Our farm has about 500 banana trees of
many different varieties. Each tree only produces one stalk
of bananas. This photo illustrates the early stage of growth
in a banana cluster. The organic bananas from our farm have
a much sweeter taste than commercial bananas that are chemically
ripend.
In addition to bananas, we also produce plantains, cas, water
apples, mandarin oranges, limes, guyaba, guyabana, pejivalle (a
palm tree cluster fruit), coconut, malanga (a root vegetable),
watercress, naranjillas, and of course, coffee.
Interesting non-food items we grow include Egyptian papyrus,
lemongrass (citronella), and tall river grasses that produce
"Ladramas de San Pedro," a seed bead used in jewelry.
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Our farm has many pejibaye palm which yield clusters of pejibaye
fruit. Each tree produces two to three clusters at once, and
only once per year. Once boiled, the pejibaye have a squash-like
taste. The Ticos eat them with mayonaise.
Tucurrique has an annual two-weekend Pejibaye festival in October,
drawing visitors from all over the country. In addition to
selling clusters of pejibaye, festival vendors offer other
pejibaye delicacies, including cookies made from pejibaye flour,
and pejibaye "chicha," the Costa Rican equivalent of
hard cider. |