101
{
}
Mango mystique
The small variety of mango called
paho
or
pajo
doesn’t
grow any bigger than about two inches in length,
and doesn’t ripen to become soft and golden like the
regular-sized fruit. It’s an odd size but not rare, and
grows throughout the country, going by other names
such as
malapaho
(
in the Visayas),
pangamangaen
(
in
the northern provinces of Ilocos),
mangapoli
(
among the
Subanon in Zamboanga).
Paho is crunchy on the outside, a bit dry on the inside
and tastes somewhat tart. Generally the flavor quality is
that of unripe fruit — not sour, bitter or bland, just not quite
there yet. Slice a bushel of paho into thin strips or chop the
fruit into cubes and serve it alone or tossed with chopped
onions and tomatoes, plus a bit of
bagoong alamang
or
isda
(
shrimp or fish paste). It’s a good side dish to grilled or
fried fish.
In Batangas, sliced paho is mixed with banana heart,
kamias
(
bilimbi), and shallots, all drenched in
bagoong
balayan
,
or a special kind of fish paste made in the town of
Balayan. What you have is a salad called
tinumis
,
not to be
confused with a blood stew delicacy in Nueva Ecija that goes
by the same name.
P I N O Y L E A N C U I S I N E
Chef Rhey
recommends…
“
Can’t find a banana
heart? Eggplant, roasted
or steamed, makes for a
savory substitute.”
