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Manila,
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Vegetables in a tropical country
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There
are a lot of typical 'tropical vegetables'. Many of these
vegetables can be seen more and more on markets in Europe, Australia or
North-America. Especially the last ten years.
One of the main reasons for the increasing interest for tropical vegetables in
Western Europe, is the presence of the multicultural societies in these
countries. Still, there are some vegetables which are still specific for the
local markets in tropical countries like the Philippines.
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Vegetables and their specific qualities
(click
on the thumbnail to view the full picture)
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Calabasa
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Calabasas
(English: Squash) is a vegetable that is cultivated throughout the whole
Philippines. It
can be cooked with or without the skin. The colour of the skin can vary
from green to yellow. The colour of the flesh is a deep yellowy-orange.
The taste is (soft) sweet. Some people use the calabasa to make a cake.
Calabasa is rich in vitamin A. |
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G
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Gabi
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Gabi
(English: Taro) is a tuberous plant. It's a root crop. The tubers
(roots) differ in color
and size. A seize of about 30 cm long, is possible. The flesh inside is white.
The taste of both leaves and
tuber is acid. Cooking (with the skin removed) or baking takes this acid
taste away. It is a native vegetable of India and parts of South-East
Asia. The leaves are used in soups and stews, the cooked tuber is
consumed as sweets, desserts or used in vegetable dishes. |
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K
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Kamote
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Kamote
(English: Sweet Potato). In the colonial period the Kamote was introduced to the Philippines by the
Spaniards. They brought the plant from tropical America.
A Kamote plant can produce several tubers.
The tubers vary in colour, size and shape. The taste is sweet. The boiled
potato is often eaten with salty fish or little shrimps.
Practically the entire
plant can be used for food or feed. The leaves are often used as a salad
or as addition to stewed meals with other vegetables. Fish, fresh or
dried, often completes a meal with Kamote leaves.
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K
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Kamunggay
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Kamunggay.
This is one of the frequently eaten and cheap vegetables.
The plant is a about 1.50 meter high. It's a small tree with
tuberous roots and fern-like foliage. Kamunggay is often used in meals
with chicken or fish and other vegetables. |
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Images:
Kamote: © The state of Victoria, Department of Natural
Resources and Environment, 2002
Images:
Calabasa, Gabi:
© Hiroyuki&Kunchan
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more vegetables
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more
vegetables
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