I just wanted to share these photos of Chico fruits that were harvested from the orchard of my husband's cousin in Bulacan. They have a lot of fruit-bearing trees there. One of them is the Chico tree.🌳 My husband brought home a basket full of unripe fruits. We wrapped them in newspaper and placed them in a box. They were brown and hard. The fruits have already ripened after only two days, that was extremely fast!😀 The color is still brown, but when you press it, it is soft, indicating that they are already ripe. The flesh is light brown on the inside, and if you cut them in half, you can see the seed, which is large and black. There are two to four seeds inside. We simply scoop the flesh with a spoon and eat it. The flavor was so deliciously sweet that you couldn't stop eating it.😋 Chicos are one of my favorite local fruits, but we rarely eat them because they are rarely seen in the market, unlike the imported fruits such as oranges and apples, which are always available. I recall vividly the Chico tree in our front yard when I was a kid. My brothers and I even climbed up on it. It had a lot of branches that were sturdy and fun to sit on and be tossed in the air when it was windy. That was like our secret hideaway where we ate junk foods and drank soft drinks in plastic so our father wouldn't see us. When I told my son about it, he said that he and his brother haven't even tried the fun of climbing up a tree... Oh poor boy! So I told them we'd plant the seeds. Of course, it will take years before it matures into a large tree, but at least we've made a start. That's better than nothing. Someday, their children will be grateful and happy that we planted a tree for them to climb and harvest fruits from... I was curious, however, if this Chico is known by other names in other countries. So I asked Mr. Google what's all about this Chico and here's what I've learned which I'll summarize briefly. The scientific name is Manilkara zapota. Other names for it include sapodilla, naseberry, and nispero. Chico is rich in carbohydrates and dietary fibers, making it a very nutritious food. It is high in minerals like potassium and calcium, and loaded with Vitamin C. The tree is a long-lived evergreen that can only be found in warm tropical climates. So it's a tree that thrives in the sun!🌤️ And the bark is high in "chicle," a white, gummy latex that is traditionally used in the manufacture of chewing gums. Isn't that fascinating?😮 So, those gums we chew are made from barks, which I had no idea about until now. Furthermore, the leaves have medicinal properties that are anti-diabetic, and hypocholesterolemic (cholesterol-lowering)and rich in antioxidants. The most remarkable aspect of this Chico is its seed, which contained Acetones with antibacterial properties against strains of Pseudomonas oleovorans and Vibrio cholerae. Hmm... 🤔 It seems that this Chico has been extensively studied. What we only know as the ordinary fruit and tree is not ordinary after all! So much about Chico,... But, lastly, here's a quote on planting trees from a ― Chinese proverb, “ThE beSt TiMe tO pLaNt a tReE iS twEntY yeArS agO. The SecOnd bEst TiMe iS nOw." Thank you for reading and wish you all a peaceful and lovely day, Noisepeeps! Treehug🌳 @Mitochondria 💯Original content Creator Caloocan City, Philippines🇵🇭