MANILA, Philippines — Aratiles or Aratilis is the Filipino term for a fruit called Muntingia calabura, also known as Kerson Fruit or Jamaican Cherry. The fruit has a Cherry-like flavor.
This has resulted in some interesting and delectable products like the crisp and flavorful chips made of aratilis (sarissa) leaves, cranberry jam and juice, Tomato-Mansi Cocktail, chocolate kamias ...
and aratilis. Even kamote and cacao (which gives us tsokolate) originally came from Mexico. In an earlier column in this paper (“After the Manila Galleons,” 3/14/24), Ocampo likewise shared ...