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No, it does not actually make miracles happen. But still it was named as such. Growing on the rich soil of Talisay, the miracle fruit created a buzz in the recent Provincial Trade Fair as almost everyone had tried the ‘miracle’ of the fruit except us. Sigh.
Gerlie and I went to Talisay’s booth on the last few hours of the trade fair but to our dismay, we were told that no miracle fruit was brought in that day as everybody became busy preparing for the street dance competition. So we settled on asking about Talisay’s other products.
Back to the miracle fruit. They said it is a berry-like or chili-like fruit that alters the taste of a sour calamansi or a bitter beer and make them taste sweet. I believe there’s nothing really miraculous about the plant but it stirs curiosity as to how it was able to alter the taste of something not so pleasant to something pleasing and sweet. The miracle fruit was said to have originated from Thailand.
Talisay is known as the Seedling Bowl of the Nation, producing 80-85% of seedlings and saplings to the rest of the country. That is where their Punlad Festival came from. Punlad – short for ‘Punla sa Pag-Unlad’. The rich soil of Talisay is accounted to the amount of volcanic salt emission of Taal Volcano, making its earth appropriate for nurturing seedlings and saplings.
From live plants and trees, Talisay was then famous for producing silk flowers (flower-shaped decorations made out of silk). For a time they are the producers of silk flowers to dress makers and craft store owners in Divisoria. The small silk flower industry suddenly weakens when client demands apparently slide down.
May the town of Talisay continue to prosper as the Seedling Bowl of the Nation. This is another thing to be proud of as a Talisayeño and for all of us, as Batangueños.
