Mounts' Taste Of The Tropics Festival, West Palm Beach, Fla. Updated

West Palm Beach, Fla.—Mounts Botanical Garden overflowed with tropical fruit on June 29. As jet planes flew overhead people got to see and taste the wonderful tropical fruits grown in South Florida. The event was organized by the Palm Beach Chapter of the Rare Fruit Council International and Mounts Botanical Garden. Whole Foods Market Wellington sponsored the event.

Red Dragon Fruit sales at Mounts' Taste Of The Tropics
Festival, West Palm Beach, Fla.

There were tropical fruit for sale like Red Dragon Fruit that looked like a thorny pink thunder egg, and Sapodilla that looked like a giant, furry Kiwi fruit. 

 

Tropical fruit sampling pavilion at Mounts' Taste Of The Tropics
Festival, West Palm Beach, Fla.

There was also a tropical fruit sampling pavilion with just enough samples to satisfy 500 people. To make sure nobody went for seconds, everyone was given a paper ticket when they paid thier five dollar entrace donation. Then they had to surrender the ticket when they entered the tasting pavillion.  

Fresh Passion Fruit wedge at Mounts' Taste Of The Tropics
Festival, West Palm Beach, Fla.

The first fruit in the line-up was Mamey. It looked like a sweet potato and tasted slightly of caramel. Next were two types of stringless mangoes--Valencia Pride and Tommy Atkins. Then there was a yellow Jack Fruit that tasted like a rose garden mixed with cotton candy.

Lisa Goss hands out Sapodilla samples in the tropical fruit
tasting pavilion at Mounts' Taste of the Tropics Festival,
West Palm Beach, Fla.

This was followed by a wedge of sweet & sour tasting Passion Fruit. Then came Sapodilla that tasted like "Brown sugar pear," according to Lisa Goss, a member of the Rare Fruit Council, who handed me a cup of the sweet, brown colored fruit.

Red Dragon Fruit at Mounts' Taste of The Tropics Festival,
West Palm Beach, Fla.

The most colorful fruit had to be the Red Dragon Fruit. It was hot-pink inside with a kiwi fruit like texture, and a sweet floral taste. There was also a sample of White Dragon Fruit but it wasn't as flavorful and had more of a citrus taste. There were also defrosted lychee and longan but I didn't eat them. 

Later, as I walked through the lush 14-acre botanic garden I noticed trees that were growing some of the same fruit I had tasted.



Rare Fruit Council member answering questions about the
displayed fruit at Mounts' Taste of The Tropics Festival,
West Palm Beach, Fla.

Eventually I reached one of the air-conditioned buildings of the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service University of Florida/IFAS agricultural complex, located at the back of the garden. Inside Palm Beach Rare Fruit Council members had set up a display of over 90 varieties of rare fruit that grew in South Florida.

Pond Apple display at Mounts' Taste of The Tropics Festival,
West Palm Beach, Fla.

The educational was enhanced by Rare Fruit Council members answering rare fruit questions. I found out the common Pond Apple which grows near fresh water was a Florida native plant and edible.

Whole Foods Market Wellington giving out free samples
of Gaby's Farm Tropical Fruit Ice Cream & Sorbet,
Mounts' Taste of The Tropics Festival, West Palm Beach, Fla.

Outside, in a covered porch area, Whole Foods Market Wellington was giving away free samples of Gaby's Farm, Gourmet Tropical Fruit Ice Cream & Sorbet. I arrived in time to try mango, passion fruit ice cream on top of red Dragon Fruit sorbet.

It was steamy hot by the time the festival ended at 2 p.m. and l was grateful there were still a few vendors selling water and fruit. I bought a 21-pound Jack Fruit for $2/lb from the Lychee Fruit Store.

For those who are interested in a bit of history, Mounts was named after the first Cooperative Extension Agent to Palm Beach County, Marvin Umphrey “Red” Mounts, in 1954.

The garden is considered a component of the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service and offers gardening and farming advice for Palm Beach County people.

It is located at: 531 North Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL  33415
Phone: 561-233-1757

To find out more about Mounts Botanical Garden you can go to …http://www.mounts.org/

Or to find out more about the Palm Beach Rare Fruit Council you can go to…http://www.pbrarefruitcouncil.org/