The herald., 1898-09-23
Fruits of the Philippines
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| Here Is something to reconcile us to our
new possessions In the orienlt-there are
fifty varieties of banana in the philippines,
twelve different kinds easily growing in one
locality. To have eaten them on one OF the
islands Is an experience worth remem-
bering, as the taste of the freshly plucked
frui; is not unlike our best conceptions Of
ambrosia The natives have legend that
the banana was the Original bread of Eden,
the forbidden fruit, and that our first
mothers first aprons were ma6e from the
LEAVES OF the banana tree.
| The mango Is the favorite fruit Of :he
Islands, and although far inferior to our
peach 1t is one CT the most fascinating Of
the native fruits, and much esteemed by
visitors when they have acquired "a taste
| for it. A dozen mangoes a day Is not consid-
Tered much of a sastronomic feat when the
| fruit Is In its prime. The ar; of cutting one
open without getting the pulp hopelessly
involved with the fiber requires a patience
worthy of a better cause, but 1t repays with
a delicious morsel Of juicy sweetness.
The mango tree is a superb specimen,
growing to majestic heights, with dark
green, glossy foliage that is much admired.
In order to hasten the maturity Of the
fruit the natives treat the tree in heroic
way. They cut great gashes in it's sides
and build slow fires under its branches for
the purpose Of smoking the half-ripe fruit.
The mango Is ready to pick early in March,
although 1t looks anything but inviting. AS
soon as /; Is handled II turns yellow and Is
ready for eating.
| Among the larger fruits for which the
American coonizer will be grateful is the
| cocoanut the fruit of the graceful palm
trees which shade some of the islands like
a protecting forest. Nature herself has
provided goblet from which to drink the
cool, sweet milk, but 1t Is only the native
who can drink 1t properly, the European
smearing his courtenance with the fluid,
while the grateful streams which should
assauge his thirst trickle down the back
of his neck. The drink is very refres hing
when properly quaffed, and no matter how
high the temperature the milk Is always
cool.
Another popular edible Is the durien,
| fruit that is covered on the outside with
thorny spikes, and which possesses most
atrocious odor. The durien tree only bears
fruit every twenty years, therefore 1t is
| highly priced, but a more vicious fruit does
not exist. 1t would seem If 1t had only
been created to tantalize the unwary tray
e!er. who, when peering into the tree Is
sauted by a sharp, sudden blow on the
head as If pistol ball had hit him. A ripe
durlen has dropped, and it's thorny side
gave the salute. Next it bursts open In
three sections like baked apple, and the
Ls1l t., lie. hi
Rut If he can overcome his repugnance and
taste of the contrary specimen he will find
1t luscious in the extreme.
| Pineapples are so plenty that there is no
native market for them, but they are ex
ported in great quantities. The flavor is a
combination of our strawberries and
| peaches, with an aroma that is borrowed
from the fragrance of the ylang-ylang
| flowers, the perfume tree growing there In
lgreat abundance Apart from its value as
fruit the pineapple fiber furnishes a
cloth which our American women will well
come as an entirely new fabric. 1t is
called pima, and Is of such fine quality as to
rival the wonderful India muslin single
dress Of pima costing as much as 5000. On
account of this fibrous property the pines
of the Philippines are not as delicate eat
| ing as those of Cuba, which are without
any woody quality. The natives consider
them dangerous on this account, and let
them alone, much to the satisfaction of
Visitors.
| The malolo is a perfume fruit, the size
of a large peach, and its color is bright
red, but these charms of sight and smell
must suffice. 1t has no distinctive taste.
Then come the shaddocks. familiar to US
lin the windows of our fruit stores, and
eaten freely by our people In the southern
cities, where the slight bitterness of the
fruit is highly esteemed a tonic and for
Authenticated properties.
| Ripe guavas are plentiful In their season
| in the islands, but we are more familiar
with the guava Jelly, which was so gladly
received by our ancestors OF several gener-
ations past, when the grocer did not supply
us with jellies and preserves for the long
winter months, and the luxury of one Of
Those little round boxes with It's sticky but
excellent compound was most welcome to
the sick room. In the British American
colonies and provinces when there was 1T
tie commerce with the United States every
body was dependent on the importations
from the East Indies and the West Indies,
Through the British possessions there.
Porto Rico molasses, Jamaica rum. these
were staple. Pineapples, guava jelly and
the delicious tamarind water, which was
1.-The drink Of every convalescent, came from
the East Indies. If you inquire row in some
old fashioned drug store for tamarinds the
druggist win scrape up some of the brown
sweet preserved beans, and without apol-
Iogy for their age ask what countryman you
are. Our neighbors of the dominion can
Igive US points on the Philippines.
i o o O
Papaws are known to us in our own
southern ATTITUDES, but not such sweet lus-
cious fellows as those with the pink flesh
lgrown in Las Filipinas, which is said to con-
tain enough pepsin to build up the weakest
lof digestive organs.
Life in the Philippines is full Of excite
ment. If the newcomer elects to eat of the
fruits in that garden of Eden let him not
forget that the snake In its most charming