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Learn About Our Fruits

Most of these fruits never make it to Irish shelves — and if they do, they’ve usually travelled for weeks and lost the best of themselves along the way. We bring them in fresh, in small batches, so you’re getting them close to how they’d taste if you picked them up at a market in the Philippines.
Here’s a quick guide to what each one is, what it tastes like, and how to enjoy it and keep it fresh.

Carabao Mango

Often called the sweetest mango in the world. Golden-yellow, smooth-skinned, with a honeyed, almost creamy flesh and none of the stringiness common in other mango varieties.

How to eat it: Ripe and chilled, straight up. Slice down either side of the flat seed, score the flesh into cubes, and turn the skin inside out to eat it straight off the peel.

Storage: Ripens at room temperature (2–5 days depending on ripeness on arrival). Once ripe, keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Saba Banana

A short, chunky banana that’s starchier and less sweet than the Cavendish bananas sold in supermarkets. Common in Filipino cooking rather than eaten raw.

How to eat it: Best cooked — fried, grilled, boiled, or turned into the classic banana-cue (skewered and caramelised in brown sugar) or turon (wrapped in spring roll pastry and fried).

Storage: Store at room temperature; keeps for about a week. Don’t refrigerate while unripe — cold stops the ripening process.

Calamansi

A small citrus, roughly the size of a lime, with a flavour somewhere between lime, lemon, and mandarin. A staple souring and flavouring agent in Filipino cooking.

How to eat it: Squeeze into drinks, dipping sauces, marinades, or over noodle dishes. A calamansi juice with a bit of sugar and water is a classic refresher.

Storage: Keep in the fridge in a bag or container; stays fresh for 2–3 weeks. Can also be juiced and frozen in ice cube trays for longer storage.

Mangosteen

Known as the “queen of fruits.” A hard purple rind hides soft white segments with a delicate, floral sweet-tart flavour — often compared to a mix of lychee, peach, and citrus.

How to eat it: Score around the middle of the rind with a knife (not too deep) and twist to open, revealing the segments inside. Eat chilled for the best flavour.

Storage: Best kept in the fridge, where it lasts 1–2 weeks. Rind hardens over time, but the fruit inside stays fine as long as it’s not dried out.

Santol

A round fruit with a thick rind and a tangy-sweet, cotton-like pulp surrounding the seeds. Sometimes called “cotton fruit.”

How to eat it: Peel and eat the pulp fresh, or use it in the classic Filipino dish ginataang santol (cooked in coconut milk). Some enjoy it dipped lightly in salt for extra contrast.

Storage: Store at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate for up to a week.

Pomelo

The largest citrus fruit in the world, and an ancestor of the grapefruit — but milder, sweeter, and less bitter, with thick pith that peels away easily.

How to eat it: Peel, separate the segments, and remove the thin membrane around each one before eating. Great on its own or in a salad with a bit of chilli and fish sauce.

Storage: Very hardy — keeps at room temperature for 1–2 weeks, or in the fridge for up to a month.

Singkamas (Jicama)

A crisp, juicy root vegetable with a mild, slightly sweet flavour — similar in texture to a water chestnut or a very crunchy pear.

How to eat it: Peel and eat raw, sliced into sticks with a squeeze of calamansi and a pinch of salt or chilli powder. Also good in fresh spring rolls or salads.

Storage: Store in the fridge; stays crisp for 2–3 weeks. Don’t wash before storing — moisture speeds up spoilage.

How We Deliver

We import in small batches and take pre-orders per batch, so everything you receive is as fresh as possible. We deliver nationwide across all 32 counties and Northern Ireland, with a collection point available in Drogheda, Co. Louth for anyone who’d rather pick up locally.