Camachile

ByMaria

IMG_5758Camachile – (Pithecellobium dulce) – is a fruit that we eat in the Philippines.  It’s plentiful during the summer season.  The camachile taste sweet but dry.  It has black seeds and we used to play with it. The fruit is unusual because of its coiling.  It looks like a bean and it actually belongs to the pea family. We gather the fruit from the wild because it is not sold in the market.  The tree grows wild and becomes invasive just like its cousin the “kiawe” or Hawaiian mesquite.  The tree can grow up to 15 meters high.  Its branches is thorny and the fragrant flowers flowers attracts certain species of moths, making the plant as host for caterpillars. Birds that eat the sweet pulp disperse the seeds.  the tree is drought tolerant so it can grow anywhere without any human intervention.

Similar Posts

  • Pomegranate

    ByMaria

    Pomegranate – Punica Granatum is gaining popularity in the culinary world.  It’s uses in garnishes and juices are almost an every day scene around the culinary world now.

  • Soursop/Guyabano

    ByMaria

    Soursop or guyabano as we call it in the Philippines is gaining popularity as a health fruit and a natural medicine against cancer.  Whether it is true or not, soursop or guyabano is an interesting fruit to eat.  The skin looks like it would hurt you when you touch it but the spikes you see…

  • Kamias

    ByMaria

      Kamias – Averrhoa bilimbi – also known as cucumber tree or tree sorrel is a very common fruit in the Philippines used as a condiment.  It is a fruit but it is so sour it is used mostly for cooking.  The kamias is like the tamarind, used in making sour-soup or sinigang. We used…

  • Rambutan

    ByMaria

    Rambutan is one of those exotic fruits that it would take real courage to begin trying and eat it. But once you tried it, you’re hook for life. It is sweet and refreshing. Rambutan is an Indonesian word meaning “hairy” and the fruit is hairy so everyone calls it rambutan even in Philippines. It is…

  • Star Apple/Kaimito

    ByMaria

    Star apple (Chrysophyllum cainito) is a fruit that is sweet and juicy but has that latex feel in your mouth.  I remember when I was young, our mouths will be dusty after eating this fruit because the dirt clings into this glue like substance that is in the skin of the fruits.   In the Philippines,…

  • |

    Jackfruit

    ByMaria

    We call the jackfruit “langka” in the Philippines.  I consider it as the biggest fruit ever.  When I was young, we  nicknamed it “hog” because sometimes it grows as big as a pig.   I remember my grandma’s jackfruit tree in the farm and the fruit almost touches the ground.  I also remember eating the fruits…