Garcinia binucao
(Blanco) Choisy
Binukau
Wikimedia Commons - Lokalpedia
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The sour fruits are edible and can be eaten raw. They are also commonly used as a souring agent in traditional Filipino dishes like sinigang, Kadyos, baboy, kag langka, and cansi. Because cultivation of the fruit is limited to the western Visayas, it has also been sold in powder or paste form, or as jams or other sauces for easier distribution elsewhere in the Philippines. 'Takway' is called "pansit ng bukid" since it grows almost anywhere in the fields. In Iloilo, it is called "palutpot" or "runners" of root crops or taro. As culinary ingredient, it combines with coconut milk, like ginataang alimango. In Davao City, paksiw na takway is blended with mora moro or mackerel scad (galunggong).
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. Common and widely distributed in the Philippines throughout Luzon and the Visayas growing in primary forests at low and high altitudes.
Asia, Cuba, Indochina, Indonesia, Pacific, Philippines*, SE Asia, Vietnam, West Indies,
How to Identify
A small tree. It grows 25 cm long. The trunk is 40 cm across. The leaves are opposite, leathery and smooth. The flowers are small, red and borne in clusters. The fruit are yellowish 4 cm across and somewhat rounded. They have a firm outer covering and several seeds.
How to Grow
Plants can be grown by seeds.
Propagation: Seed - we have no specific information on this species, but the seed of most members of the genus can be slow to germinate, even if sown fresh, often taking 6 months or more.
Other Uses
The wood is useful for light constructions.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Garcinia binucao is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family. It is commonly known as binukaw, takway or batuan, is a species of Garcinia endemic to the Philippines. It is not cultivated, though its edible fruits are harvested from the wild for use as a souring agent in some Filipino dishes.
Notes
There are about 300 Garcinia species. Possibly now Garcinia gummi-gutta
Names & Synonyms
Batuan, Balakut, Balokok, Pohon manggis binakaw
References (15)
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- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
