Guamuchiles

COTIJA/LOURDES, Michoacan-- We've been fortunate to see a lot of Mexico throughout the year, but one of the best parts of traveling so much is discovering all the regional fruits. The country is so diverse with mountainous, tropical, and desert regions that its fruit reflects that.

In the state of Michoacan, I was introduced to guamuchiles. This fruit tastes similar to the fig, but comes in a little pod of three or four. People buy it on the streets of Cotija by the pound and chow down the addictive little guys while hanging out in the town's central plaza.

They help whiten your teeth, said the wife of a Cotija public official. We found the couple sitting on a bench in front of the town's church, chomping on a bag full of them. Be careful, though, she warned, they will also make you fart. I got to see the guamuchile trees when we visited ranches in the mountainous town of Lourdes. I snapped a shot of Javier, a local rancher and cheesemaker, shaking the guamuchile tree in hopes of giving us a taste.