Rambutan

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…

Guava is a popular fruit in the Philippines but it is seasonal. During rainy season that’s when it is most abundant. There are several varieties of guava that is native to the Philippines that I know of but the guava java which is an import variety from Indonesia hence the name, became the most popular….

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…

Durian is a fruit native to Malaysia and Indonesia and is famous for its distinct odor. Some can’t stand the smell they would not even try to eat it but for those who don’t mind the strong odor is in for a great treat because it tastes really good like eating a custard with almond…

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…

Camachile – (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…