Curuba -- 1st of 3 Passionfruits

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Curuba (coo ROO bah) is an other fruit of the Andes, though it is grown mainly in Colombia throughout the departments of Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Santander, Nariño, Antioquia and Valle.

Curuba, or red banana passion fruit (passiflora antioquiensis), is, despite its name in English, not red, but rather an orange-yellow color. It's color is what makes it high in vitamin A (beta-carotene), but it is also high in vitamins C, B1, B2, and B3. As for minerals, it is a good source of calcium, phosphorus and iron.


It is usually used to make a delicious drink. This drink can be made with milk (crema de curuba) or water (jugo de curuba). You should definitely try both! You can also buy curuba jam, curuba ice cream, or curuba sherbet.


If you are already home from Colombia, you can purchase frozen curuba pulp -- and make your own juice at home. If you can't find it at your local latino market, try purchasing it here:


http://www.fruitpulp.ca/product/Curuba


*Photo by lulugaia http://www.flickr.com/photos/liliana_rodriguez/387505092/

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