What is sampinit and where can you buy it?
When talking about Philippine fruits, one would immediately think of mango, lanzones, rambutan, calamansi, and other tropical fruits. But Filipino fruits are not limited to widely cultivated varieties because there are other fruits that thrive in the country.
From January to April, a local berry is sold around Laguna and Quezon. Called sampinit, it's the Philippine wild raspberry that is related to the raspberries that originated in Europe. Sampinit grows on the foot of Mount Cristobal and Mount Banahaw.
Sampinit is smaller than a regular raspberry and features a bright red color. Like regular raspberries and blackberries, sampinit also has drupelets or small round fleshy parts of an aggregate fruit.
Its flavor is similar to a raspberry and characterized by its sweet and tart taste.
Sampinit or Philippine wild raspberry features a vibrant red color | Source: Sebastian's Ice Cream
Right now, sampinit is being sold in the markets and roadside stalls in Laguna and Quezon. There's a community of farmers in Dolores, Quezon called Bangkong Kahoy Valley that offers sampinit picking to its guests. They also sell sampinit jams, wine, and other products.
However, there are no available online stores that sell fresh sampinit in Metro Manila but there are brands that sell sampinit treats which you can order online.
Some brands that use the native sampinit in their products include Sebastian's Ice Cream and Flour Pot Manila. These brands want to introduce the fruit to more Filipinos.
On the other hand, Flour Pot Manila makes delicious cakes and pastries utilizing local ingredients. One of its seasonal offerings is the sampinit doughnut. They use free range eggs and organic butter in their doughnuts, which are filled with a homemade sampinit preserve. The doughnuts are dipped in “100 percent single origin white chocolate” and topped with roasted pistachios, fresh sampinit, and pretzels.
Flour Pot Manila's sampinit doughnut | Source: flourpotmanila (IG)
These treats are seasonal offerings so they are available until supplies last.