Growing up, where we lived before we moved was a large compound fenced around. It was a bungalow, so it had a backyard and front stairs. The backyard stair was a circular spiral staircase. How does it relate to the apple you may think?🤔. Well, Our neighbours at the back had this big rose apple tree in their compound (they had a lot of trees) and this spiral staircase was close to the wall that demarcated both compounds. The wall was high enough to reach the rose apple tree and we were mischievous. We would climb the stairs, and scale the wall to pluck the fruits during its season, we were flexible enough to not get caught by our neighbours. My cousin, sisters, our neighbour's children and I would do some Spiderman tricks with sticks and whatnot. We didn't even carry a bowl rather we used a paint bucket, and we take to our fill. As it was plenty, we would even sell it in school then; 3 for NGN10 (a fair deal). We got caught though, reported and were given a serious thrashing. But you see, it was fun! and e no concern us
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| Rose Apples |
Red African Apple
So on, 26th of October 2018 by 1:09 AM, I made a decision to do a food journal. I have been schooling in Uyo for a year now and the best part of it is getting to taste new foods and see new fruits and fresh fruits as their colour radiates. It thrills to hear the shouts of traders, mostly women calling passers-by to patronise them. I tried a few times but I bought those I was familiar with........Until one fateful day, I decided to go out of that comfort zone and get something I didn't think I remembered the taste of, African Apples. I was excited to taste them, I was oblivious to the fact that a young beggar boy was tugging at my clothes that morning... I didn't have anything at hand except books and the fruit I had just bought plus I didn't have small change to give him. But I was moved to give him something, I gulped, handed him the nylon of African Apple and I asked myself if I would get extra. But I didn't get extra that morning, buying the fruit was an unplanned expenditure and I couldn't afford more.
I did eventually get to eat it that night, My cousin bought it and it reminded me of the rose apple we use to steal😂. It was juicy,a bit sour and lovely. Then we didn't know it was rose apple; we called it "pink apple" or "small apple"
Another name for the red big ones is Mountain Apple
If you like my post and you want more or you want to share your first-time experiences with food email me at ebunoluwaedet@gmail.com.