alugbati sauce

alugbati sauce - /a-lug-bá-ti sows/ Caviteño and Tagalog sauce\dip; dw Tag. alugbati [Malabar nightshade, a.k.a. Malabar spinach] + Eng. sauce) [n.] dip sauce with alugbati fruit extract.

We sourced this dip from the Siglo Modern Filipino and learned that the base ingredient used in this alugbati sauce is a naturally sweet, ripe Tagaytay pineapple. The pineapple fruit is peeled and processed well in a fruit blender and then cooked with the alugbati fruit extract. No sugar added. The bright red-purple extract of ripe alugbati fruits serves as the natural food color. Alugbati is a Malabar nightshade in English, though in some other parts of the world, it is also known as the Malabar spinach or Ceylon spinach.

We also researched more about alugbati sauce and found that root crops can also be used as a base in the sauce. Any white root crop will do, such as cassava, gabi (taro), white yam, patatas (potato), or white camote (sweet potato).  Other ingredients that can be added are butter, broth, sugar, salt, pepper, and other seasonings. The broth can be chicken, beef, or pork.

The alugbati sauce of Tagaytay City's Siglo Modern Filipino resto.

I first saw this bright red-purple sauce as the creation of Siglo Modern Filipino restaurant in Tagaytay City two years ago. This caught me by surprise. Like you, I wondered how comes the alugbati becomes too red-purple in this spread. Aha! That must be because we only eat too much of the green leaves. We forgot or most of us are not aware that the alugbati vine, after some time, would bear plenty of never-ending flowers and fruits. When ripe, the fruits produce deep red-purple juice extracts, and this for sure was used in the alugbati sauce.

There are different ways how to extract the juice of ripe alugbati fruits. The best way is hard press. You can use a garlic crusher for small amounts. For large amounts, use a hydraulic press like those used in squeezing the coconut milk in the wet market, or the electric press juicer (see the Youtube video with the link, below). What I did for a handful or glassful of ripe alugbati berries is that I improvised a thick plastic bag (cellophane) in crushing the berries by putting all the berries in the bag then lay it flat on the hard surface of a countertop or table and crushed the berries by pressing  the bag hard with a rolling pin (the one we used in pressing dough) or an emptied round glass bottle of wine. Just press and roll, do not pound.

Alugbati fruits (Malabar nightshade or Ceylon spinach; sc.name: Basella alba).

I remember when young girls in our barrio would use it to stain their nails pretending it was Cutex. In China, the pigment of alugbati fruit extract is also used to dye fabrics purple. Likewise, for a long time, it is considered a non-toxic and environmentally friendly ink and coloring material. The fact is that ripe alugbati fruits are very much edible.

Aside from using processed naturally sweet pineapple as a base, I found in my research alternative ways on how to create this sauce. The constitution base of the sauce can also be any white root crop, as mentioned above. I pick camote as a good choice for its natural sweetness. Having a white base is like having a white canvas with purple paint. Butter is added to smoothen the texture and enhance the broth's flavorful taste.

Another way is to use mayonnaise as the base. This could be easiest as you have to simply add the alugbati fruit extract into it and mix well. You may add some sugar or honey to sweeten the dip. Being that mayonnaise is partly made with vinegar, the natural purpleness of the dip is enhanced and would stay longer, as the vinegar would help preserve the alugbati fruit extract.

The sauce can also be used as a filling or spread in bread, biscuits, and other pastries. Also for the green salad.

Visit Siglo Modern Filipino at 3500 Calamba Road, Sungay West, Tagaytay City to get a taste of naturally flavored alugbati sauce.

If you made much alugbati extract, you can use the extra juice to color other food. Try it in your bread, cake, pasta noodles, hot cake, and other pastries. It's a natural food color to treasure. Can also be taken as a healthy refreshing drink by adding freshly squeezed juice of sugar cane or mixed with other sweet drinks or fruit juices. You know, having said that, I am already giving you more good ideas on what to do next about the goodness of alugbati's color. 

Share your thoughts about alugbati sauce. Write a comment, below. 

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Related posts:

Lipote

Dugyan (Philippine red durian)

How to extract juice of ripe alugbati fruits using electric press juicer (Youtube)

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Continue to follow my blogs. You can also follow and learn more by joining us in our Facebook group account of Philippine Food Illustrated (Private) and Philippine Food Illustrated (Public). It is my pleasure to rediscover the known and least known things or the unheard ones and put them here for everyone to find, learn, and treasure. 

Thank you for all the encouragement and enthusiasm. I need also moral support, prayers, and anything else that can uplift my spirit and keep my good reasons. 

