Search This Blog

Food Friday



15 shared thoughts
The first Featured Food Friday player was drawn automatically last Monday night (when link collection stopped), and InLinkz' random pick was

...drum roll, please....

I Can Do That! : CRÊPES WITH BUCAYO

Scrumptious post by Ms. Oggi! If you're passionate about food, then you should check out her blog! Delicious recipes coupled with amazing food shots...you're in for a yummy treat! :)
ps. I would like to let the players know that I will be using your pictures but will always link it back to your post and give you the credit...hope you're all fine with that. Your picture and link will then be posted in the following:
  • Sidebar of this blog (for a month)
  • Link will appear in the Featured in Food Friday page above (still figuring how to add a picture)
  • Food Friday wall post (Facebook)
  • Featured in Food Friday album (Faceboook)
...and so far that's where I will be using your links and pictures. If the condition doesn't suit you, then do tell me. Like what i mentioned last week, everything is new for me so suggestions are very much welcome.  Will be happy to leave your link and pics where it will generate more clicks/visitors! :)

---------------------------------------------

And now for my Food Friday post... :)

My post this time is about the PILI NUT (Canarium ovatum). I don't plan on talking about the most widely used part of this nut, the kernel (which can be candied, made into pastillas, or simply eaten raw). I'll be mumbling about another edible part of this seed, the pulp.

There it is: fresh ripe pili nuts, straight from the tree:


Some people break them open immediately (to get to the kernel inside) or tend to wait till the nuts are dried and then proceeds to open the shell. But not my family (in the province, since that's where my father planted some pili trees). Usually after picking, we immerse them in hot (not boiling) water for a few minutes; just until the skin retains the slight indention after you press on it. If you place it in the hot water far too long it will harden, so be vigilant; 15-20mins, at most.

Now this is the messy bit: peeling off the thin and shiny skin to reveal the pulp inside. The pulp is soft and clingy, and fibrous. The color's usually brownish with some green tints and removing it from the shell is quite easy. Still, it can get pretty messy! Don't tell me I didn't warn you. Well, of course you can always wear gloves. lol.


Once removed, the pulp can be eaten immediately (they say it's an acquired taste, and I agree). I didn't like it at first, but after I ate it together with fermented raw fish (yeah, doesn't sound very "nice". lol), I was amazed at how good they tasted together! My father said that they eat the pulp as a side dish (and usually with the fermented raw fish...forgot what they call it, but the fishes were small. Unfortunately, you can also feel the crunch of the bones when you eat them. LOL).


It doesn't have an impressive shelf-life, so usually we only prepare a small amount each time. If needed, we store some of the pulp inside the freezer which some say can last for about a week; but we're not really sure, since usually it gets eaten before the week ends. I read somewhere that the pulp can also be pickled or made into spreads...interesting! Will have to read more on that...

The 'cleaned' shell can then be sun dried. Once dried, you can open the hard shell and eat the kernel inside.


Opening it isn't easy, since the shell is really hard. I tried it once and gave up; the nut went flying all over the place! You need the basic tools, like maybe a hammer and some pliers. LOL

UPDATE: 7/30/2011
...would love to add that I forgot to mention another ingredient which makes eating the pili pulp a pleasure: calamansi juice (which is added to the fermented fish). Thanks to Stoic_Khail for pointing that out. :)


...and i remembered the bagoong fish: my father called them 'Kuyog'. I believe it's also similar to ziganid fish or padas. Not too sure, though. But am 100% sure my father called it 'kuyog' and it was always a pleasure getting our supply from Bicol during those days. :D

post for:


Reminder: Please link back here (you may use the Food Friday buttons located on the right sidebar) if you're playing... and don't forget to visit other players as well and leave them some comment love! thank you.♥




get the InLinkz code

15 shared thoughts:

Jean Soo at: Fri Jul 29, 12:47:00 AM GMT+8 said...

hi maiylah!

i've nvr seen pili nut before. is it the same as almond? interesting that the pulp can be eaten! :)

Happy FF!

Jean

Unknown at: Fri Jul 29, 01:09:00 AM GMT+8 said...

this is amazing, Mai...i didn't know the pulp can be eaten [with fermented fish pa!]. i wanna try this! i bought lots of pili nuts when i visited the Cojuangco Farm in Negros--different kinds of preparation, but nobody mentioned the pulp.

Julie at: Fri Jul 29, 08:03:00 AM GMT+8 said...

Hindi naman ginamos yung fish?

