The unforgettable fruits of Kenya,
miss them so much!
One of the many great joys of growing up in Kenya (and the rest of Africa) was the abundance and variety of fruit. They seemed to grow almost everywhere and folks were particularly proud of their garden harvests. If they had a bit of land, they also had an abundance of fruit and veg. If they didn't the man with the fruit and veg cart came around regularly. If he did not turn up the kids usually came home with sackfuls from nearby valleys and the like. One of my many favourites was the yellow passionfruit (matunda) and I gobbled it up by the kikapuful (basketful). But then, we loved every fruit we could lay our hands on. If all else failed, there were always the markets in Nairobi, Mincing Lane, and various shopping centres.
The picture on the left is from friend Mervyn Maciel who reminded me how pawpaws grew in abundance in Kenya gardens! I may have missed one or two or three (short-term memory loss is not a journalist's friend, is not anybody's friend!):
Papeta (from Mombasa), Victorias (with the gooey yellow centre), Avocado, Apples, Oranges and Lemons, Guava (pink and white varieties) Strawberries, Blueberries, Pawpaws (Popaya), Coconuts (from the Coast), Banana (various shapes and sizes), Mango (various shapes and sizes), Pears, Oranges, Lime and Lemons, Gooseberries, Passionfruit, Pineapple, Pluma, Grapes, Jackfruit (from Mombasa), Watermelon, Custard Apples, Pomegranate, Cherries, Melons (a variety of them), baobab fruit (strange and mysterious), Peanuts, grams, coconuts ... what have I missed.
It is not so bad in Australia, we get most of these fruits ... but the one-eyed-jack in me still pines for fruit paradise of my childhood in Kenya. In any case, these days Kenya is exporting its fruit harvest all over the world. I have a mango tree in my little garden in Sydney which usually (depending on the weather) brings forth a proud harvest.
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