Explainer: What is a Tamarillo? Look for it on your next Baguio trip!
MANILA, Philippines — I had never seen it before, and I wasn’t aware that there was something like it.
But, recently, when Chef Waya Araos-Wijangco, an extremely talented chef who is now based in Baguio because of Gypsy Baguio by Chef Waya, sent me a box full of fresh produce from the highlands, I was unexpectedly introduced to it. I explored each and every item in the box, appreciating the variety that Chef Waya picked for me, when I fished out a handful of red, juicy-looking fruits that looked like tomatoes but with a pointed bottom.
“Oh, a different breed of tomatoes,” I told myself, but after a few minutes had passed and I still could not fully convince myself that they were indeed tomatoes, I messaged Chef Waya and asked what they were, exactly, and what was the best way to enjoy them. Her quick response: “Tamarillo. Nice to eat. Massage it until soft, then slice lengthwise and eat as is.”
I did. That was the moment when I distinguished clearly that it was not a tomato. It had a similar skin texture, yes, although its shade of red had a tinge of black to it, but the pointed tip was glaring different. I sliced the tamarillo in half, vertically, to expose a still tomato-like pulp within, with seeds as tiny and plentiful as a tomato’s and similarly dispersed within the pulp. This, too, had a dark, blackish tinge to it.
I took a bite, pulp and fruit and skin all, and I swore I would never do it again. Bite the skin, that is, as it is incredibly bitter. Further research via Google said that the skin is not supposed to be eaten, but the seeds are. If you cannot peel off the skin nicely, then it should be better scooped to consume the fruit and enjoy it fully. The fruit — with the seeds — has a tangy and sweet flavor that you will actually like.
Why bother with a tamarillo when you can have all the tomato you want, you say? It is because the tamarillo is a good source of potassium, and potassium helps regulate blood pressure. It is also rich in antioxidants, all the better to protect you from getting sick.
Also known as a tree tomato, the tamarillo belongs to the flowering plant family Solanaceae (the nightshade family) and is native to South America (particularly Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Argentina). It can be added to salads, made into compotes and candies, or topped on pizzas, cheesecakes and tarts.
According to Chef Waya, the tamarillo can also be made into a sauce, which is good with pork and chicken.
She added: “When I have lots of it, I make it into a jam.”
