Yummy Fruit

I haven't talked about how yummy the fruit is here in the Philippines, have I? Bananas are like a dessert. They are so sweet and delicious and grow everywhere around here. They are smaller in size, and the flesh is a rich, deep yellow. Sometimes the flesh is even almost an orange color.

I have never been a HUGE fan of mangos. I buy them in frozen chunks for the girls and our kids love frozen mango. I like to put them in smoothies at home. But the 2 times I had a fresh mango at home it was sweet at first but had an odd after taste. Well, it's a staple fruit here and on the counters all the time just like people put apples on their counters in the US. Once again, it's like eating another divine dessert. They are so sweet, soft and juicy. They are deep orange in color and I sooooooo wish I could take some back home with me but evidently it wouldn't pass through US customs. Bummer!

Boco juice (coconut juice) is another amazing drink in a lot of people's fridge here. It looks just like water. I tried a small carton of coconut juice once while I lived in California and I didn't like it at all. It tasted like almost nothing but had an odd after taste. Here it has a mild, sweet flavor and is very refreshing. The midwives tell their patients to drink lots of boco juice while pregnant because it helps prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). It has also been known to be used in IV fluids for re-hydration.

Calamancis are a small green fruit that looks similar to a lime, but when you cut it open it's orange in color. These taste very similar to limes as well...they are very tart. Calamanci juice is kind of like the lemonade or the limade of the Philippines. And Calamanci juice is SOOOO refreshing. I had some the day I arrived at Naomi and Chad's house. Lea, one of their helpers, made it and I even knocked on their door the very next day asking Lea if she happened to have some more Calamanci juice that I could have! I'm quite addicted to this refreshing drink. It's made with a little sugar, but I have also tried it without sugar and it's very yummy as well.