all the colours of the Philippines, designed your way
Tropical Experience Travel Services - Tours of the Philippines
HOME - About the Philippines - Design your trip - Tour Samples - About us - Sustainability - Contact and Booking - Terms and Conditions - Guests Reviews
Blog - Davao: The Philippines' Fruit Basket
Blessed with fertile soil and good climate all year round, Davao is abundant with some of the tastiest fruits in the archipelago. Davao is also the largest city (in size) in the Philippines and hosts plentiful harvests of durian, mangosteen, pomelo, banana, lanzones, papaya among others. This city in the southern island of Mindanao is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of some of the aforementioned exotic fruits.
After a hefty souvenir shopping in Adevinco, a short jeepney ride took me to the city’s fruit market. Walking along the alleys of the “Bangkerohan” Public Market in Davao City, you will find most of your basic and daily needs like fish, rice, vegetables, fresh meat, eggs, beans, some condiments and sauces… and of course a great variety of Davao’s freshest and tastiest fruits in very affordable prices!
I fascinatingly strolled along the busy fruit section of the public market, marvelling on how plentiful and exaggeratedly cheap they were as compared to those very same items when they reach the stores in Manila.
It was colorful, vibrant and definitely a treat. I went crazy.
Davao is famous for the exotic Durian. A personal favorite, for me, this pungent fruit is best served chilled with a bottle of ice cold cola. This fruit has a strong odor and a unique taste packed with nutritional benefits, aside from being an aphrodisiac.
Pomelo is a crisp and pulpy citrus fruit also abundantly grown in Davao. It’s sweet and tangy, juicy and rich in vitamin C! Good eaten by itself or mixed in salads, and even sometimes squeezed and gulped down as juice.
The mangosteen is recently getting raves from health-concious groups and individuals as it is said to have powerful anti-oxidant properties among its other essential health benefits. This subtle delicacy may be eaten fresh or made into candy bars, jams or even dried, powdered and capsuled health supplements!
Going bananas! Davao is one of the largest exporter of bananas in the world.
The tangy and textured guyabano (soursop) is said to be a natural healer, and is my favorite summer fruit shake too!!!
The pinya (pineapple) is consumed fresh, juiced, cooked or preserved. In the Philippines, the leaves are also used to hand-weave fabric typically used for precious clothing.
Keep hydrated with watermelons!
Everyone’s favorite fruity treat: the world-famous Philippine Mangoes!
In the Philippines, the avocado is usually mixed with milk and sugar and made into milkshakes or added to ice cream and other desserts.
The sweet and fragrant langka (jackfruit).
Something this good can also be this healthy! The fiber-rich papaya is also a source of vitamin A, vitamin C and a variety of phytochemicals!
Lanzones: see how the ants attack these tiny sweet bombs!
And these giant grean balls got me curious. Coined as the “miracle fruit” of Davao, the fruit actually came from a Calabash tree. Apparently, as the local Davaoenios would testify, drinking its “miracle juice” is good for ALL diseases. Hmm… sounds good to me! =)
(written on May 2014)