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Edgie Polistico  

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miracle fruit

A miracle fruit tree on the roadside of Brgy. Mambago, Sta. Rosa, Babak, Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) in Samal island, Davao del sur.

miracle fruit - (Mindanao fruit) [n.] calabash (sc.name: Crescentia cujete).

Miracle  fruit (Calabash) is used to be known only in Mindanao. It was seen growing anywhere there (in red). Latest distribution inventory shows miracle fruit is now all over the Philippines. I marked the provinces and islands in orange labels where miracle fruit is now grown and distributed by locals.

Miracle fruit (internationally known as the calabash) is a tree that bears huge fruits that looks like a buko (young coconut). It grows abundantly everywhere in Mindanao, some parts of the Bicol region, and in the Visayas. Few are also growing in Luzon up to the northern part of Ilocos and Cagayan region (see the food map, above, for the latest inventory). 

At first glance, you could have mistaken this as a young coconut fruit growing on a small tree.

Sadly, most of the fallen fruits were left to rot on the ground. Most local folks do not know what to do to make good use of this wonderful fruit. They dreaded the black color of its flesh and the gummy smell. What they do not realize is that black juice is sweet and has healing wonders, the reason why old folks called it the "miracle fruit."

I tried one. And yes, it was wonderful.

The  outer shell is very hard that you have to cut it with a saw to split open into halves You cannot just cut the calabash fruit with a knife, unless you use a big bolo or machete.   

Many who tried this drink claimed they experienced rejuvenating vigor and mental alertness. It is good when you are going to study, review, or take an exam.  

Local women who have tried the freshly extracted black juice claimed it helped ease their menstrual pain. 

Drinking miracle fruit juice is relaxing and helps you go to sleep, relieve stress, and feel well-rested as you wake up. It makes the skin glow healthy, and feel younger again.

Good for those who are recuperating from sickness and a treat after a weary activity. 

The flesh is white, moist, and soft.

 

I experimented with the first calabash fruit I got from Mindanao. I extracted the juice and processed my first miracle fruit wine at home. I hand-carried one fresh green fruit of calabash on my flight from Misamis Oriental to Metro Manila. I cut open and processed the fruit juice into miracle fruit wine using the needed ingredients that were found in the groceries. After three months of fermentation, I had the wine and enjoyed it.

I wonder if this fruit once grew in the fountain of youth. The vigor made me feel younger. Next time, I will no longer bring a calabash fruit. I will bring the tree.

When boiled, the flesh of calabash turns black.

Here's a calabash fruit I found in Cagayan de oro City, Misamis Oriental in Mindanao. I brought it home in Metro Manila. Cooked it into tea and later processed into wine.

How to know if the miracle fruit is already ripe to harvest:

• The color of the fruit is dark green and has slight shades and spots of brown.
• The surface or outer skin is no longer shiny.
• It is heavier and sounds dull when you knock it with your fingers.         

Personal Notes

Miracle fruit (Calabash) is used to be known only in Mindanao. It was seen growing anywhere there (shaded red in the food map, above). The latest distribution inventory shows miracle fruit is now all over the Philippines. I marked the provinces and islands in orange labels where miracle fruit is now grown and distributed by locals.

I first saw this fruit and the tree on the campus of Notre Dame University, Cotabato City on November 10, 2010. Since then, I took notes on where else I found miracle fruit in Mindanao.

In 2017, I picked a fruit from a tree in Cagayan de Oro and hand-carried it on my flight back to Manila where I tried to process it into wine. The wine turned out good - it tastes jammy and fruity. I kept a bottle of it until now for aging.

Related readings:

• Calabash the miracle fruit, Henrylito D. Tacio, Business Mirror,  Oct. 15, 2015, https://businessmirror.com.ph/2015/10/15/calabash-the-miracle-fruit/
• Calabash Tree (Crescentia cujete Linn.), Dr. Godofredo Stuart, Stuart Xchange, http://www.stuartxchange.org/Cujete

Know more about calabash here 

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See Index of Entries here.

Related posts:

How to make miracle fruit juice
or miracle fruit tea.

How to make miracle fruit wine

Lipote

Sawa

Dugyan (Philippine red durian)

Continue to follow my blogs. You can also follow and learn more by joining us in our Facebook group. Have more bits and pieces about our kind of food, ingredients, and ways of cooking, dining, and knowing food culture across the 7,641 islands of the Philippines.

Thank you for all the encouragement and enthusiasm. I need your moral support, prayers, and what else that can uplift my spirit and keep my good reasons. Keep them coming. 

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Edgie Polistico

For more abou

 

t Filipino food, see  this Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary. It is OPEN and FREE.

pipinong gubat

pipinong gubat - /pi-pi-nong gu-bat/ Tagalog fruit; dw Span. pepino [cucumber] > Tag. pipino  + gubat [forest] [n.] creeping cucumber (sc.name: Melothria pendula, Linn.) \wild cucumber.

