Filipino cuisine has always been thought of as intrinsically a fusion of many influences both from the East and the West. Mind you, this is not the fusion of deliberately combining seemingly disparate ingredients but the natural co-mingling of cultures that have crossed paths through the centuries. Due to this confluence, a lot of indigenisation has taken place and there are a lot of things we take for granted.

One of these is how we seem to think of tropical fruits that originate in South and Central American as “native” to the Philippines. The avocado is one of these.

This was meant for Ces’ Lasang Pinoy event and has been languishing in its draft form. It took Sam’s avocado taste test to have me post it. Hehe! One of the ways she had them was “mashed up some avocado and sweetened it with Agave syrup before freezing it” - and she didn’t like it at all.

I wouldn’t either. Plain avocado with sugar doesn’t even sound palatable. I am not so good in explaining taste sensations but let me just say it sounds like a dichotomy, two distinct tastes and textures that can’t come together. They need something to meld them together and milk will do that.

Avocado Frosty
Blend together:
2 small avocados
1/2 cup fresh carabao’s milk
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup ice cubes (if to be eaten immediately, not frozen)

Chill or freeze. Serve and enjoy!

Note: you don’t need a blender for this. Simply scrape the avocado with a spoon. Add the milk and sugar and mash it slightly. Add the ice. It’s done!

Antidesima bunius

A few years ago, isip trees (bignay, Antidesima bunius) were plentiful on the riverbank near our house. After Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption, only a handful remain. Today, a lone tree stands but is always laden with fruits in the summer.

The fruit which was taken for granted seems to have found a following with products such as bignay wine and jam being newly marketed to the high-end clientele.

This is how the Department of Agriculture defines it:

Indigenous to Southeast Asia. A small, attractive dark green, dioecious tree attaining a height of 10 m. Fruits are small, 8-10 mm long, dark red or purple when ripe, juicy and subacid containing a single flat seed. The fruits make an excellent wine and can also be made into jam and jelly.

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New research, old conclusion. Well, old to my Lola.

A study conducted by the University of London shows that eating more than five (5) servings of fruits and vegetables each day significantly lowers the risk of stroke. I think my grandmother knew that from way, way back. Well, or something like that. Fruits and vegetables were supposed to help us grow healthy and prevent heart ailments. Didn’t we know that there was this child who refused to eat his vegetables and grew up sick and died of a heart attack? Hmmm… No old wives’ (or grandmas) tale, it seems.

From the BBC, Fruit and veg ‘cut stroke risk’:

“Lead researcher Dr Feng He said a diet including lots of fruit and vegetables was also likely to further reduce the risk of other forms of cardiovascular disease, and some cancers.”

With all the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, it seems that one is the most crucial in preventing stroke:

“However, the researchers suspect that potassium may be the most important factor in preventing stroke.

“Professor MacGregor said: “We know that if you give people additional potassium it lowers blood pressure.”

Aha! So it’s been identified, it’s that specific! If Lola was alive, she’d be pleased and say “Didn’t I say so?!”

Photo courtesy of the BBC.