Keep Abreast

Here’s a forwarded e-mail from my friend, Mandy.    

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Dear friends,
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What you do not know about Breast Cancer could put your life at risk every minute.
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No one is safe from breast cancer - woman, man, young or old. The more you know about breast  cancer and the sooner you know about it, the sooner you can do something to stop it.
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Philippine Wacoal Corp. invites you and your family or friends to attend one session of the “Keep Abreast” seminar.
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The “Keep Abreast” campaign that starts in October is the third partnership for Philippine Wacoal Corp. and the Philippine Foundation for Breast Care, Inc. on their advocacy for early diagnosis, prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
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Public seminars will be held at the auditorium of Ateneo de Manila Professional Schools in Rockwell Center, Makati City at the following Saturdays of October:
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October 6 - 8:30-12:30
October 13 - 1:30 - 5:30
October 20 - 8:30 - 12:30
October 27 - 1:30 - 5:30
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Admission is free.
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Limited seats are available and reservations should be made through Wacoal Customer Service Hotline: 884-1517. Inquiries can also be sent to customer.service[at]wacoal[dot]ph. 
 
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Best regards,

Ann Christine Palisoc
2007-09-28 Philippine Wacoal Corp.
3F, 6788 Ayala Avenue
Oledan Square
1226 Makati City
Philippines
Tel. No. (63-2) 892-5706
Fax No. (63-2) 752-0940 

Mangosteen

…a fruit common in Southeast Asian cuisine…

Wikipedia describes mangosteen, with the scientific name Garcinia mangostana as:

“…a tropical evergreen tree, believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas. The tree grows from 7 to 25 meters tall. The rind (exocarp) of the edible fruit is deep reddish purple when ripe. Botanically an aril, the fragrant edible flesh is sweet and creamy, citrusy with some peach flavor. Often heralded as the “Queen of Fruits”, mangosteen is closely related to other edible tropical fruits such as button mangosteen and lemondrop mangosteen.” (click here for the link)

I got this interest to write a little about mangosteen because of the MSN Health & Fitness article I read this morning.  Part of it says,

“Foods that contain antioxidants–molecules thought to prevent some diseases and promote good health– have been increasingly popular in recent years. Consumers are seeking out foods with the highest concentrations of the stuff, like the Brazilian acai berry and the mangosteen, a fruit common in Southeast Asian cuisine. These so-called “super fruits” are increasingly becoming mainstream, says Katz.” (Emphases provided by Kate; click here for the link)

When I was a kid, I loved mangosteens. They used to be like heavenly delicious fruits that I could not easily have.  The MSN article said the mangosteen is a fruit common in Southeast Asian cuisine, but in my hometown it was not as common as mango, banana, or imported apples and oranges.

Is mangosteen seasonal?  I’m not sure.  Mangoes are seasonal, but I live in Zambales, home to the world’s sweetest mangoes (Guimaras lovers might argue theirs are the best, but I still prefer Zambales mangoes always), hence even if they were not available all year-round, I know they’re abundant.

Most of the time, I see mangosteen being sold along the road.  In this country, it is not uncommon to have roadside fruit vendors.  Most popular are watermelons, then lanzones, rambutan, and mangosteen when they’re in season.  In supermarkets, I don’t pay attention to fruits since VAT (value added tax) and the convenience premium raises their prices.  However, now that I’m in Makati and unaware of public wet markets, I might be forced to buy those expensive fruits in supermarkets.

By the way, where in the Philippines are mangosteens most abundant?  I don’t want to research about the fruit anymore, so I have to leave that question (and the seasonality question) unanswered.

It’s great that live in this tropical country, despite the political craziness going around.  At least I have an easier access to super-fruits like mangosteen.

Gotta rekindle my delicious relationship with mangosteens.