Enigmatic Himbaba-o or Alukon - Unique Vegetable (SVWorld Series)

PUL-OY (Breeze)

San Vicente Ilocos Sur RP to the World Series

Enigmatic Himbaba-o or Alukon  

Dr Abe V Rotor 

Deciduous Himbaba-o or Alukon (Ilk), on-the-spot pastel  drawing by the author, La Union Botanical Garden, SFLU. Author's sister Veny, gathers staminate flowers of alukon in San Vicente Botanical Garden. Alukon is scientifically known as Broussonetia luzonica (Blanco), Family Moraceae.  It is also referred to as Birch Flower. 

 What comes to mind painting or drawing a culinary subject, such as the alukon tree standing in a thicket on a hillside away from town? Imagine being a Survivor searching for any available food in the wild. Or Henry David Thoreau living alone by the Walden Pond. (And writing a treatise of man and society of this title) 

It's a delicacy of the Ilocanos - alukon

to the Tagalogs in Quezon - himbaba-o

It comes in other names in other places;

its flowers cooked into diningding or stew,

with kamote to thicken its soup - buridibud, 

and topped with broiled tilapia or hito. ~