jocote de marañón

If you want to know what fruit is in season, check out the guys who sell fruit on the street. I don't mean the roadside stands, I am talking about the brave souls who hang out at the stoplights on the major intersections, passing between cars like matadors slipping aside from the charging bull. Like matadors they entice, waving clear plastic produce bags bulging with colourful fruits.
We stopped, the vendor gestured with his bags, bored I started to look away, then, I spotted what looked like apples, no they looked like chiles, hmmm, what was that fruit? It didn't take long for him to notice my interest.

Husband asked "¿Que tipo de fruta es?
The answer was" mamey".
I leaned across Husband "No, no el mamey, el otro. ¿Que es y como lo usas?".
"Marañón, haces licuado" time was getting short so he added "treinta pesos".
I fumbled for the money, Husband passed me the fruit and off we went.
When he could take his attention off the traffic, Husband asked me what I had bought. I hemmed and I hawed and finally I admitted that I wasn´t sure. They looked really familiar and I thought that maybe they were mangosteen. I also had a second idea but I didn't want to admit it.So before I did anything I looked those puppies up. If you click on the link, you'll learn all about the mangosteen, including the fact that these aren't them.
Look at the little thing on top of the fruit, it looks like a cashew. It is a cashew! I bought fresh cashews! The red psuedo fruit is called a cashew apple or in Spanish jocote de marañón. The nut shaped thing is the actual fruit.
The fruit doesn't ship well, but you can buy the bottled juice. I am off to make my licuado de marañón.