Se-tenant Blocks of Four (35,000)
7p Custard Apples (Atis)
7p Pomelos (Suha)
7p
Watermelon (Pakwan)
7p Mangoes (Manga)
Miniature Sheets of 16 (8,750)
Souvenir Sheets of Four (8,000)
7p Jackfruit (Langka)
7p Lanzones
7p Coconuts (Buko)
7p Bananas (Saging)
First Day Covers: Manila
FRUITS FROM THE PHILIPPINES
Atis.
Philippine name for Sweet Sop, Sugar
Apple, and Custard Apple. Atis was introduced to the
Philippines during the Spanish times. It is a small tree that grows
between 10 to 20 feet high when fully matured with oblong leaves and
green heart-shaped fruits with polygonal tubercles. The atis fruit
has a white, sweet flesh and black seeds.
Pomelo (Suha).
Found throughout the Philippines, usually planted. A small
tree, 6 to 13 meters in height. Spines, solitary, sharp and long.
Flowers are white, fragrant. Fruit is large, up to 20 cm in
diameter. Pulp is pale yellow, pink or red, with large
distinct vesicles.
Watermelon (Pakwan).
In the Philippines, the typical season is from March to
July or during the hottest months of the year. Bulacan, Pampanga and
Pangasinan grow the bulk of the watermelons that make it into
Manila. On a drive north on the expressway, you can sometimes see
huge fields planted with watermelon and the fruit sitting on the
ground like huge bowling balls. To choose a watermelon, the skin
should be a deep dark green and the skin a bit waxy in feel. If a
stem is attached it is best that it is brown and shriveled as this
is a sign the fruit has ripened on the plant.
Mango (Manga).
Considered Fruit of the Gods, Philippine Mango is well-known
worldwide for its best qualities, which cannot be outshined by any
variety of mangoes around the globe. This exotic tropical fruit
popularly known to be yellow in color obtained its addictive taste
through its meticulous harvest procedures.It matures after 3 months
and a half from the time of its flower blooms, carefully handpicked
while still green and harvested between 9am- 3pm to prevent rapid
exudation of the latex. Green mango can be served as a salad
component, while golden yellow mango has varieties of ways to savor
its uniqueness. It can be served as plain, processed, dried or
frozen.
Jackfruit (Langka).
The langka, nangka or Jackfruit is perhaps one of the
largest fruits in the world. It grows to about 1-1/2 – 2 feet long
with short spines covering its body. When ripe, it gives off a very
distinct aroma. The fruit is often wrapped with plastic while still
hanging from the tree to prevent birds and insects, which cannot
resist the sweet smell, from feasting on the succulent flesh. Langka
is a fruit tree found throughout the Philippines. It is abundant on
Mt. Banahaw. The ripe fruit is said to be demulcent, nutritive, and
laxative.
Lanzones.
An oval khaki colored fruit, lanzones has several segments within
with white, translucent and juicy flesh. They kind of “pop” in your
mouth and can range from unbearably sour to incredibly sweet. Often
there is one seed larger than the rest. The seeds are wickedly
bitter and highly distasteful – biting into too many of them is a
real turn-off. There is a sap to the skin that is extremely sticky.
When just ripe, this is a tropical fruit par excellence. It has
flavor, juiciness, sweetness and a uniqueness that is not found in
western fruits.
Coconut (Buko).
It is an extremely useful tree with the trunk, leaves and fruit
finding several uses. For juice or a drink, you want a young coconut
with sweet juice but just starting to form its meat. Put the juice
in a pitcher, add coconut meat and chill or add ice if it is to be
served immediately.
The
Philippines is the world's second largest producer of coconut
products, after Indonesia. About 25 percent of cultivated land is
planted with coconut trees. Historically, the Southern Tagalog and
Bicol regions of Luzon and the Eastern Visayas are the centers of
coconut production. By 1980, Western Mindanao and Southern Mindanao
also became important coconut-growing regions.
Bananas (Saging).
Philippine is one of the world’s largest banana exporters.
Significant tracts of land are devoted to banana production in the
regions of Southern Mindanao, Southern Tagalog, the CARAGA, and
Western Visayas. Large contiguous areas are devoted for commercial
production in four provinces in Mindanao, namely Davao del Norte,
Davao del Sur, South Cotabato, and Misamis Oriental. Japan has
consistently been the largest importer of Philippine bananas,
accounting for more than 60% of the country’s total fresh banana
export and about 15% of banana chips export. Banana is
considered as the most important fruit crop in the country in terms
of volume of production and export earnings.