Zooming past the tropical coast of Saint Lucia on a tiny speed boat last Spring break was an experience I'll never forget. It provided a food experience insurmountable to that of my cruise ship, in which I could only eat . . . well. . . cruise ship food. My tiny speed boat ride offered me immediate immersion in St. Lucian culture as we zipped past mountains and palm trees, glided under nature-made arcs, gaped at the beautiful gardens and houses that housed the island's population, and ate some of the freshest, sweetest, juiciest, most natural fruit you could get, since it was picked off a tree right in front of me.
The Island
Our boat pulled into a small cove tucked right between two huge mountains. At the base of one mountain was a small roped off area for snorkeling, which we excitedly took advantage of. Once we got out, we began to make conversation with a man who, by the looks of his rich, dark skin, long dreadlocks, bulging muscles from years of handiwork, was definitely an islander. And it was clear from the vast array of fruits in front of him on a small, what looked like hand made wooden table and the fallen branches littered around it that the handiwork was well executed into hacking fruits from the tree above him and selling them to guests at the beach club. We were hoping that even though we weren't members of the beach club, we could get access to this luxurious island treat. Sure enough, the kind disposition fluent throughout all St. Lucians was present in this man, and he introduced us to flavors I'll never forget.
Unforgettable Flavors
The fruits were as bright and colorful as the fish we had just seen while snorkeling. The fruit man's name was Blaze, appropriate for the lightning speed in which he lifted giant fruits, sliced them in messy chunks, and put them in a white Styrofoam box. He had all kinds of fruits freshly picked from their plants: mangos, melons, and some I didn't even recognize. There was one that I'll always remember because of how exotic and mind-blowingly flavorful it was. The texture was soft, easy to sink your teeth into and rip a bite from. The taste was amazing. It was sweeter than I thought it was going to be, but crisp and juicy as it tumbled in your mouth. The meat of the fruit was white and it had green skin, which was too tough to eat, but I'm pretty sure I snagged some pieces of it as I tried greedily to eat every last morsel of that delicious white meat. I never caught the name of the fruit, but I'll always remember it as one of the best foods I've ever tasted.
I ate my fruits as I sped back around the coast towards the cruise ship. Juice dripping down my chin, wind whipping my hair back and the sea spraying me with a cooling mist, I was transported to an ultimate happy place. Never before had I had anything so fresh and so downright delicious, and never have I experience anything like it since I got back. I get to say now that I've been to Saint Lucia and eaten fruit fresh from the trees of the very island, served by a Jack of the trade himself. I don't think any old farmer's market can surmount to the on site experience I had in Saint Lucia. I need to go back ASAP!