The mountain village of Las Marias, Puerto Rico, throws a huge block party every March, the Festival de las Chinas Dulces, to celebrate the abundant variety of sweet oranges that grow on the island.
They call oranges “chinas” (pronounced CHEE-nahs) in Puerto Rico, though the Spanish word for “orange” is “naranja” (pronounced nah-RAHN-hah).
We spent a sweet afternoon drinking
china coladas and orange juice, eating china bread and other Puerto Rican
delicacies, sipping Puerto Rican coffee, learning about island agriculture, and
perusing the products of a myriad of artisans. The music was traditional,
colorful, and energetic, coming from two main bandstands, and the crowds
extended for blocks in several directions. We even took home an orange tree to
plant in our Cabo Rojo yard!
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