Typical fruit in the Philippines

Sun, sea, beach and fresh fruit. These are the ingredients of a relaxing stay in a tropical country like the Philippines. For the utmost feeling, it's a must to learn to know the typical tropical fruit. Though nowadays you can buy most of this fruit in the USA and in European countries, the taste is at the best in the tropical country itself. So, if you be there, go to the market, buy the fruit and explore the taste of the tropical fruits!

Atis
The atis fruit has a scaly skin. The fruit is almost round and about 10 cm wide. It is called a 'sugar apple'. The taste of the flesh of the ripe fruit is slightly sweet and soft. The many black pips are scattered through the flesh of the atis.


Bananas
n the Philippines grow many different varieties of bananas. There are bananas which are not sweet and only used for cooking and there are sweet and tasteful bananas. Bananas can differ remarkable in size as well as in color; from yellow to red-skinned to green bananas. One variety is not loved by foreigners. That is the banana, rather small in size, with seeds in it. Bananas healthy? They regulate bowel flow.


Coconuts
The coconut is a large, hard-shelled nut. On the inner side of the hard nut, is a white shell of about half a centimeter. It's the coconut flesh, nice to eat. The nut has a hollow center filled with milky fluid. Very good to take if you are thirsty! The coconut palm tree is known as the "tree of life". It yields timber, food, coconut milk, alcohol (tuba), vinegar and the tree delivers material to make all kind of products like for instance baskets, rope, brushes. The palm tree also gives the opportunity to make oil for food and cooking and is used for feeding domestic animals and for fertilizer. Last but not least, the coconut oil is used for health benefits as well. Coconut is rich in B vitamins.


Durian
The durian is considered as
"the king of all tropical fruit". The durian fruit is very big and heavy. A durian can weight up to 10 pounds. The whole skin consists of big, sharp and hard spines! Asian people are really fans of this 'king'. To open a durian, you need to insert a knife between the spines. The durian is high in proteins, minerals and fats. The durian is one of the most expensive fruits. For Asian people it tastes so good that it is worth the money!


Guava
The fruit is green on the outside and almost white in the inside. There are some small seeds in it, which can be eaten. The fruit can be compared with a common pear. The taste is very light sweet. In the Philippines it is also known as "bayabas". Guava healthy? Guava is rich in vitamin C.


Jackfruit
Jackfruit is the largest tree-born fruit in the world. The jackfruit can reach 40 kilos in weight and up to 36 inches long and 20 inches in diameter! The exterior of the jackfruit is green or yellow when ripe. The interior consists of large bulbs of yellow, banana-flavoured flesh. Opening the fruit, will bring you a nice and soft odour like the pineapple or banana.


Lemonsito
This fruit is very small , about 3 cm. It is cheap and commonly used to make fresh lemon juice. By pressing the fruit the juice that comes out can be mixed with water. It is very refreshing. The leaves can be used in cooking. In some places the fruit is used to make a shampoo that is insect repelling. Lemons are healthy too. Rich in vitamin C. More advantages are: it kills bacteria when applied to seafood. Moreover, it disinfects wounds and, important in the tropics, it reduces the itch of insect bites.


Mango
The mango is considered "the most majestic of Philippine fruits". Mango's have a green, green-yellow, yellow-red or yellow-red-green colour. Most of the mangos in the Philippines will turn their colour from green to yellow as they ripen. The mango fruit can be up to 20- 25 centimetres long. At this maximum length they can have a weight of two kilos. For export, mangos of 8 to 12-centimeters long are preferred. Mango is rich in sugar and is a source of vitamin A, C, and D.


Mangosteen
Mangosteen is a delicious fruit. It has a thick, dark-red (or is it purple-brown?) skin. The fruit has the size of a mandarin. Inside the fruit you will find nice creamy and sweet white segments. The taste is delicate, sweet-acid and the pulp seems to melt in the mouth. Some think that mangosteen is "the finest of all fruits". Mangosteen is for that reason known as "the queen of the fruits".


Papaya
The papaya has a long shape like a pear and can have a yellow or orange color when ripe. Each fruit may have a weight of about one pound to even more than 3 kilo! The length can be 75 to 500 mm. The shape of papaya can differ from a rather long to a rather round shape. It is very rich in vitamin A en C


Pineapple
Pineapple, try it if you are thirsty and if you want to eat something which is good for your health! The taste is not too juicy or too sweet, just nice. Many Filipinos will eat this fruit in the way like they eat (unripe) mango or other fruit: with a bit salt. Pineapple is very rich in vitamin C



Rambutan
Rambutan fruit has a thick skin that is covered with fine, short hairs. It's a small fruit, not bigger than the size of a hen's egg. Inside is a small seed covered with half transparent flesh. The color of rambutan is red or yellow. The fruit has a soft sweet taste. The name "rambutan" comes from the Malay world "rambut", which means 'hair'. There is a great demand for this fruit. This resulted in the establishment of many plantations, among others on the islands of Mindanao, Panay, southern Luzon (region Batangas) and Mindoro


Santol
Ask children what their favorite fruit is and a big chance that they will say "Santol".
The santol fruit is round and as big as a big apple. Inside the fruit there is a white juicy pulp around 3 to 5 brown seeds. The seeds are up to 2 cm long. The pulp is mostly sub-acid or sour. When the fruit is not ripe, the fruit is very sour. The Filipinos like it in that (sour) condition and eat this fruit with some salt. The fruit is usually consumed raw without peeling. In the local markets of the Philippines the santol is always for sale. Santols are also used to make marmalade. In glass jars the marmalade is exported from the Philippines to oriental food dealers in Europe and the United States.


Starfruit
Star fruit is a five-angled fruit, shaped like a star. The star fruit is about 10-15 cm in length. Some varieties are slightly sweet, some are sour. The fruit is easy to use: it doesn't need to be peeled to be eaten. In the Philippines the more sour varieties are common. People will eat it, as they do with so many fruit, with a little bit of salt.


Tambis
Tambis is a small, red (rose) round fruit of about three cm wide. It is known as a water apple because it is a rather watery fruit. It is a common fruit in Southeast Asia. It is one of the favorites of children.