The mystery of a Santol

Last Sunday, Mama asked some people in the neighborhood to harvest Santol in the backyard. Later in the afternoon, I was surprised to see sacks and pails of the fruit. I had no idea there was this much in the tree because looking at it from the ground, I could see very few fruits.

Although I’m not fond of eating Santol, I like its characteristics. It bears an element of surprise which is not common in other fruits. Some fruits taste sweet from the outside down to the core. Others, on the other hand, are sour from the first slice to the last.

The Santol is a unique fruit since it’s full of secrets. Why its skin alone does not give a clue about its ripeness. Aren’t fruits supposed to give off an odor or at least feel soft in one’s hand when they’re ripe? A Santol doesn’t. You have to peel and taste it to find out.

Once you’ve peeled the fruit, you have to suck the Santol’s flesh to relish its taste. The fruit is often sour that’s why I was surprised our neighbors claimed the ones from our tree taste sweet. Honestly, I only like the flesh that surrounds the Santol’s seed because it’s very sweet. Avoid swallowing the seed though for you might suffer an intestinal problem.

You discover a lot of things from the Santol. It’s not a boring fruit that leaves nothing to the mind after its consumption. The fruit’s skin and pulp represents the unexpected events in one’s life while the seed personifies something or someone you can enjoy but never have to yourself.