Crabs

As the raining season nears our tropical paradise, at the start of June, male land crabs make their way from the hills around Lo de Marcos down to the beach. At the north end of the beach where the jungle touches the sand, thousands of crabs can be seen making nest holes in the soft sand while awaiting their female counterparts that are suppose to come out of the sea where they have been washing their eggs which they carry on the underbelly.

Female crabs spawn upwards to 700,000 eggs each. Many do not survive and thus is the nature of the creature to produce many so that few may reach maturity. Immature crabs are brown or orange with the mature turning blue. The other noticeable trait is that one claw is larger than the other.

Crabs are said to be vegetarian. Often you will see a claw sitting by itself, which is no problem as crabs can grow new claws. My friend says that crabs are happy as their time is spent eating and procreating.

Tostilocos

On any given afternoon you might hear a bicycle horn as a three-wheeled yellow adult bike heads your way. The hand pushed vehicle is adorned with many types of snacks and hand made beverages. Prices range from $5 to $30 pesos. Try, the Tostilocos for a full snack that goes great with an afternoon Netflix.

Tostilocos are a popular Mexican antojito that consists of Tostitos tortilla chips topped with cueritos, cucumber, jícama, lime juice, Valentina hot sauce, chamoy, Tajín chili powder, salt, and “Japanese peanuts”. The dish was first conceived in the late 1990s by street vendors in Mexico. Wikipedia

Tejon / Coati

If you walk the jungles around Lo de Marcos there is a good chance you will see a member of our wildlife known as a Tejon or Coati. Some fear the animal that can harm other animals. Other see it as a food source.

Mammal belonging to the Procyonidae family, native to Central America. It is omnivorous, with a long, pointed snout and tail; It has short ears and a shadow on the face that looks like an eye mask. His body measures half a meter and weighs between 3 and 5 kg. In the north of the country it is grayish brown, while in the south it is darker. It abounds on the coasts and pine forests. It mainly feeds on insects, birds, fruits, lizards, seeds and roots; it is also easily tamed. In rural or indigenous communities they consume it like other wild and hunting animals. In the southern and southeastern states, the meat of young badgers is soft and flavorful, usually eaten roasted or stewed in marinade, while that of adults is somewhat hard and more concentrated in flavor. The Nahuas from the north of Veracruz prepare the roasted and stewed meat in a roasted chili sauce with spices such as cloves, pepper, cumin, garlic and xonacate. In the north of the country badger stew is consumed, in red chile, tatemado or in water.

If the creature has a ringed tail then the local name is Kudamundi. Similar and related.

La jaca – Jackfruit

Did you know that the largest fruit in the world is also born in Nayarit? Yes! The Jaca is considered the largest fruit in the world and we have the privilege of having it born in Nayarit. It’s delicious pure and in smoothie and what do you think? It has 7 flavors and is a Natural Viagra!

Jaca is originally from Indonesia; in Bangladesh it is considered the national fruit and was brought to Nayarit in 1985. However, it is little known by the Mexican population, neither its nutritional value nor other ways to take advantage of it. Its exotic appearance is given by its yellow, orange or greenish, highly textured rind. The yaca is a sweet fruit of great size and strange appearance that can weigh up to 35 kilos and have a diameter of up to 25 centimeters. Thank you Tropical Tidbits.

Jackfruit is ripe and ready to harvest when the fruit begins to grow soft and a black ring forms around the stem, indicating that it is preparing to fall from the tree. Grab it before the birds do.

To get the sweet fruit out it is best to dawn rubber gloves or covers your hands with oil. The latex which surrounds the interior fruit is very sticky. The fruit itself easily separates from the covering.

Inside each piece of fruit is a large seed. You can boil the seeds, remove the hard cover and pound the remains into a delicious hummus. Enjoy!