The pitaya season is now in full swing but, unfortunately for vendors of this cactus-type fruit, sales outlets are at a premium.
In normal times, truckloads of pitayas are delivered daily to Guadalajara, and sold in local markets, on the streets and especially in the downtown Nueve Esquinas neighborhood, which hosts an annual festival.
With downtown Guadalajara currently in lockdown, the Nueve Esquinas hub is off-limits to the pitaya sellers this year. Many vendors, therefore, have taken off on foot with their boxes slug around the necks, to suburban neighborhoods where daily cries of “pitayas, pitayas” have become a regular feature of the local soundscape.
One should not be put off by the brain-like innards of pitayas, which are a tasty and refreshing treat during the hot months. They come in white, pink and orange colors, but the deep red “mamey” is recognized as the sweetest of the bunch. Prices depend on the size of the pitaya, and are currently running around 14-15 pesos each.