Saturday, August 20, 2011

Mom's Overseas Fruit TABLE and Other stuff

This is little sister number 2...she is eating a duhat and making a funny face. Duhat is a tropical plum, but eaten more like a cherry but with a sprinkling of sea salt!










Very tasty...and off season. Mom1 said that it used to be everyone had a duhat tree but more and more it is getting hard to find people who grow them since the tree often takes 3 years to mature.

This is definitely a rare treat ruled by the season of availability.

It is tart with a chalky bite but very good and supposedly one of the most nutritious foods out there.


This is "LINA" our big sister. She's always just hung around Mom and been there to be her partner in crime. Since her kids are grown too they hang out with us. Here she is chopping a crab for lunch. Somehow on Mom's daily shopping trip to the open market she found 1 guy that had 4 of these monsters.







They were steamed lightly then sauteed in Garlic and Chinese Chili Paste. I only wish Mr. Man had been there to enjoy them.











Simply unbelievable.













This is milkfish and silkfish. I ate fish almost everyday I was there. The best part of the open market is they will slice and clean your fish for you.










This is red snapper and some beast of a fish my mom got I think it's a grouper. But that big dark one was deliscious deep fried. It had flaky flesh like lapulapu but the skin was crisp and buttery.










This is about 80% from Mom's property or yard. Only the citrus was purchased. Those dragonfruit are fantastic and the baby pineapples are like "single serve"










It's nice to wake up in the morning and have a selection.












Balimbing is sweet and fantastic if ripened on the tree. They call it starfruit here. In front of it is Atis which is a bit pulpy but sweet with a big seed, the western name is star apple. The dark thing to the upper right is moms monster avocado. The red things to the right are lychee. The yellow tennis ball size things are Santol. The speckled bananas are actually local plantains.

I could go on describing all the flavors of these fruits for 2 pages, it's probably just easier to invite you.


Here are some little senorita bananas that they cut down from the property.












Normally Mom goes to the country house once a week. If she doesn't Mom2 sends back whatever looks good such as jackfruit, suha, green coconuts, crunchy coconut and of course those fabulous baby pineapples.









The Young coconut is very slippery like gelatin with a more fresh taste. The jackfruit is a whole other thing.











I told Mom your organic fruit is so ugly...and she said that's how I know it's organic OKAYYYY.












These are called Indian Mangos...they are tart and eaten like green apples and more sour than anything you know. But they are so good dipped in sea salt or spicy shrimp paste aka bagoong!










I have no idea why they are always bringing us this many plantains - we end up just giving them away to everyone. But I guess it's better to give them away than to let them rot on the tree.














Here are more Avocados and the mature coconuts. The mature coconuts are good for shredding or making coconut milk/cream. There is another type of coconut that is used for pastries and sweets because of it's gummy like texture. Those are rare and deliscious.








More mature coconuts













Various steamed cakes and rice pastries brought in for my grandmother by extended family on Sundays.
















This is one of my faves the layered rice cake with toasted coconut on top - fantastic.












My uncle was in from Chicago and his In Laws sent him this monster. LOL...They had to have some beers to honor the monster.











This is Lotty, the person in charge of my Grandmother and the girls watching her for the last 10 years. She is now in Florida somewhere married to a blonde dude. She can flash steam a lobster like nobody's business.

Her new husband better watchout!







Here's Lina breaking down a jackfruit (langka) to divide into ziploc bags and store in the freezer. I wish I would have had a canner and some jars coz believe me I would have brought some of this home...









Like no other. Sweet and slightly stringy with a honey ripe smell.

I hope someday you all get to try these fruits. To be honest this is the off season..Other seasons offer even MORE types of fruit!

3 comments:

  1. I have never seen such fruits. What a feast you must have had!

    ReplyDelete
  2. So, when do we leave I need to pack.
    I forgot how much I love Philippians food & it's people.

    Love that outside counter & sink.

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Kate: I sincerely hope you get to try them someday I hope all people get to try all the fruit of the world!
    @Pele: We love you too! Shoot I only go once a year but the next time we're up I'll give you 6 months notice. They call the outside counter and sink the "DIRTY KITCHEN" mwa hahahaa.

    ReplyDelete