Fruit of the season: Luscious lipote
MANILA, Philippines — It’s lipote season, everyone! Although indigenous to the Philippines, the Syzygium polycephaloides or Syzygium curranii plant is not very common among most Filipinos.
The tree is seldom cultivated and can be found mostly in primary forests in the country, and “farmers” often go to the forests to harvest the dark red and purple to black round berries, which grow in clusters on the branches and trunk of the tree.
It is valued for its fruit, which comes packed with Vitamin C, and also has significant amounts of carbohydrates, fat, fiber, protein, calcium, phosphorus, ascorbic acid and iron. It contains high levels of antioxidants and can be used to help alleviate high blood pressure, cough, cholesterol and diabetes,
Firm to the touch when harvested at the perfect moment, lipote fruits are usually eaten raw. They have a tart, sweet and sour, somewhat anti-septic taste.
Laguna-based Chef Gel Salonga-Datu of Ted’s Kitchen, Aurora Filipino Cuisine, and Cakes by Gel Salonga, describes its taste succinctly by saying, “Lipote fruits are tart and juicy, and they taste like a cross between blueberries, duhat and mangosteen.”
Truly, the shape of the lipote fruit is like bigger and firmer blueberries, smaller and rounder duhats, and miniaturized but similarly textured mangosteens.
More than just eaten raw, which some people are unable to do, the lipote can be preserved as a pickle or a jam. It can also be made into wine. As for bakers like Chef Gel, it can be baked into a unique bread or pastry. Chef Gel combined it with banana to create a delicious Banana Lipote Loaf.
“I wanted to use lipote while it was abundant and in season. Not many know of or use local berries in desserts and pastries. I like lipote because it has a mild bitterness that goes with its sweetness and tartness. I thought of pairing it with banana because I felt they both have an astringent quality when not fully ripe,” explained Chef Gel.
For the Banana Lipote Loaf, which is not produced in commercial quantity due to limited supply and its artisanal quality, Chef Gel first turns the fresh lipote into jam, adding sugar and lemon juice and zest to the berries and cooking the mixture until the berries soften. Then she prepares the batter for the loaf and mixes the jam in.
“I like it that, during baking, the lipote jam ‘bleeds’ into the banana loaf mixture. Aside from the flavor, I think it’s nice visually. The lipote jam also provides extra moisture to the loaf, so that’s good, too,” the chef explained.
Lipote, which is a species of Java plum, is in season every summertime, peaking during the months of May and June. Lipote trees grow in Bicol as well as in the Laguna area.
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