Rough Groove

Pomegranates in Ongpin

Just as I was on my way back to the Carriedo LRT station, I was walking along Ongpin St. in chinatown for some errands, that I passed by a couple of fruit stalls and what just captured my attention were a few boxes of pomegranates neatly packaged in plastic with chinese calligraphy and styrofoam pouches.

It has been decades since I’ve enjoyed this unique fruit that we locally call granada (translates to grenade in English). Maybe because of its shape and hundreds of tightly packed seeds covered in the most delicate and translucent pulp sometimes with a tinge of red or purple or maroon or just plain translucence arranged in sections covered with a thin gossamer sheath.

My step lola (grandmother) introduced us to this fruit when we were still children, visiting her childhood house in Poblacion, Talisay. Just before going back to our house in Dumlog, we used to check the small and delicate tree that was growing near the gate and if we were lucky, plucked the fruit/s that were hanging on the thin branches.

A few years later, I planted one infront of our house and it grew and bore fruit. Unfortunately, when I went to Mandaluyong for my college, it was all but forgotten.

Seeing and tasting this one again just opened a flood of memories.