Summer Fruits
Summer seems so long and the temperature is getting hotter. One way to beat the heat is to taste the sweetness of summer. Here in the Philippines, there are always fresh fruits readily available from our local market. Some of these fruits come from nearby towns while others are brought in from the province.
My wife went to the market today and was excited to tell me that fruits were cheap today. She bought a lot and wanted us to have these for dessert. It is good to be snacking on fresh fruits instead of chips or other junk food.
Pico Mango
The Pico Mango a small variety of mango in the Philippines and is popularly cultivated in our country.
Cost: 100 pesos ($2.09 USD) for 1 kilo
It is a bargain and my wife bought 2 kilos for us to enjoy. The kids also love mangoes and 2 kilos would be enough for all of us.
The skin of the mango is thin and can easily be peeled off. Although you would need to be careful as the meat is soft.
This mango is very sweet and is perfectly ripe. It may be small but the sweetness will bring a smile to your face. There are times we are not so lucky and get a sour mango. I have no idea how to determine if a mango is sweet just by looking at it. But if ever we get a sour mango we just pair it with shrimp paste and all is well.
Señorita Banana
This variety of bananas is the smallest in our country. It is my favorite banana because it has a light and sweet taste.
Cost: 45 pesos ($0.94 USD) per kilo
The banana is still unripe but my wife said that it will turn yellow and can be eaten tomorrow.
Avocado
Avocado is loved by a lot of people. You can use it as an ingredient for cooking, turn it into a shake, a delicious ice cream flavor and the uses are endless. How do you prepare your Avocado?
Cost: 100 pesos ($2.09 USD) per kilo
The Avocado is still unripe. My wife is planning to turn in a dessert by mixing it with milk and sugar.
Sugar Baby Watermelon
This variety of watermelons is very sweet. They say that the hotter the weather the sweeter the watermelon becomes. I'm not sure if that is true but with this variety, it is always sweet every time we buy one.
Cost: 70 pesos ($1.46 USD) per 1/4 slice of a large melon
My wife only bought a slice as we will not be able to finish a whole melon. The watermelon is also best when turned into fruit juice. It is one of the most refreshing drinks I've had.
From that big slice, my wife neatly sliced them into smaller pieces. It almost looks like a popsicle and best to refrigerate before serving.
Amadeo Pineapple
I'm not sure what variety is this pineapple is. The vendor just told my wife it came from Amadeo which is a place near the uplands. Near the upland, there are a lot of pineapple plantations and there you could buy them cheap.
Cost: 80 pesos ($1.67 USD) for 1 pineapple already peeled.
The pineapple is ridiculously sweet and you could see how juicy it is. It is also difficult to tell if it is sweet and a lot of times the vendors always tell you that it is. I told my wife to remember the vendor and always buy pineapples from him.
I could say that the sweetness is like a kiss from summer and hard to forget. The pineapple is my favorite of them all but all these fruits have a place in my heart.
Thanks for joining me today with this sweet summer treat.
What do you think about our prices?
What is your favorite?
What is the sweetest fruit you have tasted?
I would love to hear from you.
Until then have a cool summer and happy eating.
All photos are original and taken with
Lumix GX85 and Olympus 45mm f1.8
