Dried Fruits

This is another favourite specialty of Cebuanos. I said earlier that people in Cebu love to eat; with dried fruits, Cebuanos show their passion for eating. They always find ways of preserving their fruits, especially their mangoes. Cebu mangoes especially those in Guadalupe have been exported all over the world like:

  • Fresh Green Mango (green mangoes are preferable to yellow mangoes in that the former are less likely to rot when they reach their destination abroad than the latter)
  • Mango Puree (freshly-squeezed juice from the mango fruit)
  • Dried Mangoes (preserved mango pulp that lasts longer)

Dried mangoes

Dried mangoes

I remember a professor who once recounted that when she went to the United States, they were looking for the Philippine mango and the sales clerk pointed out to a big yellowish mango, so they bought it. After they arrived home, they started eating the mango only to find out it tasted like papaya. Later on, they went back to the store and complained to the clerk about the mangoes; the store clerk apologized because it was a mango from Mexico. What I am trying to point out is that once people taste Philippine mangoes, they will really know if what they’re eating is from the Philippines or not. Then, too, Cebu has one of the best mangoes in the Philippines.

The mangoes that do not pass the quality inspection for export will then be made into dried fruits and purée. Actually there are many export companies that produce dried mangoes but there was a time before when the supply of the mango was scarce. The reason for that was the dry season; with the climate too hot, the manufacturer decided to look for a substitute fruit. Thus, the addition of different kinds of dried fruits like:

  • Pineapple
  • Papaya
  • Coconut
  • Jack fruit

Some related sites for added information:

a supplier of dried fruits in Europe, USA, and Canada.

a forum that warns consumers of sellers who have deceived customers.

Pictures of Dried Fruits:

  1. http://www.profoodcorp.com/products.html
  2. http://www.amleyfood.com/products.htm
  3. http://www.sweetsweetmangos.com/buymangos.html

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