Kamias – Averrhoa bilimbi – also known as cucumber tree or tree sorrel is a very common fruit in the Philippines used as a condiment. It is a fruit but it is so sour it is used mostly for cooking. The kamias is like the tamarind, used in making sour-soup or sinigang. We used to eat it with shrimp paste as a side dish for lunch. My grandma used to make candy out of the kamias. She will soak the kamias overnight in water with lime then dries them in the sun I forgot how long. Anyways, she would then cooked them in brown sugar or “panutsa”, or muscovado sugar shaped in coconut shell. It would almost be like a candied segment of orange, all the sourness would be gone. It is our candy back then and it is so good, just like candied wintermelon but that’s another story.
Kamias is related to the star fruit/balimbing or carambola. It is a common backyard tree in the Philippines because of its use in the kitchen. It is like a tamarind tree which is also a backyard tree in my hometown. The tree grows 5-10 meters in height. The trunk is short and stocky. The flowers are red and fills the trunk and branches. Flowers are used by other cultures as dye for fabrics. The fruits will grow plump in clusters. Unfortunately, the fruits just like star fruits cannot be store long to be marketed. It is best use fresh. Sometimes they are used as stain remover. In Malaysia, they are used to clean the blades of “kris”, a type of weapon.
The kamias fruit just like other fruits have some nutritional value. It provides protein and fiber. It also has Vitamin C, B- vitamins and carotene and also minute traces of minerals like phosphorous, iron and calcium. It has been used for treating beri-beri and strengthening of immune system because of its high ascorbic acid content. It also has anti-oxidants to fight free radicals in our bodies.