Regarded as a lesser-known indigenous fruit, especially in the Visayas, the batuan was found to have potential uses in many food products.
The fruit is common and widely distributed in primary forests at low and medium altitudes throughout Luzon and the Visayas, particularly in Iloilo and Negros Occidental provinces.
This is according to a monograph series published by the Philippines-based Southeast Asian Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) that gave information on batuan products and technologies.
SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said the series was made under the "Financial Viability and Profitability Analysis of Agricultural Technologies and Enterprises" project commissioned by the Philippine Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR).
The series gives information and analyzes the profitability and financial viability of selected products and technologies funded and promoted by BAR, he added.
"The project also aimed to stress the importance of conducting thorough research and analysis to attract potential adopters and investors in developing products and technologies," Gregorio said, adding that a volume in the series discussed the technology and investment profile of batuan products.
Under the "Production and Technology Promotion of Batuan in Region 6" project, the batuan technologies featured in the monograph were developed by Peter Sobrevega, Corazon Arroyo, Elizabeth Amit and Nora Garpa of the West Visayas Agricultural Research Center in Iloilo City.
The technology developers said that aside from its traditional use as a souring agent in local dishes, batuan has potential uses as jelly, jam, pastillas, pickles, powder and soup mix.
They also said batuan products were used by famous local chefs to further promote the fruit.
Their detailed discussion on the technology of batuan products and its financial analysis from the monograph, called "Technology and Investment Profile of Batuan Products," may be downloaded for free at https://www.searca.org/pubs/monographs?pid=476.