By Manny Piñol
Mapanas, Northern Samar – Before flying out of Mapanas town this morning, I joined the family of Ambassador Bienvenido Tejano for breakfast in their family home facing the Pacific Ocean.
The breakfast consisted of fried dried fish, fried eggplants, eggs, some meat, rice and a strange looking banana which is smaller than the common Saba, a variety which is commonly steamed and dipped in a bowl of Bagoong or fish sauce.
The golden banana which is just slighter bigger than my thumb is called by Samareños as “Podikit” or “Calbiga.”
It is a native banana variety endemic to Samar and grows wild just about anywhere in the island.
Intrigued by its size and color (remember, it is golden, not yellow), I took one and tasted it.
Immediately after taking my first bite, I asked Region 8 Technical Director Andrew Orais to start a program to preserve and propagate the “Podikit” or “Calbiga” Golden Bananas.
“Podikit,” when steamed, has a firm flesh and tastes just short of being sweet.
Its firmness and taste would make it the ideal variety for fried “Turon,” a Filipino delicacy which offers Saba banana wrapped in flour.
In fact, I told Mayor Francis John Tejano that the “Podikit” could be a potential export commodity as frozen microwavable banana.
It is amazing how many more blessings God gave this country just waiting to be discovered!
(Photos by Mayette Tudlas and Diane Faith Garcia)
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