The Sweet Spot

Just an hour south of Miami, Nora Walsh finds a candyland of tropical fruits ripe for picking.

- Nora Walsh

VEINTE COHOL BANANAS are a small, fast-growing variety with a creamy texture and citrusy tang. They are rarely found outside of the Philippines. But at the Fruit & Spice Park, a botanical garden in Homestead, Florida, I came across a small grove of them, ready to be picked. "We have 40 banana varieties," said Philip Romero, a guide at the park. "These are more flavorful than your typical store-bought Cavendish banana. Everyone loves how petite they are."

The Fruit & Spice Park was started in 1944 by Mary Heinlein, a gardener who wanted to show that the clay-rich soil and climate in this part of South Florida—a region known as the Redlands—could grow tropical fruits from around the world. Today the garden, which is run by the Miami-Dade County parks department, grows more than 500 varieties of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and nuts. And perhaps just as important, Homestead has seeded a community of farmers, grocers, restaurateurs, and even winemakers. Located about an hour's drive from downtown Miami, the area is a juicy bazaar for rare produce.