North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Jay Cutts <orders@cuttsreviews.com>]

I don't know if some people in the East have ever had a chance to eat 
mesquite pods fresh.  When camping in the desert in California, one can 
find them dried, either still on the bush or on the ground underneath.  
They keep there forever, as there is not enough moisture for them to 
rot.  The coyotes do eat them eventually.  When dry, the pods are filled 
with a powder that is sweet and tart. It's a tangy treat to chew on and 
probably is filled with electrolytes to keep your fluids in balance in 
the desert heat.  If you happen to be in the desert at just the right 
time, you can find the pods still green on the bush.  Then they are 
juicy, still with that sweet/tart flavor.

Of course the seeds inside ("beans") are way too hard to eat out of 
hand.  I believe they were one of the staple foods for the native people 
of those areas and are supposed to have a good glycemic index value.

Best,

Jay

Jay Cutts
Cutts Graduate Reviews
800-353-4898 day or eve, 7 days
(In NM, 505-281-0684)




Michele Stanton wrote:
> I second the definition of mesquite pods as a fruit.
>
> And they grow on trees, as do other illustrious leguminous goodies as 
> tamarind and carob..
>
>  
>
> Fruit: The ripened ovary or ovaries of a seed-bearing plant, together 
> with accessory parts, containing the seeds and occurring in a wide 
> variety of forms.
>
>  
>
> Michele in SW Ohio
>
>  
>
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