Tag: pomelo

Pomelo (Suha) – Citrus Fruit

Trees

Pomelo, photo by Ruben Ortega

Pomelo (Suha) – Citrus Fruit

Pomelo is called suha in Tagalog and dogmon in Ilocano.

It is 3 to 4 times the size of a grapefruit and can be as big as a melon.  In fact pomelo is the largest citrus fruit that it has acquired a scientific name of citrus maxima or citrus grandis.

Pomelo is closely related to the grapefruit, but I actually prefer suha as I find grapefruit can be rather bitter.

The pomelo tree can grow really tall and when it flowers, the little cluster of white blossoms has the most fragrant smell.

Pomelo is rich in vitamin C.  Really juicy and when fully ripen in the tree, it can be very sweet.

But I actually love a pomelo that it still just before it truly ripen.  I love the slight sour taste which a little sprinkle of salt will activate the salivary gland.  Just thinking of this now makes my mouth water. Actually I prefer when the flesh of the pomelo is left to steep in a dish of slightly salty vinegar.  Delicious.

Suha, photo by Ruben Ortega

The juicy flesh here is pink but suha can also be yellowish white.

Suha (Pomelo) & Pawpaw Shake Recipe

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Suha (Pomelo) & Papaya, photo by Ruben Ortega

Suha (Pomelo) & Pawpaw Shake Recipe

I am pretty sure that there will be plenty of households, which will have an overflowing fruit bowls ready for the coming year.  Based on experience some of the fruits would end up disposed and rotten.  But why not make used of them and get your daily intakes of 5 portions.

Juicing and milkshakes are easy recipes.  And below is one that is appetising and refreshing.

Ingredients:

1 pomelo, peeled and skinned (see above photo)

1 ripe papaya

Ice cubes

sugar (optional)

Method of preparation:

Scoop out and discard the seeds from the papaya.  Cut out the skin and put the luscious flesh into a food processor together with the peeled suha (pomelo).

Add the ice-cubes.  Blitz until smooth.

Serve in tall glasses and enjoy!

 

Naanannongan – Ilocano Superstition

Marag Superstitions

When Marilou, Jon and I went back home to Marag in 2006, my son, James, came with us. It was the first time for him to see the place where I grew up.

Marag was so different from how I remembered it but luckily there were plenty of familiar friendly faces still living there, people who knew my father and my family. They seemed to be happy to see us after all the years and situations that have gone by.

Anyway, the people treated us like royals. They can’t seem to do enough for us.

 

Unfortunately for my son, he missed most of the fun because he developed a fever and he was in bed for a day. Despite giving him paracetamol, his fever would not go down. He was really hot and lethargic.

Although Marag have evolved a bit from when I was a child there 35 years ago, one thing remained the same, no doctor in sight or any medical facilities in existence.

I was so worried about my son. My Manang Linda, my cousin who was our host for our visit, took one look at my son and said that James looked like he was “naanannongan“. She reckoned that the spirit of my dead father was overjoyed to see my son in Marag. The spirit meant no harm.

To make my son feel better, Manang Linda advised  to scrub James’s feet with young leaves from the Dugmon tree (Pomelo tree), which, thank goodness, grow profusely in Marag.


Pomelo Tree

I am not particularly superstitious but since paracetamol was not working then I certainly had no problem with the dugmon leaves scrubbed on the soles of my son’s feet.

Just an hour after the ritual, my son was up and about and accompanied us to Alitag-gan, our old farm. I think he was pretty surprised at the place where we grew up. Certainly different from London!!!