Pages

Monday, May 2, 2011

Seasonal Fruit


Corn, zucchini, raw almonds, and raw chickpeas in the Old City market.

Caca season has recently come to an abrupt and disappointing end. Caca (at least that's what they call it in Arabic!) is basically a persimmon -- but better than you can imagine if you've only ever eaten them in the US. It seemed that just when I finally figured out what the darn things were, and couldn't get enough of them, they suddenly couldn't be found.

All the good stuff goes through these cycles -- strawberries, melons, askadinya, passionfruit... Now the big thing is raw almonds, encased in their fuzzy green pods, though I can't say I'll miss those too much when they're gone from the markets.

My friend Nicole often shares this Emily Dickinson quote: "That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet." The little heartbreak I feel every time I realize the fruit I'm looking for has just gone out of season is just a tiny reminder that our time here in this place is short. The fruit and veggies come and go in seasons, but as far as I know, I won't be here in Jerusalem the next time caca reappears. It's time to be present to all the gifts of this life, and take with me the lessons of appreciating what's in season.



Orange bell peppers... Beautiful!

1 comment:

  1. Beautiful photos! I'm with you - I don't really miss the fuzzy green almonds, but I'm always disappointed when I realize I've missed fig, persimmons, or guava season. Yet when they appear from villages freshly picked, it reminds me how tasty locally grown, truly ripe fruit can be - enjoy!
    Best,
    Yorke

    ReplyDelete