Physalis that I bought from Hypermarket - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
I believe that some of you know this kind of fruit and might be nothing special about it. However, there is intriguing about Physalis story from my experiences! It is an unusual one and might give you more complicated to think what exactly this fruit. Here is my story!
Someday my friends asked me to come with them to find a snake food that they called "ciplu-an." They said it was a small beautiful yellow fruit that we could eat with a sweet taste. I was confused why on hell I had to find this kind of fruit that I associated "danger." Hearing the word "snake" made me nervous, but my friends convinced me, "if the snake appears, we will run!" they said it with a teasing smile. Actually, it was a devil smile because it means if I did not go with them, it means I was not fun. We grabbed our bike and wandering around the crop field under the scorching sun. One of my friends said, "that's it! That the place when I saw lots of "ciplu-an." A few minutes later we just left our bike on the side of field streets and walked towards the bush that had no pathway and descended. "Where is it?" I said. One of my friends said, "Geez, I think they are gone, maybe the snake ate all of it." She grimaced and laughed. "When you saw lots of this fruit here?" I said. "Maybe a few days ago, or..a week ago..." she said. My heart went mad, but she said, "there are some of them, eat it, eat it!" another friend said. She said some, but actually, the fruit that left only 2!😅 And they gave me that fruit and let me eat and try the taste. Then we came back home safely without any snakes chased us, thank goodness! So, basically, my friends just wanted to have fun with me by biking and wandering around.🙄😂😁 The next day we played again and I did not remember that I went mad at them yesterday. 😅😉 I was in grade 3 at the time. And it was a wonderful memory playing with my best friends by wandering around the crop fields, garden, and learning to make our own toy or doll. After graduated from elementary school, one by one they had gone and left me behind, alone in the school. Where were they? If you read my article before about child marriages, that what happened to my best friends. Everything was not the same when we were at elementary school. Suddenly, our path just made us separated. But, I knew in deep their heart they wanted to go to school.
The first time I heard the fruit called "ciplu-an" was when my friends asked me to go with them to find that snake food. I hadn't known about this fruit before. Since that day, sometimes my friends and I went to the wild field or crop field to find this fruit. Until someday, when they were gone, I didn't do this activity anymore, because I started working in the first year of my secondary school and busy studied, while my best friends married. The fun day ended up without a goodbye.
Many years later after moved to Singapore, I felt a little nervous when saw Physalis at the hypermarket. Not only because the price is expensive, but suddenly I felt upset because it reminds me of my best friends who went and left me without saying "goodbye." What I can say about Physalis is this fruit extinct in my hometown or I can say in Indonesia. It is hard to find wild "ciplu-an" in the wild fields and crop fields. The new generation doesn't know this beautiful fruit anymore. They are too busy taking selfies and update their social media. None of them grab the bike and wandering around the village just to find unknown fruit, plants, or flower. These are the differences between my time and the new generation in my hometown.
The price of Physalis in Singapore is about $2,95 a pack. It is a small pack containing some physalis, maybe a handful. This particular fruit is from Columbia, no wonder the price is priceless since it is an imported product. However, 1 pack of apples that I have always bought is $3++ with 7 or 6 pieces. In my view, this price is still much more expensive than other fruits.
If my friends said Physalis was wild fruit and snake food, here in Singapore it is an elegant fruit because some bakery uses it as cake decoration. When I saw a Physalis stand up on the expensive cake, I just smile and said, "now it becomes elegant fruit!."😊👍 A wild fruit that grew on the wild fields and crop fields and we called "ciplu-an" is priceless in another county. I wish I could show it to my best friends, but I do not know where are they since they got married and moved to another place.😐
It was 3 weeks ago I bought Physalis. This fruit hasn't come out of my mind when writing down my shopping list every week. I consider buying apples, pear, oranges, or any other fruit rather than Physalis. If I buy Physalis, 1 pack is just enough for dinner for 2. I would like to choose to buy a pack of apples (1 pack is 6-7 apples) because it is enough for 6 times our dinners. I bought this particular fruit just wanted to try it once again after soo many years had forgotten this fruit. I almost forgot how it tastes since my best friends left me and I moved to the city that far away from my hometown to study.
About the truth that Physalis is snake's food, to be honest, I do not know, I unsure about it; maybe yes, or no. But, I have strongly believed that maybe it is true that we could find snakes around Physalis bush in the wild field since it is a good spot to hide. However, some birds might eat this fruit in the wild. At the time, in my village, lots of birds around and made nests. But, whatever the truth, I should have thanked my best friends that they introduced me to Physalis at the time. They were good kids and curious about everything around them, especially plants, and flowers. I bet if they studied, they could become a doctor or professor who researches nature.
I think Physalis has its own beautiful story about us when we lived in the tiny village. Who's know, I found this fruit in Singapore. Since moved to Singapore I have discovered lots of things that I found to disappear in my hometown but exist in Singapore. For example Double petals Jasmine flower, love letter (traditional Chinese New Year snack in Singapore, bahulu (traditional Chinese New Year cake in Singapore), rainbow cake, et cetera. Nowadays it hard to find those things in my hometown. In the past, people in the village that I come from were proud of their culture and also nature as well. Knowing that Physalis exists and I can found it in Singapore is actually makes me happy. Moreover, I learn that we have to respect nature more.
Thank you for reading my article, new recipe on my Ichi's Fusion Recipes blog, here is the link https://ichi-recipes.blogspot.com/2021/03/stir-fried-tiger-prawn-with-sukiyaki.html
Note:
- Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
- Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
- Do not copy this article without permission
- Do not use this photograph anywhere else without permission
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