By Henrylito D. Tacio
In Philippine politics, a person who is a turncoat or has many faces is called “balimbing.” The term originated from the stunning fruit whose shape has five angles or points. If you slice the fruit, however, a cross-section looks like a star, which is why is sometimes called the star fruit.
In English-speaking countries like the United States, it is called carambola. In India (where it is native), the fruit is calledkamranga or kamrakh. The Chinese are said to call the fruit yongl’o or foreign patch. In Vietnam, it is called khe, khe ta, or similar terms; in Kampuchea, spu; in Laos, nak fuang; in Thailand, ma fueang. Scientifically, it is called Averrhoa carambola.
“The Chinese and the Hindus eat the carambola when green as a vegetable, when ripe as a dessert,” writes Wilson Popenoe, author of Manual of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits. The author puts balimbing under “miscellaneous fruits” along with durian, santol, and tamarind.
However, it is best to consume balimbing when ripe. An unripe fruit will appear green, while a ripe balimbing will display colors of bright yellow with a light shade of green. It will also have brown ridges at the five edges and feel firm. An overripe fruit will be yellow with brown spots. The fruit is entirely edible, including the slightly waxy skin. It is sweet without being overwhelming and extremely juicy. The taste is difficult to compare, but some scribes has likened it to “a mix of papaya, orange, and grapefruit altogether.”
The description of W.F. Safford is more apt: “(The fruit) contains a clear watery pulp: astringent when green and tasting like sorrel or green gooseberries, but pleasantly acid when ripe, or even sweet, with an agreeable fruity flavor, and a strong perfume like that of the quince.”
Balimbing fruit is extremely nutritious and contains approximately 36 calories per 100 grams. “The fruit, when fully ripe, are eaten out of hand, or they may be stewed,” Popenoe writes. “When slightly unripe, they are used for jelly and pickles.” It is also used as garnish on avocado or seafood.
There are more uses. Balimbing can also be cooked in puddings, tarts, and curries. The Chinese cook balimbing with fish. Thais boil the sliced green fruit with shrimp. In Queensland, Australia, the sweeter type is cooked green as a vegetable.
Cross-sections of balimbing may be covered with honey, allowed to stand overnight, and then cooked briefly and, put into sterilized jars. Some cooks add raisins to give the product more character. A relish may be made of chopped unripe fruits combined with horseradish, celery, vinegar, seasonings and spices.
In the United States, balimbing has diverse uses. Because if its attractive appearance, many Americans like to use the fruit as a decorative piece in their home or, as an edible adornment to buffet and luncheon platters.
The juice squeezed from the fruits is served as a cooling beverage. In Hawaii, the juice of sour fruits is mixed with gelatin, sugar, lemon juice and boiling water to make sherbet. In the Philippines, people often use the juice as a seasoning. The juice is bottled in India.
To make jelly, it is necessary to use unripe “sweet” types or ripe sour types and to add commercial pectin or some other fruit rich in pectin such as green papaya, together with lemon or lime juice.
Julia F. Morton, author of Fruits of Warm Climates, reported that the flowers are added to salad in Java, Indonesia while in India, they are made into preserves.
As balimbing contains potassium oxalate, the unripe fruit is used in dyeing and to remove iron-rust. In southern China, balimbings are preserved in tin and exported to other countries. In the Philippines, the acid-type balimbing is occasionally used for cleaning and polishing metals.
The wood of balimbing is white, becoming reddish with age. It is often described as “close-grained, medium-hard.” Research conducted by Morton showed the wood has been utilized for construction and furniture. That’s another good source of income for farmers who will go into balimbing plantation.
Like other fruits, balimbing is also a medicinal plant. Among older people and in rural areas, crushed shoots or leaves are used externally for headaches and ringworm. Boiled flowers are used to expel worms. The dried fruit or juice is used for fevers. In India, the ripe fruit is used to stop hemorrhages.
Health experts consider balimbing as one of the “superfruits” as it is rich in antioxidants, vitamins B and C, potassium, and iron. It is low in sugar, sodium and calcium. In addition, balimbing is a potent source of both primary and secondary polyphenolic antioxidants.
Studies done in the United States showed that fresh mature green fruit of balimbing has a total acid content of 12.51 milligrams per gram while the mature yellow fruit has a total acid content of 13 milligrams per gram.
Balimbing is touted to be a potent inhibitor. Some studies show that the consumption of balimbing fruit or its juice in combination with certain medications can significantly increase their effective dosage within the body.
But there are also health risks when eating balimbing. Like grapefruit, balimbing contains oxalic acid, which can be harmful to people suffering from kidney failure. Studies have shown that those who eat balimbing with kidney failure can experience hiccups, vomiting, nausea, and mental confusion. In some instances, death may also result.
Balimbing should not be eaten by patients taking kidney dialysis treatment as well. As they say, forewarned is forearmed.
Balimbing is a tropical and subtropical fruit. In India, it grows in up to 4,000 feet in elevation. It prefers a total exposition to the sun, but requires enough humidity and a total of 70 inches or more of rainfall a year. It does not have a preference in grounds but it requires a good drainage.
The balimbings are planted at least 20 feet from each other. For good production, they must be fertilized three times a year. They grow fast and produce fruits 4-5 years after planting, although some varieties bear fruits even before that.
Balimbing trees are long-lived and they bear fruits almost throughout the year. Father J.S. Tavares, who studied Brazilian fruits, wrote of the tree: “During the entire year, it loads itself with successive crops of flowers and fruits, except for a short period when it is devoid of foliage.”
The priest may also be writing about the situation in the Philippines.
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