Health benefits of calamansi

it is a common thing in some Filipino cuisines. It is used as a condiment in pansit canton and arroz caldo. Chicken inasal and inihaw na baboy are not complete without it. It’s a basic sawsawan (Filipino dip)—combined with soy sauce or patis – for fish, lumpiang shanghai, lumpiang singkamas or dumplings.

It is called calamansi or calamondin.  Among the Bisaya-speaking Filipinos, it is lemonsito.  In other parts of the world, it is known as Philippine lime (scientific name: Citrofortunella microcarpa).

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has identified calamansi as “one of the most important fruit crops grown in the Philippines.”  In terms of area and production, it ranks fourth to banana, mango and pineapple.

Calamansi is indigenous to the Philippines.  The tree grows to about 25 feet tall at maturity. Its pulp has a distinctive flavor described as “a cross between lime and orange.”  The tartness of calamansi blends well with other juices, such as banana, apple, grape, papaya, mango and coconut water.

Margarita Fores, Asia’s best female chef, came to know calamansi through its juice form.  “Calamansi, in general, has a unique flavor,” she commented.  Corazon S. Alvina, the culinary writer behind “Slow Food,” considered iced calamansi juice as “one of the most refreshing things in tropical life.”  Aside from being a versatile souring ingredient, calamansi is getting popular because of its health benefits.  For one, high blood or hypertension finds its match in calamansi.  When eating his meals, Dr. Willie T. Ong uses calamansi sauce.