Food Note:
Fruit With Strangers
by Esperanza Gonzalez and Taylor Washington

​Re-PLACE-ing Philadelphia is building an expanded archive of cultural memory that includes multiple histories, re-place-ing the established with new narratives and understandings. Notes consider place via the street, sound, food, trees, and other portals.

In partnership with educator Joshua Block, students from Philadelphia's Science Leadership Academy are creating and publishing their Philadelphia Field Notes. Esperanza and Taylor talk about the different fruit trucks around Philadelphia.

Yummy, yummy, delicioso. Food is an international language. No matter what language you speak, when something’s good you will know. Food and water are the unconditional necessities humans need to survive, which is why it’s crucial to be aware of  what we put in our bodies. The United States is currently in the top five of obese countries in the world. Nearly a third of the nation qualifies as obese or overweight. Obesity is no joke, and it should be taken seriously.

The two of us, Esperanza and Taylor,  decided to take a stab at healthier ways to eat. We conducted small trips to different fruit trucks in Center City Philadelphia. During our journey we came across a wonderful story that was eye opening. We found a special fruit truck that gave us food for thought. Miu Wong is 34 year-old who took over the fruit business after her father died. Wong wanted to make a tribute to her dad by keeping the fruit truck open for business. The most incredible thing we found was that Wong’s father believed in healthy lifestyles and passed that idea onto his daughter. Wong now continues with that legacy and keeps the mindset of her father.

Moreover, our initial goal was met. We visited numerous fruit trucks around Center City and came up with two conclusions. Depending on the location, fruit trucks can be either expensive or cheap. Those located at college campuses are the more expensive than to those that are not.

Fruit trucks outside college campuses are a bit more fresh and juicy. One of the lovely things we found out was that the quality of the fruit depends on the place where the owners get the fruit. There are certain places where you can get a load of fruit for cheap but it can end up tasting bitter and disgusting. There are other place where you can get very expensive and tasty fruit but don’t necessarily make profit out of it. You have to know where to get your fruit from.

Another interesting thing we found out was that fruit trucks also sell 100% fruit smoothies,  which is also another choice if you’re not big on eating fruit could be a easy way to stay healthy. The fruit truck blend together the fresh fruit for the same amount it would cost to have a fruit salad or a cluster of one fruit.

Philly is a diverse place to visit and eat. The food variety can get overwhelming because there’s a ton of things to choose from. Just remember, it never hurts to eat healthy. Investing in your body should never be a sacrifice because long living health is never for sale.