My favorite Filipino Fruits!

Everyone knows that tropical countries have the best fruit. The Philippines has held true to this statement and exceeded my expectations. I have enjoyed some of the best fruits since arriving in January and I want to share with you some of my favorites!

1. Ube: a purple root crop that grows on the ground. My favorite is Ube ice cream!

2. Langka: also known as Jack Fruit that grows on a tree; I like Langka yogurt!

3. Coconut: Most Americans know what a coconut is, but most have not had one fresh off of a tree, cut open and a straw stuck in to drink the juice!

4. Pomelo: From the outside it looks like a melon, from the inside it looks like a pink grape fruit; however, it’s not bitter like a grapefruit at all!

5. Calamansi: Its about 1/3 the size of a golf ball; mandarin orange meets a lime; Sometimes Filipinos mix it with soy sauce and put it on fish! Calamansi juice is so refreshing and tasty!

6. Mango: You haven’t had a good mango until you’ve had a mango from the Philippines! I arrived just in time for mango season and I can’t get enough of them. Note: You don’t eat the skin!

7. Dalandan: They are about the size of a lime, but look like a tangerine on the inside! We passed these out on Outdoor Education at the elementary school! The kids loved them!

8. Banana: Who knew that anyone loved bananas more than me? Filipinos have so many ways to eat bananas! They eat Banana Lumpia (wrapped in a tortilla and fried), Banana-Que (like BBQ but a banana), Banana chips and just plain ol’ bananas. They are much smaller than the bananas in the states and have much more flavor!

9. Durian: Also known as “stinky fruit”; I haven’t worked up enough courage to try this fruit yet, but I thought I would share. This fruit gets is affectionately named because of the putrid smell it gives off. People say it tastes better than it smells, but why would you eat a fruit that you have to hold your nose to even get close?

10. Lychee: I had this fruit cut up in a juice. It is a white-ish pulp with a “perfume” fragrance.

So there you have it, ten fruits that I have encountered in the Philippines. I am going to go through fruit-withdrawals when I come back to the states! I better eat as much of it as I can now while it is readily available! Thanks for reading.

-Mads