Sinigwelas (Spanish Plum)

Sinigwelas (Spondias Purpurea)is a summer fruit in the Philippines. It is native to South America and the Spanish explorers must have brought it to the country. The tree is unusual because it loses all its leaves before the fruits form just like the plumeria tree before it flowers.
The plants thrive in full sun and likes sandy soil. The fruits are green and turns yellowish when ripe. Some variety turns purplish in color. It has a big seed inside and not edible. When you bite into it, its juicy and taste sweet and sour at the same time.
I have a fond memory about sinigwelas with my friends from Cabangan, Zambales. It was my first time to see a tree of a sinigwelas and even climbed it too. It was interesting to see all the fruits attached to the tree branches. My friends and I have so much fun eating all the fruits that we picked.