Kamias na Bilog (Philippine gooseberry)

    Kamias na bilog.  My siblings and I would always get them using a sungkit at the old house of Ka Juling, Ka Ligaya and Ka Ebeng.  Their house is just a few steps away from ours in Sagrada...very convenient. 

Nanay is a close friend of them especially with their sister, Nanang Norma (+), that's why we would always go to their place.  They also used to rent out Pinoy Komiks - Wakasan, Aliwan etc. and I was their number one customer eversince I have started to read.  They would always tell me that I'm the youngest Komiks reader they had hahaha.  One of the perks of being friends with them was our free kamias picking.  They're trees were really the best then.  I don't know why they had such so much fruits...it's like they never stopped bearing them.  The taste of their kamias was somewhat between sour and sweet.  We would always balance the taste with our salt dip.  But like any other tree, the life of their kamias would end too.  I am not sure what happened to them though.  Maybe a lightning strucked them?  Or they were cut down when they built their new house?  I would probably ask when we come and visit the Philippines again.

Although, kamias is called gooseberry in English, it doesn't really look like one.  In other countries in Asia and South and Central America.  Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing said that it was brought to the Philippines in prehistoric times and then later on spread throughout Indian Ocean, Mauritius, the Pacific then Hawaii.  In some countries, it's just an ornamental tree but  people can also make chutney, relish, candies, vinegar and syrup.  It is also good for rheumatism, blood enhancer for the liver, and purgative purposes.

hmmmm maybe we should start planting one now...

Source: http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/ and dost.gov.ph
A comment or two will be appreciated...