Title:
Distinctions
Date Created:
2021-05-14
Description:
Fr. San Antonio described “balimbin” as like a large “friar plum” that was oblong rather than globular in shape. The tropical Southeast Asian botanical along with other cultigens for coconut, lanzones and santol is now said to have been introduced by ancient Austronesians. Balimbin fruited all year round. “Its preserve, whether dried or in syrup, is in great demand here [Filipinas] and in New Spain.” One wonders if culinary interest in them can be resurrected? While still unripe, balimbin was sour and used as a condiment. A variety imported for planting from Terrenate [Indonesia] grew large fruit eaten when ripe for their exceptional sweetness. In the colony’s 150th year culinary and medicinal values of native botanicals had become familiar to missionaries. Up to this period only religious were allowed by law to live and mix with the indios. San Antonio could still distinguish what plants came from Spain (grapes from Parras; small lemons from Ceuta) and from the New World (atis, anonas, zapotes, chicozapotes, chirinoyas, papayas). As the foreign plants indigenized, their points of origen were lost from memory.
Subjects:
Fr. Juan Francisco de San Antonio Philippines -- Religious life and customs Carambola
Exhibition:
J San Antonio
Source:
Balimbing also called star fruit and carambola. Wikipedia. Public domain.
Type:
Image;Still Image
Format:
image/jpeg
Source
Preferred Citation:
"Distinctions", Philippine Food History, Felice P. Sta. Maria
Reference Link:
felicepstamaria.net/items/coll213.html
Rights
Rights:
Public domain
Standardized Rights:
https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/