I love pili nut tarts though parang we can't taste the nuts since there are too sweet.

Happy FF!

Unknown at: Fri Jul 29, 08:13:00 AM GMT+8 said...

This one's funny: 'the nut went flying all over the place!' =)))

Minsan nangyayari rin sa'kin to nung hinahammer ko na! Haha! :)

alyssa at: Fri Jul 29, 08:53:00 AM GMT+8 said...

nice.. :) when we went to camsur, gusto ko sana bumili ng pili nuts na ganyan.. nacurious kasi ako dahil wala naman sa manila.. sadly, naubusan ako.. :((

peachkins at: Fri Jul 29, 04:49:00 PM GMT+8 said...

honestly, I haven't tried fresh pili fruit..

Jenn at: Fri Jul 29, 04:52:00 PM GMT+8 said...

Ang sarap naman first featured food! :)

Ganyan pala itsura ng ripe pili nuts; I love eating pili, usually yung sweetened na.

stoic_khail at: Fri Jul 29, 05:11:00 PM GMT+8 said...

Is your family from Bicol?

My mom and aunt also like to eat the pulp... and yeah with the fermented raw fish (it's bagoong isda, right?) plus calamansi :)

Oggi at: Fri Jul 29, 09:38:00 PM GMT+8 said...

Yay, my post made it! And thank you Maiylah for the shout-out.:)

I love your photos! One of the sweets we really miss is caramel coated pili. You are so lucky to get them fresh from the tree and it would be a real treat for me if I could try the pulp too. It sounds delicious.

maiylah at: Sat Jul 30, 02:16:00 AM GMT+8 said...

thanks, Jean
...yup, the kernel tastes a bit like almond..but only a bit. :)

thanks, LM
...oo, pwede ung pulp. forgot to add: calamansi is added to the bagoong fish, too!

thanks, T. Julie
...nope, not guinamos. that's what we call the fish bagoong in the Visayas...iba tawag nila sa Bicol, eh. and they use a different species of fish, too.

thanks, Angelica
...hehehe, lam ko you know the feeling! :D
...pero lam mo, si papa gamit nya ung malaking 'knife'...ako ayoko kasi parang mas delikado.

thanks, alyssa
...ay, sayang! next time pagpunta nyo ulit dun sana di ka maubusan.

thanks, Peachkins
...it's a must-try! sana meron kang mahanap dito sa Manila...usually kasi ung 'cooked' pili nuts na ang andito

thanks, Jenn
...oo, pag ripe it looks like that.

thanks, stoic_khail
...my father is from Bicol, but we didn't spend our childhood there. He got his plants from Bicol and planted it at home.
...ay, oo nga pala, calamansi! will add that later and give you credit (link back) for that!

thanks, Ms. Oggi
...my pleasure giving out linky love! :)
...i hope you can taste the pulp sometime. it's really different!

many many thanks to all the players and those who left comments!
much much much appreciated! ♥

enjoy your weekend!

maiylah at: Sat Jul 30, 03:02:00 AM GMT+8 said...

added an update about this post:

...i forgot to mention calamansi (how could i??lol), thanks to stoic_khail for pointing that out
...and the bagoong fish is called KUYOG! yeheyyy, am not as senile and old as i thought i was. LOL

many many thanks again to those who played along and shared their inputs!

have a safe and happy weekend! ♥

cheerful at: Sun Jul 31, 12:23:00 PM GMT+8 said...

love pili nuts...and this post was really informative and interesting, learned something new! anyway, the featured food looks really great. late again but done visiting all 21 entries, ginutom ako! have a great weekend. :)

maiylah at: Sun Jul 31, 04:24:00 PM GMT+8 said...

thanks so much, cheerful!
...your effort to visit the players is really much much appreciated! no worries about being late; what's more important is that we have fun and learn something new along the way. ♥
...yun nga lang, nakakagutom nga! lol

thank you again, and enjoy your weekend, too! ♥

maan at: Mon Aug 01, 10:28:00 PM GMT+8 said...

How does the pulp taste? Sour? Sweet? Bitter? This is interesting. I must try it when I get the chance..

maiylah at: Tue Aug 02, 09:14:00 AM GMT+8 said...

hi Maan
...i really couldn't describe it...it wasn't sour or sweet or bitter. savory, perhaps. yup, i recommend you try it when you get the chance. :)

thanks for visiting!

Post a Comment

THANK YOU
...for visiting and the comment love!

have a nice day!

newer post older post