Pineapples and Mangoes and Bananas… Oh My!

I think that one of the things I will miss most about Ghana when I head back to the States in three months is the endless supply of fresh produce.

Directly outside of my dormitory is a little place known as the Nightmarket. Vendors sell traditional Ghanaian food, egg sandwiches, clothing, hygienic products, CDs and DVDs… and, most wonderfully of all, an incredible amount of fruits and vegetables.

I probably go to the fruit stand about 2-3 times per day and I always visit the same woman: Olivia (Oh, Olivia, Olivia, how I love my darling Olivia!). I frequent this Goddess of All Things Fruity so often that, if I don’t stop by after I’ve picked up the veggies I need to cook my dinner, she asks me the next morning where I’ve been. I feel like I’m cheating on her if I go to another vendor, even if it’s only because Olivia doesn’t have the avocados that I need to make guacamole.

Ghana has taught me to answer the question, “Wow, can I really eat a whole pineapple in one sitting?” With a resounding, “Yes.  I.  Can!”

The acid may make my entire mouth raw, but that doesn’t stop me from finishing the last few bites! I’m a survivor.

On an average day, I generally consume one or two bananas, an apple, a whole pineapple, and perhaps some mango or starfruit or an avocado. My fruit consumption is absolutely astounding here… but can you really blame me? It’s all so delicious and the flavor is so much more intense than American fruit. Plus, with prices that set avocados and pineapples at a measly 1 cedi a pop (roughly 60 cents), how can I resist?

The stand neighboring Olivia’s belongs to a sweet older woman named Ama who sells the best veggies in the whole market. Noting how often I frequent her stand, she has taken to giving me an extra tomato or green pepper whenever I get produce from her… which, like Olivia, is basically on the daily.

I try to ebb my seemingly never-ending cravings for American food by creating Ghanaian alternatives with my endless supply of produce. I have made great use of my dormitory’s only cooking device — a hotplate. Yes, I am now a proud hotplate connoisseur.

With a simple aluminum pot, I’ve whipped up such glorious creations as Asian vegetable stir-fry, curried vegetables, huevos rancheros and burrito bowls (complete with guacamole and plantain chips), garlic bread, a variety of pasta dishes, and so much more. My roommate can breathe a sigh of relief now that I’ve finally stopped complaining daily about how much I miss Freeb!rds.

Truth be told, the produce here is absolutely mind blowing. Although… I could still really go for some nachos right now.