Mangoes

Surinam Cherry – Eugenia uniflora – also called Pitanga is native to South America and made its way to Hawaii and is also considered an invasive plant. It grows easily and is also pest resistant. The birds like to eat them and spread the seeds by their droppings. Surinam Cherry is a small tree that…

Star Fruit or Carambola,(I call it Balimbing), is becoming increasingly popular among the population especially here in Hawaii. A growing number of people find it not only refreshing to eat but also have healthy benefits like anti-oxidants and Vitamin C. It is mostly used as garnish for drinks because of the star shape of the…

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…

It must be a tough job to be able to pick the best mango in my hometown of Iba, Zambales. Why, because almost all the mangoes that came from there would be considered the best and the sweetest. Our mangoes are sweet, juicy and the texture is so smooth almost like a custard with no…

Coconuts when eaten fresh and young is considered as a refreshment when I was growing up in the Philippines. We drink the water inside the coconut and then by cutting the coconut in half, the white flesh will be revealed and that’s very good to eat indeed. The mature ones are utilized as a culinary…

Lime is one of my favorite citrus fruit. I use it especially in making Mexican salsa. I like the fresh flavor of the juice combine with tomatoes, onion, jalapeno pepper and the fresh herb cilantro. After making the salsa I can make my favorite dip the guacamole. Avocados are in season now so it is…