The Lanzones

A specie of the Mahogany Tree, the Lansium Parasiticum, or what is known here as Lanzones, is a fruit that reminds us that of a Longan and sold in bunches like that of the Grapes.

The Lanzones are small in size, comes in yellowish color and usually gets swarmed by black ants as they are being sold on the sidewalks. (Talk about a very sweet Fruit) But not all Lanzones are sweet, it all depends on the way it is being harvested. Old timers would really know the perfect time to pick the Lanzones from the tree, and unlike other fruits, the Lanzones is best picked ripe from the tree than having it forcefully riped off the tree, the taste is much sweeter then.

Do take note though, the Lanzones is not available all year round. The Lanzones is a seasonal fruit ranging from September to November, the rest of the year? You just have to wait.

Lanzones Festival

Yes! You heard that right, there is a festival dedicated to the harvest of Lanzones. To everyone else, the BER months start the Christmas season, to us, Lanzones lovers, it is a start of something sweet.

In the Island of Camiguin, where we think all Lanzones pass by, an October Festival is held to celebrate the Harvest of the beloved fruit (Camiguin Octoberfest YEY!). And as big as the festival is, they actually use real fruits to decorate their event (I have heard that they only use real Lanzones once every 2 years now because of over harvesting).

Health Benefits

Considering that the Lanzones can only be eaten/consumed in the months of September to November, we have to have an excuse to be able to devour truckloads of Lanzones at a time. We don't get to eat this often, but when we do, it's got to be very plenty.

That excuse would be the health benefits gained from consuming loads and loads of Lanzones.

• Lanzones is rich in Fiber which helps in avoiding constipation, digestion.
• Lanzones is rich in Riboflavin which is a vitamin known as vitamin B2. Riboflavin, much like the other Vitamin Bs, helps in the process of transforming carbohydrates into energy.
• Lanzones are rich in Antioxidants named polyphenols. Polyphenols can help in the prevention of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, or heart diseases.

There are plenty other benefits the Lanzones have, apart from that are other parts of the Lanzones that would have other purposes... You can check them out HERE for a full list.

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Talk about a valid excuse, this just gives us the go signal to devour as much as you can for as long as you can in that span of 3 months. But please care to remember, Too much of everything is definitely not good for you. So before you go for the Lanzones Binge, keep this in mind, because it is very easy and fast to devour a truckload.

Finish Line!

This fruit is definitely something almost exclusive as it only spans from India to the Southeast Asian Countries. The Philippines is equally blessed to have this kind of fruit, though there is only a season where we can partake in this, we are happy to have had a yearly opportunity to get to eat the golden Lanzones fruit.

So as hard as it is to get it, if you happen to drop by our beloved country in the BER months, be sure to check out the Lanzones in the nearby fruit stands. Or if you can, Camiguin is definitely a lovely place to go to with many sights to see. So check Camiguin out and their schedule for the Lanzones Festival and get in touch with the locals and fill yourselves to the brim with these amazing Lanzones.

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I really enjoyed making this and sharing this with you guys. Lanzones is one of my all time favorite fruits, a must have during the ber-seasons. So I hope you learned plenty about the Lanzones today, definitely another beauty of living in the tropical country of the Philippines.

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Check out my previous Good to Know Articles:

• Good to Know: Tamilok (Teredo Navalis), A Philippine Delicacy
• Good to Know: The Philippine Tarsier (Carlito Syrichta)

See you guys on the next Good to Know...

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@newkidintown

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