Feature:

One ripe Atis, please!

By Pepin

In the Philippines, sugar apple is more famous for its local name, “Atis.” It is light green in color and turns even lighter when it’s ripe enough. Its skin appears to be lumpy and rough. This peculiar-looking fruit is being sold for quite a steep price when in season, and Filipinos can’t get enough of it because they love its sweet taste. Yes, it is totally sugary because it contains a lot of fructose or fruit sugar.

In Panay, the Atis grows almost anywhere. You can find a tree of it in most people’s backyard. You can grow a tree even if you just accidentally scattered its seeds on the ground. But the big problems are the aphids (or plant lice) that would often infest the fruit, making the most delicious one hard to produce. Birds and insects would also consume the fruit before they are ripe.

Aside from the sugary taste of its fruits, this tree can give a lot more benefits than you can ever imagine. Its leaves are turned into a decoction and it can provide a soothing relief for menstrual problems and pain due to arthritis. The pounded leaves are cure for hair lice, while the crushed leaves can alleviate vertigo or light-headedness when inhaled. If you are suffering from diarrhea, you can make a decoction from its bark and drink it to ease out the symptom.

Atis is a sought-after “pasalubong” by tourists when they visit Panay. Its sweet taste and aroma are indeed hard to resist, and its medicinal properties are hard to ignore.