batuan paper

Bryan Atas Humanities 1 - Manansala

The Batuan Effect

Being an Ilonggo offers advantages. Aside from being able to watch Dinagyang

live or in 4 different channels, it also enables one to regularly savor delicious Ilonggo

dishes like Kadyos-Baboy-Langka/KBL, the Sinabawan and the Linaga. And one can’t

help but ask, what makes these dishes special? Well, the key to good food is good use of

ingredients. And guess what these dishes have in common – batuan.

If a shroud of mystery covers this fruit, just imagine a greater mystery that

surrounds this batuan plant. As a kid, I used to think that the batuan is a citrus-like shrub.

Now I know that Batuan or Garcinia binucao is a tree reaching a height of about the

same as a two storey building. In Manila Bulletin Online, one article entitled Gourmet’s

Notepad by Boysie Villavicencio said that its closest relative is the Mangosteen

(Garcinia mangostana). My most recent encounter with this tree was when I visited my

mother’s colleague, Dr. Nadala, in Lapaz. Dr. “Bing” Nadala has batuan trees in her

backyard. Its leaves are smooth and leathery. It has small pea-sized red flowers that are

somehow inconspicuous from afar. Its famous fruits are yellowish green to light green in

color and somewhat round in shape. The fruits are usually harvested at a time when they

are yellow green since batuan at its ripe most age have an acrid taste, very susceptible to

rotting thus not desirable as a souring agent anymore. One interesting thing that I learned

from Dr. Nadala was that the batuan tree has a “gender.” That is, they are dioecious. This

simply means that one tree produces only male flowers while the other produces only

female flowers. Sadly, the difference between a male and female batuan tree is only

obvious during the time flowers turn to fruits. In male batuan trees, flowers just fall off;

while female batuan flowers slowly turn to buds then to fruits. In fact, I find it fascinating

to see Dr. Nadala’s towering batuan trees standing side-by-side with leaves gently

touching each other as human couples hold each other’s hands wherein one cannot

survive without the other.

Ilonggo’s call it “batuan” but it has other names in other places. According to a

Research on Lesser Known Edible Tree Species compiled by Helen B. Florido and Fe F.

Cortiguerra, it is known as “binukao” in Laguna and Bataan, “Balukat” in Ilocos Norte,

“Bangkok” in Zambales, “Bilukan” Rizal, Bataan, “Kamangzi” in Tayabas, and “Kandis”

in Palawan. Indeed, Batuan is not endemic to the region six. And in fact, it is cultivated in

Lanao Experimental Section.

Ilonggo’s think of batuan as a souring agent or in hiligaynon, “pampaaslum.”

The same way those in Luzon use Sampaloc and Kamias as souring agent in their dishes.

Batuan is very common in Iloilo that I was even able to buy it at SM for about 20 pesos

per kilo and that’s about five pesos for four pieces last November. And by the way, I’ve

read from Market Manila that the ECJ farm at

Negros sells batuan purees too.

Batuan’s use as a souring agent is versatile.

It can be used in a number of dishes including Kansi

and Paksiw. And according to an article in Manila

bulletin Online by Mr. Boysie Villavicencio, some

use the batuan leaves as stuffing in roast chicken.

I may not have the power to predict the future of Garcinia binucao but what I do

know is that batuan’s fame is spreading rapidly and more and more Filipino’s are

Ilonggo Dishes that use batuan

1. Kadyos-Baboy-Langka (KBL)

2. Sinabawan3. Linaga4. Kansi5. Laing6. Roast chicken7. Paksiw

realizing its capabilities. Let’s just hope that future will bring new and delicious batuan-

containing dishes.

So if someone wants to cook KBL but couldn’t find any batuan for sale, just look

for that Garcinia binucao tree, it might even be in your neighborhood and you may not

know it.

Bryan Atas is technically a 17 year old male; academically a freshman BS Biology

student in University of the Philippines; but personally, he is a nature lover and deeply

understands the importance of phytochemicals in botanical nutrition. Basically, he

appreciates good food from natures’ basket.

Email address: [email protected]