Benefits of ‘kamias’

One of nature’s unappreciated fruits is the kamias or bilimbi. The sour fruit is a natural source of vitamins B and C, iron, phosphorus and antioxidants. Its other amazing benefits:

Its leaves relieve coughing, thrush, hemorrhoids, stings, itches, pimples and skin eruptions.

Its fruits can control gastrointestinal bleeding in the stomach, fight cholesterol, fever and inflammation, and prevent cough, beriberi and scurvy.

It’s antidiabetic and antibacterial.

The juice from its fruit can be used for household purposes, like cleaning and bleaching. It removes rust and stains.

It can be eaten with salt, soy sauce or sugar. Just as some people relish green mango juice, there are those who enjoy sweetened kamias juice.

Kamias can be incorporated into a variety of dishes:

Veggie paksiw, with eggplant, radish, okra and ginger

Kamias curry (put in salted water for 10 minutes, and squeeze juice out before cooking)

Monggo dhal, cooked with curry patta leaves

Palabok noodles blended with squash sauce and achuete, topped with fried tofu, seaweeds, crushed chips, spring onions and slices of kamias

Beanuguan—kamias blended with boiled black beans and cooked with radish, sayote and vinegar (add some sugar and salt to taste)

Adobong eggplant

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