piña / pinya

January 17, 2016 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

A tropical fruit that’s yellow as the sun when ripe, delicately sweet (as I imagine honey tinged with tropical grass tastes like) and covered in prickly, swordlike leaves (capped by an equally thorny crown).

guyabano

December 19, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

Known in English as soursop, belonging to the custard apple family of fruit, which includes the cherimoya and sugar apple (atis).

malunggay

November 17, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

In English, malunggay is known as the moringa tree, drumstick tree, horseradish tree or ben oil tree; in the Philippines, it's known as kalunggay in the Bicol region, kamalongan in the Visayas, kalamunge in Pampanga, arunggay in Ilocos, marunggay in Pangasinan and simply malunggay among most other Tagalog-speaking regions.

kalamansî / calamansi

October 24, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

The most widely grown and consumed species of citrus in the Philippines, calamansi are ubiquitous in cooking across the Philippine islands.

marang

October 03, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

In Fruits of the Philippines, Doreen Fernandez describes marang as large, roundish to oblong fruit studded with short spines that turn from yellow to green when ripe.

camachile / kamatsili

July 17, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

Known across the Philippines in 10 documented dialects and at least 17 different names, the Madras Thorn Fruit is a species of flowering plant in the pea family.

mangga

July 03, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

Mangoes are grown in most regions of the Philippines, and, after bananas and pineapples, rank third amongst fruit crops valued most in local and international markets.

kasoy / kasúy

June 19, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

Also known as cashews. In Tagalog, the cashew nut is also called balubad, and in Ilokano the nut is called balogo.

alugbatí

June 09, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

Known alternatively as Ceylon spinach or Malabar spinach in English, or kubay, grana, ilaibakir, dundula and libato in some Philippine dialects.

cacao

May 25, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

What can I tell you about Philippine cacao that you may not already know?

sigarilyas

May 08, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

Known in North America and Europe as the winged bean; also called a Goa bean, asparagus bean, four-angled bean, Manila bean and princess pea.

pili

March 14, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

A nut closest to the macadamia in flavour and texture, pili nuts are grown as a year-round crop primarily in the Bicol region of Visayas province.

dragon fruit

March 06, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

The sweet, red-fleshed fruit of several cactus species. Also known as pitahaya, pitaya or strawberry pears.

sapínit

February 18, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

Bite-sized, simultaneously sweet and sour wild Philippine raspberries.

pakô

February 13, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

Seasonal fiddlehead ferns that, in the Philippines, often grow by the banks of rivers and streams.

sagó

February 06, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

A product of the sago palm tree, sago is familiar to most Filipinos in the form of sago pearls.

tápa

January 31, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

Dried, cured meat - the Philippine equivalent of jerky - sliced thinly then pan-fried.

bagoóng

January 24, 2015 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

A fermented fish or shrimp paste, often classified under two major categories - bagoong na isda (made with fish) or bagoong alamang (made with tiny sea or river shrimp).

habháb

October 26, 2014 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

A noodle dish popularly known in the context of pancit habháb, a regional specialty of Quezon province.

bibingká

October 15, 2014 by Nastasha Alli in Ingredient Spotlight

A type of kakanin (rice-based delicacy) that uses radiant heat from charcoal embers to steam and broil the cakes simultaneously, traditionally using portable clay ovens.