Other local common names:

pipinong ihalas in Cebuano and Boholano

a.k.a. pipinong ligaw in  Tagalog

A variety of very tiny cucumbers having a smooth and watermelon-like berry.

Pipinong gubat or pipinong ligaw of Malolos, Bulacan.

Pipinong gubat or pipinong ligaw of Malolos, Bulacan.

Pipinong gubat found in Tagaytay City, Cavite.

The plant is a perennial climbing vine and can be found growing uncultivated or wild all over the Philippine archipelago, and in other countries on the other side of the world.

A pipinong ihalas found on the roadside of Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental. It is strikingly similar in size, shape, color, and taste (yes, I tried it) to that of pipinong gubat in Malolos, Bulacan and in Silang, Cavite.

Pipinong ihalas found in Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental

Pipinong ihalas of Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental

The vine bears tiny oblong-elliptic yellow-green berries which turn black when matured and ripe that grow 10 to 20 millimeters long, and about 12 to 15 millimeters in diameter. 

The crisp young green berries are edible and can be pickled or put fresh and whole in salads. The black ones can be used as purgative for livestock.

Pipinong ihalas from the backyard of our house in Inopacan, Leyte.

Pipinong ihalas of Inopacan, Leyte.

Trying some pipinong ihalas at home in Inopacan, Leyte.

Pipinong ihalas of Inopacan, Leyte.

 

Personal notes:

Our rural folks still wonder what to do with these tiny cukes. They do not eat them. They thought it is not safe to eat. They regarded the vine as a pesky plant on the farm. They do not know this plant is edible. Few recalled that their old folks used to pick this along the trail and have it as a snack. My dear friend, Jose Benigno Salvador, a Bulaqueño food historian, shared that the Katipuneros of Bulacan used to forage this wild tiny cucumber while trekking the terrains of Bulacan.

The pipinong ihalas I found in Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental is strikingly similar in size, shape, color, and taste (yes, I tried it) to that of pipinong gubat or pipinong ligaw of Malolos, Bulacan and in Silang, Cavite. Last summer, I found it growing in the backyard of our house in Inopacan, Leyte. I learned later in my research that this plant grows all over the archipelago. The fact is, we can actually find this tiny cucumber on the other side of the world, where it is pickled or put in a green salad. Last June 12, 2017, this was served as an heirloom salad by the Siglo Modern Filipino at the View Park Hotel of Tagaytay City, Cavite.

There was a study that found out that the “chemical-bromatologic” analysis of this wild cucumber constitutes a source of water, vitamins, minerals, and even some proteins. The fruits of this plant, despite their reduced size, have a pleasant flavor and are edible for humans. Its foliage is given to livestock as forage. Thus, this “wild cucumber” could be an additional nutritional alternative for men and animals. The wild cuke is 12.6% protein, 16.30% fiber, and 56.8% carbohydrates. The entire plant is good for ruminants.

In Myanmar, the green leaves are eaten as vegetables. One of my friends who learned about this suggested that the leaves can be stir-fried or sautéed with garlic just like when you cook talbos ng kamote (sweet potato tops) or added in soupy dishes as you do with spinach. You may add sahog (meat ingredient) and seasonings of your choice.

When matured or ripe, the fruit would turn black and can be used as purgative, usually to livestock and other foraging farm animals, and even to humans.

Propagation of pipinong gubat is by seed and cuttings.

Related posts:

Lipote

Dugyan (Philippine red durian)

Miracle fruit

All photos by Edgie Polistico are copyrighted. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

See Index of Entries here

If you liked this post, share it.

Let us know your opinion on the subject. Feel free to comment in the comment section, below. It is important for us to know what you think.

Tell us what other topics you would like us to write, share, and discuss.

For more about Filipino food, see  this Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary. It is OPEN and FREE.

Continue to follow my blogs. You can also follow and learn more by joining us in our Facebook group. Have more bits and pieces about our kind of food, ingredients, and ways of cooking, dining, and knowing food culture across the 7,641 islands of the Philippines.

Thank you for all the encouragement and enthusiasm. I need your moral support, prayers, and anything else that can uplift my spirit and keep my good reasons. Keep them coming. 

Sharing is happiness to me.  If you are pleased and happy with what you found here, please share the happiness we have in the PHILIPPINE FOOD ILLUSTRATED. I feel energized when it becomes part of the reasons why you are happy and smiling. 

