Eating Purple!

Over  the past month I have been discovering fruits and vegetables I have never seen, heard of or tasted before. A trip to the local markets prompts all kinds of questions. …What’s that? What does it taste like? How do you prepare it?

The other day I met a Mayan man, along the Placencia sidewalk, selling fruits and vegetables out of a 5 gallon pail.  He had peppers, potatoes and something called yampi. The Mayan man told me that yampi  is like a potato and is very good. It cost a little more than the potatoes I wanted but I thought I would give it a try. The man told me to prepare it just like potatoes.

As I began preparing the yampi for my dinner one night I thought I would look it up on the internet to learn a bit more. I had already peeled the yampi, which was purple inside and somewhat slimy, when I read to wear gloves or cover your hands in oil before peeling. …Too late. Yampi contains a toxic compound that causes irritation to the skin and cannot be eaten raw.  So I washed my hands and hoped for the best.  

I boiled the yampi well and then mashed it up with butter. It is one of the most colourful vegetables I have ever eaten.  While it is considered a yam, it was not sweet like the orange flesh yams I am accustomed. It tasted like a white potato but even better, if that makes sense.

As for my hands, they did get a little red and tingly but no lasting effects.

What I learned today!

Make sure you know a little bit about a new food you are preparing before you cut into it or ingest it. Accessing WiFi and Google is a great opportunity to learn more and understand the new experiences one encounters when travelling.