Tahiti – Ice cream bean tree and fruit

Tahiti has many delicious sources of foods throughout the island. From where you are standing, you should be able to easily find a guava tree, breadfruit tree and coconut palm (look for identifying placards in front of each tree). The large tree that covers the outdoor seating area where our Tahitian villagers showcase their drumming and dancing skills is called an Ice Cream Bean Tree. This is not a vanilla bean, but rather an unusual podded fruit that comes from a large, curled bean pod. Look up and see if you can find one. It begins small and green, like its leaves. As it ripens, it turns a light green or brown and can be quite large. When you break it open you will find any number of seeds, depending on the size of the pod, covered in a fluffy white substance which looks like vanilla ice cream, and gives the tree its name. The fluff is surprisingly delicious to eat. It is amazingly sweet and its mild taste is considered candy to the children of Tahiti. After enjoying their treat, the little girls take the nonedible ripened seed which has partially split and place it on their earlobe. Viola’, earrings!

Having problems finding one? It’s not easy. Ask a villager for help, but please, don’t climb the tree as the limbs are very soft and pliable