Edgie Polistico

dugyan

Dugyan (photo credit to The Philippine Star)

dugyan - /dug-yan/ (Palaweño fruit) [n.] red durian (sc.name: Durio graveolens)

Unlike the usually cultivated durians of Mindanao, the fruit of dugyan is smaller in size, weighing less than a kilogram with sharper and longer spikes on its thick coat. It is yellow-green when unripe and turns bright yellow to yellow-orange when ripe. 

The Durio graveolens of Palawan (photo credit to Lindsay Gasik's blog, Year of the Durian)

When fully ripe, it opens while on the tree, showing its distinct bright red lipstick flesh that would eventually fall to the ground. 

With its distinct lipstick-red flesh, the dugyan, an endemic fruit in Palawan, is said to be an entirely different species from the typically-cultivated durian that we see in the market. The smell and taste are not repulsive and nauseating. It is almost creamy, but not so sweet. 

In the Philippines, this rare variety of durian is found only in Palawan though similar other red durian varieties can also be found in Borneo, Malaysia, and Thailand 

Dr. Virgilio Loquias, the durian expert of the Philippine's Bureau of Plant Industries, holding a red durian of Palawan grown in BPI-Davao. Photo taken during Lindsay Gasik's search for durians in the country. (photo credit to Lindsay Gasik's blog, Year of the Durian)

Related readings:

• Philippines Durio Graveolens
  Philippines Durio graveolens - Lindsay Gasik's blog (The Year of the Durian) about the red durian in Palawan with Dr. Virgilio Loquias of the Philippine Bureau of Plant Industries.
• Preserving indigenous fruits - an article from The Philippine Star business section that features dugyan.

See Index of Entries here.

For more about Filipino food, see  this Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary. It is OPEN and FREE.

tindok

tindok - /tin-dok/ (Cebuano fruit) [n.] a giant plantain (sc.name: Musa paradisiaca var. magna).

Other common names 

a.k.a. tandok in Cebuano
tenduk or tunduk  in Teduray, Lambangian, Dulangan, and Manobo

giant plantain - English

pisang tanduk - Malay (Malaysia)

 

We found these few pieces of tindok banana in the grocery section of SM Makati in Ayala Center of Makati City way back in 2009.

A very long and large variety of cooking banana fruit.

Its digit is about a foot long or more or about the size of a man's arm. Elongated and commonly a bit curved in form with a thick green banana peel.

The length and size of this banana are even more than that of Margette's arm.

Yes, the one she is holding weighs more than a kilo, and it is priced quite expensive in 2009. The sticker says it is from Dole, a clue that most likely this came from Mindanao.

The tindok plant bears a bunch of fruit that only has around three clusters (piling, sipi, or hand of bananas) in a bunch (buwig) with very few to less than a dozen of digits (daliri or piraso) in each cluster. The bunch would start to sprout at the tip of the banana stem as one big inflorescence (puso ng saging) and would open to bloom only once to produce a few to several digits. Afterward, there will be no more inflorescence (puso) hanging at the end of the bunch. Thus, it also called as "saging na walang puso" (banana with no hanging flower).              

Tindok fruit is rich in potassium and starch and is only good when cooked. Green tindok (unripe) is commonly steamed or boiled with its peel intact. When cooked, it is peeled and eaten as a substitute for rice as the main source of carbs or starch. 

The pulp of unripe tindok can also be sliced thinly and deep-fried into chips. 

Chunks of rare ripe or ripe tindok can also be added as vegetables in boiled bulalo or nilaga similar to saba banana. 

Others would have the tindok fruit grilled or broiled, usually sliced lengthwise and served with a spread of peanut butter, fruit jams, or margarine sprinkled with sugar (or press on a bed of sugar).  

Below are photos of tindok posted by my friends on Facebook and they are worth sharing here:

A trunk of tindok with a bunch of giant fruits - photo credit to Aveen Acuna-Gulo's FB account

This one is captioned with "Per Datu Leticio Datuwata, some fruits grow to be 4 inches  in diameter - photo credit to Aveen Acuna-Gulo's FB account

A pile of tindok at the Bagsakan, Valencia Public Market, Valencia City, Bukidnon - photo credit to Aveen Acuna-Gulo's FB account

A bunch of tindok by Child Andrade Peteros of Hindang, Leyte - photo credit to Child Andrade Peteros' FB account

This giant plantain is commonly grown in Southeast Asian countries, and can also be seen now, though rarely, in Africa, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Personal notes:

Tindok is not a giant lakatan.  Jiggy Manicad of Unang Balita (GMA News Online) mistook tindok as giant lakatan in his June 5, 2015 news report "Puno ng saging sa Bulacan, nagbunga ng 'giant lakatan' 

Related post:

Freaky bananas that baffled local news media and agriculturists

Pakbol

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For more about Filipino food, see  this Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary. It is OPEN and FREE.