ON UNIQUE FRUIT (BANGKOK)

WHAT IS THIS FRUIT?

Well, I was a bit away from the plate and i just blurted, "What is that? Sampaloc?"

Well everyone laughed at me, and in fact, pitied me!!! 

It is a CAMANCHILE!


Of course, it had a different color even if it had similar shape to the tamarind.

I told them, the only camanchile I know is Camanchile Street in Zamboanga City!!!

They all laughed.

I guess this may be more common in Luzon, but I never encountered this in Cebu or Zamboanga City!

And to think, I first saw and ate it in Bangkok!!!

So I just got some data from the net to share about it.

http://www.wordnik.com/words/kamachiles

Definition of Kamachiles

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In Guam and the Philippines, Pithecolobium dulce, a Mexican tree introduced into those islands for the sake of its edible pods and of its bark, which yields 25 per cent. of tannin. Also camanchile. See guamuchil.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090117213326AAK1Eu7

Camanchile, Pithecolobium dulce Benth. (Leguminosæ), a native
of tropical America; introduced into the Philippines by the Spaniards
probably in the first century of Spanish occupation; now thoroughly
naturalized and widely distributed in the Archipelago. 

In Mexico is is known as Guamuchil. Yes you can eat the fruits just fresh or roasted. If you are from Philippines the fruit looks a bit like tamarind but has a curved or twisted shape, white pink color. Pod contains several seeds. There is a sub variety which is bitter but still edible.

Well, I wasn't wrong that it is shaped like a tamarind!

Funny, that this is not primarily Asian but rather Central and Southern American in origin.

I like it and it tastes healthy!!!

Thanks to the friendly folks in Fai Sor Kam at the fourth floor in Paragon, Bangkok who offered it to us!


Please answer me... have you seen a real camanchile???

ON LENT 2012: GOOD FRIDAY

"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."

Let us pray that the death of Christ on the cross will bring us to the glory of the Resurrection.

Nikon D90 AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor 18-200 mm f/3.5

ISO5000

200 mm 

0 EV

f/5.6

1/4

ON LENT 2012: HOLY THURSDAY

We now celebrate Lent.

I got this excerpt from Wikipedia, just to share about Lent. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent

Lent (Latin: Quadragesima, "fortieth"^[1]) is an observance in the liturgical year of many Christian denominations, lasting for a period of approximately six weeks leading up to Easter. In most Western denominations Lent is taken to run from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) or to Easter Eve.

The traditional purpose of Lent is the penitential preparation of the believer—through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial. Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the death and resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, which then culminates in the celebration on Easter Sunday of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penitence. The Stations of the Cross, a devotional commemoration of Christ's carrying the Cross and of his execution, are often observed. Many Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches bare their altars of candles, flowers, and other devotional offerings, while Crucifixes, religious statues, and other elaborate religious paraphernalia are often veiled in violet fabrics in observance of this event. In certain pious Catholic countries, grand processions and cultural customs are observed, and the faithful attempt to visit seven churches during Holy Week in honor of Jesus Christ heading to Mount Calvary.

Lent is traditionally described as lasting for forty days, in commemoration of the forty days which, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan.^[2][3] However, different Christian denominations calculate the "forty days" of Lent differently. In most Western tradition the Sundays are not counted as part of Lent; thus the period from Ash Wednesday until Easter consists of 40 days when the Sundays are excluded. However in the Roman Catholic Church Lent is now taken to end on Holy Thursday rather than Easter Eve, and hence lasts 38 days excluding Sundays, or 44 days in total.

This event, along with its pious customs are observed by Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, as well as some Baptists andMennonites.^{[4][4][5][5][6]}


Here are photos of the Cruz Mayor in Abong-Abong, Zamboanga City on Holy Thursday 2012.