Fruit & Spice Park, Homestead, Fla.: All-U-Can-Eat Fruit

Homestead, Fla.—The Fruit & Spice Park is an all-you-can-eat fruit buffet. And like a buffet you can’t take any of the fruit home. Unlike a buffet, you don’t get any plates and you can only eat fruit that has fallen to the ground. But the selection of tropical fruit in this 37-acre park just south of Miami, is worth it.

White sapodilla at Fruit & Spice Park, Homestead, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

For a mere $8 per adult and $2 per child, you can sample fruit from the Americas, Asia, Hawaii and other places around the world that grow tropical fruit. But be careful, there are poisonous fruits trees scattered throughout the property. If you are in doubt ask a park employee.

When I went in July, I ate a green, peach shaped fruit called a white sapote. It had a delicious sweet and sour flavor mixed with floral mango.

Pale pink rose apple at Fruit & Spice Park, Homestead, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

I also tried three types of crisp, very juicy and refreshing Asian rose apples in white, pale pink and red colors. My favorites were the pale pink ones because they had the sweetest flavor. A large number of fruit flies around the tree agreed with me.

Bael Fruit at Fruit & Spice Park, Homestead, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

And the most exotic item I tried was Bael fruit. It looked like a green grapefruit but had a hard shell and a baked sweet potato like texture inside. It tasted like curry had been added to its pungent yet sweet flesh.

The park is open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Christmas.

It is located at 24801 S.W. 187^th Ave, Homestead, FL 33031

Phone 305-247-5727

Email fruitandspicepark@miamidade.gov