Guyabano and other gifts from the Galleons

TIMPLA'T TIKIM

By SOL VANZI

September 1, 2010, 12:12pm

More than four centuries ago, the Philippines was the center of international trade when the galleons sailing between the Manila and Acapulco first linked the people of Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Africa.

The ships carried not only silks, gold, and porcelain from Asia to the New World; they also brought to Asia a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and animals which have so successfully adapted to local conditions that they are often mislabeled as “native” Filipino food items.

Among these gifts from the Americas are: kalabasa, avocado, kamote, patatas, pipino, kamatis, sili, sibuyas, atis, anonas, and guyabano. They did not exist in the Philippines before the Spaniards crossed the Pacific. In some of their countries of origin, those fruits and vegetables are still known by their original names, which we have adapted. One documentary recently showed Peruvians cooking peanuts and called them mani, like we Filipinos do.

One cannot imagine what Philippine cuisine would be without the edibles imported into our shores by the galleon trade, which will be commemorated worldwide on October 8. That is the day designated by the UNESCO in Paris as Dia Del Galeon (Day of the Galleon). The first galleon, the San Pedro, directed by master navigator Fray Urdaneta, reached Acapulco on October 8, 1565. The trade continued until 1815.

Today, almost all the food items brought to our shores during those 250 years of inter-continental trading are considered superfoods. The avocado is not only hailed for its nutritive value, but also treasured as an ingredient in beauty care products. Squash and sweet potato are recognized for their beta-carotene and fiber. Many upscale restaurants for the health-conscious are now using squash and sweet potato in most recipes that traditionally call for potato.

Peanuts, another import from the Americas, are saving the lives of millions of undernourished children. Ground up to a paste, peanuts are combined with a few other ingredients to make the wonder product called Plumpy’nut which is being distributed by United Nations agencies to needy communities around the world. .Plumpy’nut requires no refrigeration and can therefore the shipped and stored cheaply. It is readily consumed even by infants, as it requires no special handling. It is often simply squeezed out of its container directly into the mouth of a starving child.

The latest star of the miracle food parade is the guyabano which is now proclaimed in thousands of emails as a cure-all, from cancer to diabetes and dysentery.

Here is what our own DOST writes about this fruit:

Guyabano is most popular as a health juice drink because of its richness in ascorbic acid or vitamin C. It is also rich in vitamin B while the edible portion is a powerhouse of energy foods. Guyabano contains little amount of vitamin A, calcium, potash, and phosphorus.

The fruit is scientifically called Anona muricata, a member of the anonacae family, together with atis, anona, and atemoya. Guyabano is also known as soursop in English.

The mature but unripe fruit is used for vegetable dishes or preserve as sweet meats. The ripe fruit is eaten raw as dessert or processed into juice drinks and canned preserves, or as flavoring for ice cream and sherbets.

And here is what we have gleaned from our internet research:

The unripe fruit is used against dysentery. Seeds and green fruit are astringent, while the flowers are antispasmodic.

An infusion of leaves is often used as antispasmodic and emetic. In some cultures, the fruits and leaves are used for tranquilizing and sedative properties.

The juice of the ripe fruit can be used  as a diuretic, while the flesh is used as a poultice to draw out chiggers and a decoction of leaves can counter head lice and bedbugs. Also for head lice, some tribes have been known to use pulverized seeds and seed oil.

A decoction of leaves can be used as compress for inflammation and swollen feet, while a poultice of mashed leaves and sap of young leaves cures eczema and skin eruptions.

In Peru, the bark, roots, and leaves are used for diabetes, as sedative, and as antispasmodic.

And in Brazil, the oil of leaves and unripe fruit is mixed with olive oil and used externally for rheumatism and arthritis pains.

When we celebrate the Dia Del Galeon, we should remember not the negative aspects of colonization, but the gifts that the colonizers’ galleons brought into our lives.

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