Day 18: 楊梅果 The Yang Mei Fruit

It's been a week since harvest season officially started, so it's time I dedicate a post about this fruit that the owners of this farm are crazy about. Let me present to you: the Yang Mei Fruit 楊梅果 (Or Myrica Rubra, Bayberry, Waxberry, Yumberry, Chinese Strawberry, Yamamomo)

Yang Mei, also called waxberries, are the waxy fruit of the wax myrtle. They have been collected for thousands of years in China and used medicinally. It is a healthy fruit, high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals; including vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin and carotene. The yumberry has over 100 varieties including white, pink, red, and purple. Usually the purple variety of yumberry has the best quality and taste. Click to read more

It's not very common here in Taiwan, which is why people really come here to pick/buy it. This farm produces about 10 different kinds of yang mei guo. The fruits from different kinds of trees really taste different. The big trees produce the biggest and sweetest fruits. Some are more fragrant than others. Some fruits don't grow big even when they're ripe. Some leave an aftertaste.

For me, it really tastes like pomelo with less water content and much more fragrant. They also look prettier the more I look at them. I also love the smell that it leaves on my hands after I pick them.
It seems that people here think it's special enough that reporters from a newspaper and a news channel came to shoot. It actually worked, as some customers really came after reading about the farm from the papers.

Since the fruits only come out once a year, they decided to be creative and make products from yang mei guo. The fruits that fall on the ground are washed thoroughly and become either of the following: fruit juice, fruit vinegar, alcohol, preserves or flavored pumpkin seeds.

600g of fresh yang mei guo sells for P500. Other products sell from P150-P400.

Maybe I should start my own yang mei guo farm in the Philippines! Wonder if there'll be enough demand for it though~

The next three days will be crazy! It's Dragon Boat Festival and it's a holiday here, so there will definitely be lots of families coming out to play. I hope it will be as fun as it will be tiring. 加油!