chupala (suck it)


it's orange season again. that means pasearing (visiting neighbors) has become heavy. not as in the mood is heavy, but as in the plastic bags filled with oranges are heavy. i definitely am getting enough vitamin c.

when i first moved to my community it was orange season. i learned that you don't just peel the orange and eat the slices. panamanians think ii'm crazy when i do that. no one actually eats the white stuff. gross! so to just get the juicy part, they peel and suck the orange.

here's how to eat an orange like a true panamanian:



start with an orange and a (sharp) knife.










peel the orange with the knife, working from top to bottom in a spiral pattern. once you are a pro (like me) you can do it in one piece.









once the orange is peeled, cut off the very top to expose the inside.








chupala!!!
















once you've sucked out all the juice and pulp, you're left with the white stuff that only crazy gringos eat. done!