FEASTING ON FRUITS IN UGANDA

The variety of exotic fruits that are available in Uganda is quite extensive.  When one goes to the fruit and vegetable market in the center of Kampala, Nakasero, one can really see the great abundance of fruits that are grown in this country.  These fruits are in large numbers and available for a very reasonable price.  For instance there are, Pineapples, Watermellons, Passion Fruits, Jackfruits, Mangoes, Papayas, Avocadoes, Apples, Pears, Oranges, Lemons,  and of course bananas; many types and sizes of bananas.

To the west of Kampala, in and around Masaka, there are so many pineapples grown that it is estimated that about a third of them are wasted.  As you travel to the National Parks to the west of Kampala, such as Lake Mburu, and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, you will see numerous pineapple plantations off the roads in the distance.  These Pineapples are the world’s best; for some reason they are much sweeter and juicier than the pineapples produced in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.  It must be the soil conditions here; whatever it is, they are quite magnificent.  Pineapple slices are sold on the street by vendors for a few pennies; most refreshing on those sunny days….which are most of the days here in Uganda. 

Mango trees are everywhere and there are many differenttypes of mangoes.  In the mango season, one can see huge piles of mangoes on the sides of the highways around Arua, in the western Nile, Nakasongola and Luweero on the Gulu road, as well as the highway passing through towns such as Lira and Soroti.  Mangoes are in large numbers, very tasty and very inexpensive.  In the season, Mangoes are also sold on the street; the vendors will peel them and slice them up, ready to eat as one walks along the road.

Likewise, avocadoes grow virtually everywhere in Uganda and are very reasonable to purchase.  There are different varieties of avocadoes and again, are seasonal. For avocado lovers, Uganda is a dream world as fresh slices of avocados are served regularly in restaurants as a standard side dish.   The Citrus fruits, lemons and oranges are in great supply and very delicious.  Watermellons are much smaller than the western variety but equally as juicy and tasty.  One of the more exotic fruits that grow abundantly in Uganda are the Jackfruits.  These are huge over-sized green fruits that one can regularly see hanging from their trees in the countryside.  In Kampala and the other urban centers, Jackfruit is sliced up and sold on the roadside.  In the bus terminals, one can purchase a number of pieces wrapped in plastic.  The fruit has an unusually sweet flavor, with large pits.  The fruit is very sticky to the touch, and is usually handled with a plastic bag over ones hand.  Jackfruit is common in the Caribbean as well; a common tropical fruit that one can buy canned in North America.   

Bananas are the staple food in Uganda; one type, matoke is eaten every meal, as the Chinese eat rice and the Westerners eat bread.  The bananas are peeled and wrapped in bananaleaves and steamed for hours.  They canbe served in stick form or mashed as potatoes.   In Western Uganda around Mbarara, one can seemiles and miles of banana plantations; these supply the communities within ahundred miles, including the capital, Kampala. Large bunches of bananas, with up to 200 bananas on a bunch, are soldeverywhere in the markets as well as on the sides of the main roads in and outof Kampala.  Besides matoke, there areother bananas that are grown in Uganda.  There are the standard sweet bananas plus a variety of small bananas; in western countries, I believe we call them Apple Bananas.  In addition, there is a variety that are roasted over charcoal; they are peeled and roasted plain and sold while still warm.  A little starchy, but very delicious, as all the bananas here are.  As you travel on the roads between towns and villages, especially to the west of Kampala, you notice a lot of people pushing bicycles down the road to market with a number of large bunches of bananas tied to them.  In addition, there are many large trucks overloaded with hundreds of bunches of bananas coming from the western plantations, headed for city markets.

Juice vendors have become a common sight now, especially in Kampala.  Fresh fruit of your choice is put in a blender, without sugar and poured into a glass.  There are so many choices and combinations, all of them most delicious and reasonably priced.  These juice bars are a great improvement on the previous limited options of different kinds of sodas, mostly produced by Coca Cola.  In the supermarkets there are juice boxes of all sizes and flavours, many not produced in Uganda, but in neighbouring Kenya and South Africa; but as things are changing, so are the number of local products being produced.  Today there are an equal number of Ugandan juices on the shelves as imported ones.  Unfortunately, Ugandans are obsessed with sugar and one has to check when you order juice or buy it packaged, that they do not have added sugar.  One of the most delicious juices prepared in Uganda is Passion Fruit juice, but locally, the people add way too much sugar and quite frankly, it is not necessary, as the fruit is not tart.  As people in Uganda are becoming more health conscious, sugar is not always added to fresh juice; but its always good to check if it is just natural juice you are looking for.