Seasonal Fruits

I try to get Vitamin C from natural sources as much as I can. So when I was on my way home I passed by a street vendor who sells fruits on a wooden push cart! I remember that there was a time, when they can only sell early morning at around 5.00-7.00 A.M. and after 6.00-10.00 pm because on rush hours, they were caught and fined by the Metro Manila Development Authority, as part of the street clean-up to unclogged the streets since vendors and buyers can obstruct traffic even in major highways like EDSA.

Anyway, in this picture, from left to right.

Rambutan/Rambotan. The red, hirsute exterior, peels to a juicy translucent flesh with a seed the shape of an almond but only bigger. As testament to their sweetness, they had attracted a couple of bees.

Naranghita (in Hiligaynon)/Dalandan (in Tagalog). I call this the Philippine orange, there are a lot of varieties and sizes for this fruit, some are sweet so you can peel and and eat the rinds as it is. Some can be sour, so you can squeeze and drink the juice instead. I was regularly buying this since June and they are common and cheaper during the rainy months.

Lanzones. The thin, pale yellow skin also has a juicy semi-opaque flesh the shape of a rind. My mother when she buys this fruit, always takes note if it is laden with black ants, as their presence is an indicator of their sweetness.

Here in Metro Manila, these fruits come from Batangas, Laguna and the Quezon Province. Although, I must say that for the Rambutan and Lanzones, the best ones I ever tasted came from Mindanao.


Note: I only meant to take a picture of the fruits but she asked if she can be part of it though, she posed rather shyly.