Nectar of the Gods

I spent my life thinking I understood fruit. The healthy snacks no one ever wanted in the house but Mom would buy anyway. Fruit sucked. Then, I left Delaware and the cocoon of the chain grocery store laden with boxes upon boxes of overripe fruit. I discovered the open-air market. I'll admit, I was a little confused at first. How was all this fruit outside, first of all? Wasn't it going to go bad? And how did I know which fruit vendor was the best one. It turns out, they're all the best ones. 

The first thing that caught my eye was the sugarcane. I'd never seen it before. I knew sugar came in powder and cubes and granules, but I had never once thought about its source. A thin man watching me eyeing the strange fruit offered me a sample and I wasn't quite sure how I was supposed to consume this. Do people just eat sugar? He answered my question for me — they blend it into a juice. I'll admit I was a bit shocked at how little it tasted like the sugar in my pantry, but the taste was pleasant. I began to open up. What else didn't I know?

Apparently, a lot! As I tasted fruit I had unceremoniously let rot back home, I found myself tasting an aura of mouthwatering sweetness, tartness, and flavor. Something this delicious couldn't be good for you, could it? I tried a kiwi for the first time (fun fact: you can eat the hair) and rediscovered the tang of an orange. Now, anytime I visit a new country, I make it a point to try their local fruit. I want to help out those hardworking vendors and make up for what I've been missing this whole time.