Philippine olives? No, not quite. But they certainly possess several qualities similar to that of an olive when brined; a thick skin that protects the meaty flesh, a resinous sap that provides a unique mouthfeel and flavor, and an olive green color when preserved in brine or pickling liquid. Often mistaken as little “baby” mangoes, paho are a distinct fruit species, Mangifera altissima Blanco, believed to be indigenous to the Philippines and also found in some parts of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. They thrive in several parts of the archipelago, but seem to grow wild, or at least, not intentionally cultivated. For Metro-Manila residents, the closest source seems to be trees in the nearby provinces of Cavite and Batangas. In season from roughly February to May, their arrival in local markets herald the start of the summer fruit season ahead.
This year, paho hit the markets relatively late, and last weekend they were still quite visible and should be available for a few more weeks. Prices of the fruit this year are astronomical, with a small bunch like these costing P100 to P150!
I wish someone would cultivate this species and more consumers would seek it out because they are uniquely local and delicious! Some might say they are an acquired taste, but I have always found them really appealing. As a child, I recall my parents stopping by makeshift roadside stalls in Batangas to purchase several bunches of paho whenever they were in season, and as soon as we got home the fruit were processed into pickles or brined.
Brining paho couldn’t be any simpler. Sterilize thick glass jars and lids by placing them in boiling water for several minutes and drying them on clean kitchen towels. Remove the stems from each paho fruit, wash thoroughly and place them snugly in your sterilized jars. Some people cut the fruit in half and remove the immature seed, but I don’t bother. Next, prepare some brining liquid in roughly this proportion: 3 cups boiling water and ¼ cup of good sea salt (preferably not iodized), mix until dissolved, and pour this brine over the bottled paho. Let this cool, cap the jar(s) and place in a refrigerator for at least five days before eating. They should last a couple of months in the fridge. Simply adjust the level of salt to your personal preference.
Some people like to enjoy paho fruit fresh, as part of a relish. Just wash the fruit well, remove the stems, and chop the fruit into slivers. You will notice the resin, sap or dagta if the fruit is fresh. Mix this with chopped tomatoes and onions and fish sauce or patis and a squeeze of calamondin or kalamansi. The relish is particularly good for grilled or fried fish or meats. You can make a similar relish with the brined fruit as well. Sometimes I have a piece or two of brined paho all by itself, consuming it as you would a large olive, whenever I have a craving for something sour and salty…
Perhaps the most unusual use of paho I have come across is as a substitute for green olives in western style recipes. I was so intrigued by this idea that I tried a local adaptation of a puttanesca sauce for pasta that included local spicy tawilis (freshwater sardines) bottled in olive oil (replacing anchovies), paho (replacing olives), homemade oven dried tomatoes, sun-dried chilies, etc. Check out the full recipe for the pasta with puttanesca sauce at www.marketmanila.com.