This summer has been brutally hot, with temperatures hovering around 100°F for nearly two weeks straight. Thankfully, some much-needed rain this week has brought a bit of relief and slightly cooler days.
Unfortunately, the intense heat took a toll on the tropical fruit trees at my aunts’ garden — this year, there was no harvest to speak of. No sweet mangoes, no fruits to share or savor.
The post below was written last August, during a very different summer — one filled with abundance, sunshine, and plenty of tropical delights.
Original post (Sep 5, 2024) This summer may have brought the heat, but more than anything, it will be remembered for the incredible bounty of tropical fruits from my aunts’ backyard garden. July was especially sweet — quite literally — thanks to the overflowing harvest from their three mango trees.
For weeks, they shared crates of juicy, golden mangoes with extended family and friends. One tree in particular, a Thai variety known as Nam Doc Mai, stood out. It’s well-known for being a “prolific fruiter,” and it definitely lived up to its reputation.
The Nam Doc Mai mango has a thin pit, silky fiberless flesh, and a flavor that’s intensely sweet — almost candy-like. Its creamy texture is reminiscent of the Ataulfo mangoes you’ll find in local supermarkets, but with a richer, more fragrant flavor that speaks of its tropical roots
The two bigger mangoes are Nam Doc Mai mangoes
Not sure about this variety, but they were sweet too!
The next month, we were blessed with a bounty of another fruit - longan, a cousin of the more popular fruit, lychee. The lychee trees had succumbed to some sort of disease, much to our disappointment. But the longans were simply fabulous! You peel the brownish skin to reveal translucent juicy flesh with a small black seed. They too were very sweet.
Mouth-watering longan, a cousin of lychee fruit
Several years ago, my aunts gifted us a longan tree and a mango tree. While we’re not sure what variety the mango is, both trees seem to be thriving in our yard — healthy, green, and growing strong. We were excited to see our longan tree bearing fruit for the first time this year — we counted ten in total. But after Tropical Storm Debby swept through, only two managed to hang on.
Even though they weren’t fully ripe, we decided to pick them anyway — and to our surprise, they were already sweet and flavorful. It was just a small harvest, but a hopeful sign of what’s to come in future seasons.
This 7-year-old tree produced but 10 longan fruits!
On weekends, our relatives love visiting the Pinellas Farmers and Flea Market in Clearwater. It’s a bustling spot filled with energy, flavor, and a touch of nostalgia.
Hawker-style stalls serve up authentic Som Tum (Thai green papaya salad) and refreshing sugarcane drinks — instantly transporting you back to the street markets of Southeast Asia, if only for a moment.
The tropical fruit selection is just as impressive: coconuts, jackfruit, dragon fruit, sugar apples, rambutans, mangosteens, durian — and of course, more sugarcane. Some are imported, but many are grown right here in Florida.
For anyone missing the sights, smells, and tastes of Asia, this market is a must-visit weekend stop.
Durian and dragon fruit
sugar apples, Mangosteens, guava
Jackfruit vendor
Vendor selling coconut drinks
Served over ice, this coconut water is so refreshing!
At the Pinellas Farmers and Flea Market, you’ll also find a wide variety of Asian vegetables and herbs like Thai basil, culantro, and galangal — essentials in many Southeast Asian dishes. Beyond food, the market offers a colorful selection of tropical plants and flowers, perfect for home gardeners or anyone looking to add a bit of greenery to their space.
turmeric, ginger, red chili, cucumbers
Thai eggplant
Nam Doc Mai Mango plant
With any luck (and more forgiving weather), we’re hopeful that next summer will bring a better harvest. Here’s to sweeter days ahead — and maybe even homegrown tropical fruit of our own.
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