Guava

Starfruit also known as carambola is native to the Philippines, and the botanical name is “Averrhoa carambola. We call it “Balimbing” which is an ambiguation from the botanical name of another fruit we call “kamias” or Averrhoa bilimbi which is sour and used as a souring agent for soups and other dishes. The fruit has…

My fig tree in the garden came from a cutting. I took some branches when the tree owner decided to prune her fig tree which grew into a tall tree about ten feet or more. We can only grow up to five feet plants in the garden. Luckily the fig cuttings grew and actually have…

Coconut is the most versatile of all plants that I ever knew. From the fruits, to the leaves, to the trunk almost all parts of it can be used for something. The leaves we used for wrapping a delicacy we call “suman” (glutinous rice wrapped in coconut leaves). The inner part of the leaves is…

Tamarind or sampalok as we call it in the Philippines is a versatile fruit. We can make it into candy or jam, we can use it in cooking as a souring agent for the ever popular “sinigang” or you can eat it as it is ripe or raw. Also the leaves were used too in…

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…

Atis is sweet and taste like custard hence the name custard apple. The white flesh is segmented and each segment has black seed inside. It is related to soursop and the anonas. They have developed a hybrid of these fruits and call it Atemoya or Cherimoya. The flesh can be made into ice cream or…