Going On A Fruit Safari
At the Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead, six dollars gets you a trip around the world and a taste of the freshest possible exotic fruit. Located at the corner of 248th street and 187th avenue, the county owned park was founded in 1944 by the Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department to promote knowledge of local and exotic produce that grows in tropical climates. The result is a 35-acre property that offers a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Friendly and knowledgeable park staff takes guests on a guided tram tour through sections of African, South Asian, and Caribbean botanicals. Guests can roam the parks on their own, but without much knowledge about the Dr. Seuss-like flora, we opted for the 45-minute tour. While on the tour, our guide explained the life-cycle of bananas, the growing season for Thai garlic, and the secrets of the calabash. She also showed us how to harvest mulberries, jaboticaba, wild Everglades tomatoes, Key apples, and even nasturtium flowers. By the mid-point of the tour, we were well over our five-a-day quota. We particularly loved the super sweet mulberries, the creamy jaboticaba that grows off the branches of the tree (pictured at left), and the spicy nasturtium flowers. The Australian section can be reached on foot, just beyond the baobab trees in Africa, but we decided to continue our adventure at the gift shop where samples of all the parks produce are free for the tasting and locally made jams, jellies, and spreads are available for purchase. If the trip inspires you to plant a little bit of Africa, Australia or the Caribbean in your backyard, the Fruit and Spice Park offers a list of nurseries that carry these exotics.
Fruit and Spice Park [Official Site]
Comments
Sounds great! I never knew this existed...I'll have to take a trip out to see it someday soon.
Natalie
Posted by: Natalie Albert | April 29, 2008 12:32 PM