Cashew Fruit

The cashew nut gets all the fame, but the fruit is the real surprise — soft, juicy, a little tangy, and absolutely impossible to find in an American grocery stores because it’s too delicate to survive long‑distance travel.

Camachile

A funny‑looking pod with a cottony bite, the kind of snack only Filipinos recognize instantly. You open it, taste it, and immediately understand why it never made it to Costco — the tree needs steady tropical heat, the fruit bruises easily, and there’s never been a big market for it outside the Philippines.

Balut

Jay tried it without a single complaint — already making him braver than most tourists. I won’t describe what it is; my Kababayan know exactly what I’m talking about. Everyone else… feel free to consult Google University if you want more details.

Daing na Bangus

Before the trip, the family asked what food I missed the most, and I didn’t even hesitate — daing na bangus, made with milkfish, the national fish of the Philippines. Not dried, just marinated and fried until the edges turn crisp, served with green mango as sour as can be dipped in anchovy sauce, and a yellow mango for dessert that I could peel myself.

Laundry Day

During our hike in the rice terraces, we came across a woman doing laundry by stepping on the clothes — basically the original agitation cycle, perfected long before washing machines tried to claim the idea. She was happily stomping away like it was just another Tuesday, while we stood there acting like we’d uncovered ancient laundry technology.

Church Fan

Inside a small church stood a floor fan so massive it deserved its own ZIP code. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.

The Mighty Tricycles of the Philippines

If jeepneys are the kings of the road, tricycles are the scrappy, unstoppable sidekicks — part motorcycle, part sidecar, part miracle of engineering, and entirely Filipino. You see them everywhere: buzzing through towns, weaving through traffic, and carrying loads that defy both physics and common sense.