We went to IRIGA Cirreeeeh!!! A charming city where I was born and raised to become the beautiful and brilliant woman that I am now… charot!!
Bitbit ang kids, we drove to Camarines Sur to stay with my parents for 2 months. It’s sort of a business, pleasure, and everything-in-between kind of a visit. But, for the most part, it’s so that my parents can do some “grandparenting” duties to Rigel and Altair.
Our home is just the right size for our family. However, the front yard and backyard is, let’s just say, SPACIOUS.
There are all sorts of fruit-bearing trees in our yard. Mga tanim nila Daddy, Mommy, my brother, our uncles, and our grandpa. Talk about green thumb, noh? Amazing!
When I was little, I use to carve the ground and sow monggo seeds in. It was like Farmville – but you actually touch the soil… with your hands! I remember feeling so happy when the seeds germinate and those tiny leaves peek out from the ground. ayyyiiiii!!!
Then, an earthworm reveals itself.
Ayawan na!! Monggo or no monggo, balakajan!! Am out! Hahaha
Anyway, this post is about showing you what fruits we have right outside our house. I hope this will inspire you, in one way or another, to experiment. You know, just try! Start with a small plant on a pot in your backyard. Maybe a lemon?
LANSONES (Langsat or Lanzones)
I’m always so tamad to eat these. It’s yummy and sweet but you have to peel it off and it gets really sticky. Kaya kapag kumakain si mommy, humihingi na lang ako ng nabalatan na. Lol! Thanks, Mom.
AVOCADO
My personal favorite! Well, next to mango… and banana… and pineapples. Fine! It’s one of my favorite fruits. I dice these up and put milk and sugar. Yuh-uh-mmy!
GUYABANO (Soursop)
This one too is so delish but nakaktamad to eat! My Mom makes guyabano shake. Surraaap! Ehem, calling Mommy…
RAMBUTAN
My husband says that our produce is the good kind of rambutan because the flesh of the fruit does not detach from the seed. I had no idea! I guess I haven’t eaten any rambutan fruit other than ours.
CACAO FRUIT
When we were kids, Mom and Dad always tells us to collect the cacao seeds because they will make chocolate from it. There’s the magic word – CHOCOLATE! So, we gladly obliged. But, I never actually saw them make chocolates from the seeds we collected and dried. Hahaha!
CALAMANSI (Philippine Lime)
Calamansi (Lemonsito in Rinconada dialect) is a staple in our kitchen. It’s used for cooking ulam, making kalamansi juice, and even a remedy for dry scalp.
DRAGON FRUIT (Pitaya)
When I first heard about this fruit, I was like… Dragon whaaat?! Hahaha! But it’s actually tasty. Like a less sweet mango with the consistency of kiwi. At first maninibago ka talaga. Pero after a few bites, you’ll ask for more.
PAPAYA
Masarap na, nakakapagpaputi pa! Hahaha
POMELO
I like pomelo because it’s not messy to eat. You just need a sharp knife to peel the outer layer. My first memory of this fruit: My Dad telling us that this fruit is a laxative (pang purga ng bulate). Hahaha!
BAYABAS (Guava fruit)
I fell from our guava tree because I was frightened by a hairy caterpillar (higad). Yes, it was just 6 feet, but for a 5th grader, mataas yun! No, I did not tell my Mom kasi nahulog na nga ako, makukurot pa! No, thanks.
ATIS (Sugar-apple or Sweetsop)
Ate mo, Ate ko, Ate nating lahat!
BALIMBING FRUIT (Carambola or Star fruit)
Prutas ito, hindi tao! Hahaha! This fruit is amazing because it is tart and sour, smells like calamansi, with a consistency like grapes. Parang, ano ka ba talaga?
We also have Mangga (mango), Macopa (mountain apple), Kasuy (cashew), Santol (cotton fruit), and Pinya (pineapple). Kaya lang I wasn’t able to take pictures. Next time!
If you have a yard, or even just a space for a pot, go ahead and get a fruit-bearing plant/tree. It’s not just you who will benefit from it, you are also helping our environment.
If each one of you plants one tree, imagine the impact it will have for our planet…
“Plant a tree, plant a tree, so that next generation can get air for free!”
