Jonah's: Boracay's Best Local Fruit Shake

5 bottles of Jonah's Fruit Shakes

Banana Pineapple - Watermelon - Banana Mocha - Banana Choco Peanut - Papaya Pineapple

With prices ranging from Php95 to Php110, it may not come cheap but it's not over the top expensive either. In fact I find the price justifiable. We're in Boracay after all.

After a good island hopping adventure with my family, we needed some thirst quenching goodness so I told them we should check a local and tourist favorite, Jonah's Fruit Shake. It's a legend in Boracay when it comes to its bottle filled tropical fruit shakes.  We went to their branch near the main road and I asked for their best seller while everyone choose their fruit mixes. I was handed a Banana Choco Peanut and became an immediate fan.

Prior to the visit, we've tasted some fruit shakes already to complement our meals in Boracay. Lowest fruit shake price of a budget restaurant would range Php75 up and it's just one fruit filled with ice shaves. Jonah's version on the other hand has a lot of interesting fruit mixes and I was able to finish everything in the bottle, not even an ice shave left. On top of it, the flavors are really good, fit for an island paradise. Thus I find the price justifiable.

Undeniably the best fruit shake in Boracay.

7 Secrets to Safer Produce

Washing fresh leafy greens and herbs with diluted vinegar before you cook or eat them could save you from food poisoning. Here are 7 more tips to help protect you from contaminated produce.

1. Start while you shop. Only buy fresh or bagged produce if it is refrigerated or tucked into a bed of ice.

2. If you buy pre-cut or already-peeled produce, refrigerate it the moment you get home.

3. Check whether your refrigerator is keeping your food cold enough. Visit your local hardware store and ask about a thermometer for fridge temperatures. Make sure your refrigerator is set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or less.

4. Moisture is like a party invitation for food-poisoning bacteria, so don't let greens soak in the sink. Also, don't wash produce if you plan to store it in the fridge a few minutes later.

5. Before peeling or eating fruits and veggies, wash them well and then dry them with a clean paper towel.

6. Produce with a rind should be scrubbed with a clean brush before peeling. Otherwise, your peeling knife may transfer outside bacteria to the edible inside of your fruit or veggie.

7. To destroy E. coli, saute or boil leafy greens at 160 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for at least 15 seconds.

Pickled Mango from Antonio's Slices of Life

bottles of Antonio's Slices of Life pickled mango and papaya

Last Christmas, my uncle gave us bottles of pickled mangoes and papaya from Antonio's Slices of Life. I have previously posted here my undying love for manggang hilaw and bagoong (unripe mangoes with shrimp paste). Obviously, I got too excited when I chance upon these bottles at the dining table. The fruit slices are packed in clean attractive bottles, fermented with home-made, all-natural (no preservatives), brine solution. I've never tasted a pickled mango nor papaya before, so I was curious as to how it would actually taste. 

I opened up a bottle of Dizon Farm Bagoong and immediately opened the bottle of pickled mango. Given the fact that it doesn't have the usual crunch anymore since it's pickled, the first bite was quite odd. But with every bite I took, it dawned on me that hey, I think I'm beginning to like it. The sweet sour-y taste of mango is already flavorful that it's ok not to dip in a shrimp paste.

Antonio's Slices of Life also sells pickled apples and grapes. 

Kiwi Shake

Kiwi Shake

The last time I visited my cousin ate Leah of Pinoy Holistic Healthcare, she blended up Kiwi shake for us which is a mixture of kiwi and milk . Kiwi fruit has never been a favorite, in fact it's like a stranger to me. I mean it's not something we commonly see on supermarkets. So when my cousin found out that it was on sale at SM, she grabbed a few. Eager to try, I consumed 1 glass. It has this fresh citrusy flavor and and best of all it's healthy.   

Snack of the Week: Manggang Hilaw with Bagoong

One of the best thing about being a Filipino is the abundance of this irresistible duo treat in the Philippines - Manggang hilaw and Bagoong (green/unripe mangoes with shrimp paste). Philippines has also been known to have the sweetest mangoes around - Guimaras mango, which is a variety of the popular Carabao Mango (Manginera indica). In 1995, the Guinness Book of World records listed the Carabao Mango as the sweetest fruit in the world. But we also love it's sour-y version which is the popular street food, the manggang hilaw.

Manggang Hilaw with Bagoong handpicked beside our house

September is Durian Season in the Philippines

"Smells like hell, tastes like heaven", that is probably this fruit's old-time famous line, a brilliant justification for its uncanny smell. Yes, for most people it does smell awful! But don't let the unfriendly scent and its spiky looking round fruit mislead you...it deserves to be tried and best of all tasted! 

Recipe: Mango Float

Has any of you seen the commercial of M.Y. San Grahams aired way back where a fun mother shows how easy a dessert can be made using the company's product? That was my inspiration kasi! I saw how easy it was to prepare a dessert without the gruelling process of baking. Thus the birth of my own Mango Float version...tadah!

Mango Float