canned version of Sapota. But the last few Aroy-D cans I bought tasted horrible. It was bland and did not taste like real fruit, more liked sugared cardboard. So I never bought them again.

This photo I took of the White Sapote from the International Rare Fruit Orchard in San Jose, Ca.  Not related to the Sapota, but name sound similar.  This fruit is also popular in Central America.  They are best eaten when ripen and are said to be very sweet, like sugar.  the inside is also added to ice cream and milk shake as well.  In Mexico, they are believed to have a soporific effect, meaning it makes you sleepy.

Other interesting Sapota fact:  chicle, the basis for chewing gum is made from the milky latex of this tree.  It has a caramel-like, sweet flavor somewhat to maple syrup or brown sugar.  Source from Oregon State University  here.

Ian Maguire’s Sapota picture here.