My trip to the market in San Ignacio yielded some finds that were new to me, but mostly mediocre. This is the first time I've uploaded images to a forum, so apologies beforehand if it doesn't work.

I have always heard of the ice cream bean but had never tried it. The guy in the market called it Inga paterna. It was sweet and I can see why it is eaten primarily by children: it is tedious and you don't get a lot of flesh for the effort. I think I had imagined that there would be more fluff inside.





Below is Supa (Creole), or Cocoyol (Spanish). It is a fruit that is marinated in brown sugar syrup. Unfortunately I lost the bag before I had a chance to try it. Actually, maybe it is the dish that is called Supa and not the fruit.



The berries below are called "Craboo." They are used for making a wine or liquor. The berries were not offensive, but kind of mealy, with a small hard seed in the center.



Here is "Waya," or "Kinep." I am not very picky when it comes to fruit, but Yuck. Sized like a lychee, peels like a lychee...NOT a lychee. It is slimy, sticky and very astringent. I had to get my toothbrush to rake the remaining slime off the back of my tongue, after my failed attempts to swallow. An internet search indicates that I may have eaten this unripe. It SEEMED ripe, so I think eating this fruit would take a certain amount of practice and/or luck.



Finally, "Dog Balls." Only children eat this fruit when they are running around through the bushes. I tried while horseback riding and it is tasteless. I am told that fruit from the coffee tree tastes similar.

I have room for one more tree, so this is a critical decision. Well, if I kill any of the current trees I'll get replacements, but that's a different story.

I've got little kids and I hear that Mamey sapote, canistel (egg fruit), and peanut butter fruit (B. argentea) are all excellent in milkshakes. I have never tasted any of these fruits, however, let alone in milkshakes, so I'm not sure which would be more popular with the kids. So I am opening this up to ask for opinions!

A secondary issue, which I'd like to keep separate from the taste topic, is space. I'd prefer to plant the tree in a spot that would require pruning to 10', which would be easiest with the peanut butter, unless someone knows of dwarf canistel or mamey. Does anyone? It is possible for me to plant a larger tree street side (in which case I would put the horseradish tree in the small space and simply prune it aggressively), so the space issue is not necessarily a deal-breaker.

Katie

It was hard to do, but the constant scale infestation and then the mealy bug encroachment drove me over the edge. The Geffner had become the white whale in my garden. I have read that Biriba is prone to far fewer problems. Does anyone have experience with the Biriba in South Florida?