Nelly Favis-Villafuerte There is a fruit that is widely cultivated in the tropics that has some nutrients for our well-being. This tropical fruit I am referring to is commonly known as macopa (makopa) in the Philippines. In English, it means wax apple. Here are some interesting information about macopa (Reference: Internet reports and pamphlets about tropical fruits): •Do you know that the scientific name of macopa is Syzygium samarangense. Macopa is known as chomphu-khieo in Thailand; in Indonesia, the fruit is known as jambu klampok; roi in Vietnam; and in Spanish, the fruit is known as macopa; •Do you know that macopa tree grow up to twelve (12) meters and keeps flowering even if some fruits are ripe during summer; •Do you know that macopa is bell-shaped. If the fruit is in an upside down position, it resembles a cup or a goblet or wine glass. Thus the word “copa” in Spanish; •Do you know that macopa has one or two seeds and the color of the fruit varies from green to pink and red to dark maroon. The dark-colored is the sweetest. Compared to a regular apple, macopa is not sweet and it is more on the bland side; •Do you know that macopa abounds in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and Oceania; •Do you know that macupa which is greenish white when unripe and pinkish to red when ripe can be eaten fresh or can be sliced or mixed in a fruit salad or cooked and preserved as jam or jelly or pickled; •Do you know that the trees grow up to 5 to 15 meters in height. Macopa should be planted with 8 to 10 meters space between adjacent tree. Macupa trees need plenty of water supply thus the fruit trees are usually planted near bodies of water such as streams or ponds. The peculiarity of the seeds of macopa is that they have to be planted immediately after removing it from the fruit because the seeds lose their viability quickly; •Do you know that macopa is very healthful to pregnant women because of its high vitamin A content; •Do you know that macopa also beautifies the skin because it is rich in antioxidants such as Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Macopa has comparatively the same content of Vitamin C as mandarin oranges; •Do you know that macopa’s rich content of Vitamin C aids in preventing heart disease, cancer and arthritis and lowers the chances of stroke and inflammation because vitamin C prevents the damage of free radicals, pollutants, and toxic chemicals; •Do you know that macopa has enough moisture to quench our thirst; it helps prevents acne, too; •Do you know that in Taiwan, the flowers which have an astringent taste are used to treat fever and help stop diarrhea; •Do you know that macopa has been shown to prevent prostate cancer; •Do you know that in India, macopa is recognized as a tonic for the brain and also for the liver; •Do you know that there are reports that the leaf decoction which is used for sore eyes is also a treatment for rheumatism; •Do you know that there are some countries that use the seeds and roots despite reports that the seeds and roots of macopa are poisonous. To cite some countries: Cubans use the root to treat epilepsy; the Columbia people believe that the seeds have pain killer properties; and the people of Nicaragua use the infusion of roasted and powdered seeds to treat diabetes. It is heartening to note that macopa is one of the creations of God – with healthful benefits. Have a joyful day! (For comments/reactions please send to Ms. Villafuerte’s email: [email protected]).