“Weed No More: A New Breed Of Wonder Fruit”

I published a blog post last 10 September 2011 bolstering a rare wild berry called sampinit that I and my hiking buddies found in the abundant Mt. Cristobal. The said post provided only a minor information about it.

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Recently, I stumbled upon two websites (ati.da.gov.ph & filipino.net) that have winning information about sampinit. It’s high time to share what I got from there by updating said blog post and to help my country promote the first on the list of its “seven most unpopular fruits that badly need exposure”.

First, sampinit is regarded as a weed in my homeland. The reasons are it grows well without the aid of fertilizer and it easily dominates other plants so that they are often just cut or burned by farmers.

When we were climbing Mt. Cristobal, we took a rest at one part of the mountain where our teenage guide boastfully told us that sampinit is edible but it’s just a weed to them. He didn’t tell us they are also teeming even in the low-lying lands of Quezon Province. Add to that the opposite mountain, Mt. Banahaw, where sampinit typically grows. Hence, I’m now refuting that statement from my blog post saying that this wild berry is only found in Cristobal’s boondocks.

Second, sampinit is now being organically grown for commercial agriculture at the farm called Bangkong Kahoy Valley Nature Retreat and Field Study Center in Dolores, Quezon, with the help of various agencies. The said farm is owned by Mr. Dionisio Pullan, a returnee, who is now reaping big fortune from the weed. At present, raw raspberry sells at P400-700 per kilo while processed raspberry sells at P800–P1,000 per kilo.

Third, there are now various commercial usages of sampinit. Aside from the fact that it can be eaten raw, it can be served as a shake and be made as a fruit jam. Sampinit can also be processed into vinaigrette or wine and the leaves into tea.

Fourth, with the help of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and its partnership with Quezon Agricultural Experimental Station (QAES), it is now scientifically proven that sampinit is rich in vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and phytochemicals that inhibit the development of Alzheimer’s disease and certain types of cancer.

Fifth, the scientists at the Agricultural Training Institute (an extension of the Department of Agriculture) are currently conducting studies to postulate sampinit’s classification as a unique kind of raspberry.

Last, the website filipino.net helped me out with the binomial nomenclature of sampinit. The scientific name of this shrub is Rubus rosifolius Linn. It is a variant of raspberry as evidenced by its prickly stem and it grows as high as six feet. Today, the fruit of said shrub is still gaining popularity, which is now known as the Philippine Wild Raspberry.

These pieces of information gave me a whole new appreciation for the plant; in fact, I already added Bangkong Kahoy Valley Nature Retreat and Field Study Center to my must-visited places anytime soon.

A ‘miracle’ fruit that smells like rotting onions and tastes like pulled pork (businessinsider.com)

Wonder fruit and veg we can’t live without (dailymail.co.uk)

Fruits Found In The Philippines (hubpages.com)

7 Philippine Fruits You Probably Don’t Know (filipiknow.net)

Top 10 rarest and tastiest fruits in the world (themysteriousworld.com)

Community taps on livelihood potential of “Sampinit” weeds (news.pia.gov.ph)

The Wild Raspberry and Oyster Mushroom Experience in Bangkong Kahoy Valley (ruthdelacruz.com)

Organic farming: A Bangkong Kahoy Valley of Quezon province experience (southcotobato.gov.ph)

Raspberries?! Yes Pinas, We Have This Prutas! (choosephilippines.com)

Travel] Bangkong Kahoy Organic Escape, Dolores, Quezon (mixofeverything.net)

Woman In Digital: Weekend at Bangkong Kahoy Valley (livingmarjorney.com)

Sapinit: Philippine Wild Raspberry (businessdiary.com.ph)