Ruby Red Tuesday and Rednesday: Macopa

MACOPA... also known as Malay apple or Tersana rose apple. When I was young we used to visit my maternal grandparents in the country side and at the back of their house this fruit tree was located. As soon as we touched our feet on the ground we ran like crazy going to the backyard just to climb up the tree and ate this fruit right on top. My parents would holler at us to climb down since we haven't pay our respect (by kissing the hands of our grandparents) first to our grandparents ^_^. I remember one time me and my brother agreed to have a climbing race going to the top of the tree of course I won but my pants got ripped hehehehehe. Those were the days. 

Botany

A tree reaching a height of 10 meters. Leaves, pinkish when young; older leaves are large, drooping, elliptic-oblong to broadly oblong-lanceolate, 15-30 cm long, 7-15 cm wide, narrowed and pointed . Flowers are large, crimson, 5-6 cms diameter, clustered on racemes aboout 6 cm long. Fruit is shiny, oblong or pear-shaped, 5-7.5 cm long, white splashed, striped with pink, or crimson to purplish, seedless or one-seeded. Flesh is white, pithy, juicy. Although rather tasteless, some varieties have a pleasant flavor.

Distribution
Cultivated for its edible fruit.

Parts used and preparation
Leaves.

Constituents and properties
• Leaf oil largely composed of monoterpenes (30% sesquiterpenes, 9 % caryophyllene).
• Considered diuretic, emmenagogue, abortifacient, febrifuge. 
Uses
Folkloric
Not known in the Philippines for its medicinal properties.
In other countries, the astringent bark is a mouthwash for thrush (dapulak).
A root-bark decoction used for dysentery and amenorrhea.
Powdered leaves used for cracked tongues.
Root-bark used as abortifacient.
In Hawaii, juice of salted pounded bark used for wounds.
In Molucca, decoction of bark used for thrush.
Malayans use powdered dried leaves for cracked tongues. Root preparations for itching.
In Cambodia, decoction of fruit, leaves and seeds used for fever. Juice of leaves used for baths and lotions.
In Brazil, used for diabetes, cough, headaches.
In Malaysian Borneo, Malaysian Bornea, decoction of stem and bark for diarrhea.
Nutrion / Culinary
Fruit is eaten raw but may be prepared with flavoring.
In Puerto Rico, used for making of table wines.
In Indonesia, flowers eaten in salads. Young shoots and leaves eaten, raw or cooked.
Others
Wood is used for construction, bowls and boards.

Studies
• Antiinflammatory: Flavan-3-ols isolated from some medicinal plants inhibiting COX-1 and COX-2 catalysed prostaglandin biosynthesis: S malaccense was one of four plants tested that were traditionally used for inflammatory conditions.
• Antioxidant: Study of 58 underutilized Malaysian fruits of 32 different species, included syzygium m

Availability
Cultivated
source:http://www.stuartxchange.org/Makopa.html

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Ang Macopa bow at ang Alamat/Legend

I went to school the other day to picked up my niece with my sister and outside the school gate is the ever beauty and red na red Macopa fruit right at the stall of our suki Manang "Katrina". I couldn't resist not to stopped by and make chika2x with Manang Katrina while munching the sweetness of Macopa.
Macopa is one of the fruits of my childhood. At the hometown of my mother, my grandparents don't have a Macopa tree but only the "Tambis" fruit. Tambis is a little bit smaller but has a light red in color and it is sometimes sour or sweet depending on the variety and I like to dip it with salt. But the one who has the Macopa tree is our next door neighbor. Every time it is Macopa seasoned we kids drool hahaha. Their Macopa fruit is very big, very red and very sweet. As kids sometimes we like to throw a plank of wood towards the ripe fruits so they will fall but this time we can't do that the Macopa tree is located infront of their house. And as kids we are so afraid that if we throw a plank of wood we might hit their glass window or anything that will lead us to a huge punishment from our parents. So what we did we just wait for the fruits to drop and pray that there will be a harsh wind so there will be a lot of fruit on the ground to pick up. Well unfortunately that neighbors of ours is not generous to us kids so that is how we get the Macopa fruit all the time. My sis and Nang Katrina

Ang Alamat nang Makopa/Macopa

Noong mga unang taon ng pananakop ng mga Kastila sa Pilipinas, sinasabing tahimik at maligayang namumuhay ang mga tao sa isang nayon sa Kailokohan. Madaling naihasik ng mga Kastila ang Kritiyanismo sa nayong yaon sapagkat ang mga mamamayan at mababait at masunurin. Kilala rin sila sa kasipagan at pagkamadasalin.

Ganyan na lamang ang pagmamahal at pag-iingat ng mga tao roon sa gintong kampana sapagkat nananalig silang sa kampanang yaon nakasalalay ang takbo ng kanilang pamumuhay. Nagsisilbi yaong inspirasyon nila sa buhay. Lalo silang nagsisikap na mapaunlad ang kanilang kabuhayan.

Ang kampanang ginto ay naging sagrado at napakahalaga sa mga mamamayan, naging laging usap-usapan hanggang mabalitaan ng masasamang loob sa isang malayong pook. Nais din nila ang kasaganaan, kaya't hinangad nilang mapasakanila ang kampana. Lihim silang bumalangkas ng kaparaanan. Nalaman nilang sa itaas ng simbahan nakalagay ang kampana. Isang gabing madilim ay nagsipaghanda sila at sandatahang tinungo ang pook ng simbahan. Mangyari na ang mangyari, pilit nilang kukunin ang kampana.

Sa kabutihang-palad, may nakapagbalita naman sa mga pari sa napipintong panloloob sa simbahan. Nalaman nilang ang kampana ay nanakawin kaya't buong ingat nila iton ibinaba at lihim na ibinaon. Ipagsasanggalang nila ito anuman ang kanilang sapitin!

Nang dumating ang masasamang loob ay hindi na nila nakita ang kampanang ginto. Laking galit nila! Dahil sa pagkabigo, pinagpapatay nilang lahat ang nasa simbahan sapagkat ayaw magtapat sa kinaroroonan ng kampana.

Anong lungkot sa taong bayan kinabukasan! Patay lahat ang mga tao sa simbahan - ang mga pari, sakristan at ilang mga tauhan ! Wala ang kampana at walang nakakaalam kung saan ito naroroon.

Inasikaso ng taong bayan ang mga bangkay ng nasawi at inilibing ang mga iyon nang buong dangal.

Mula noon, ang tagingting ng kampana ay hindi na narinig sa nayong naturan. Nalungkot na ang mga tao at nawalan na sila ng sigla at pag-asa. Tinamad na rin sila at natuyo ang kanilang pananim. Umunti na ng umunti ang kanilang ani at mga alagang hayop.

Lumipas ang maraming taon at ang tungkol sa kampana ay nalimot na ng mga tao. Nangamatay na ang matatandang nakakaalam sa kasaysayan ng kampanang ginto at ang mga kabataan nama'y wala nang nalalaman tungkol doon.

Sa loob ng bakuran ng simbahan ay may tumubong isang punong di pa kilala ng mga tao. Ito'y nagbunga ng hugis kampana, makikislap na pula ang labas at maputing parang bulak ang laman. Sapagkat nasa bakuran ng simbahan, ang mga bunga'y sa gintong kopa sa simbahan naihambing ng mga tao.

"Parang kopa!" ang sabi ng ilan.

"Maraming kopa!" ang bulalas naman ng marami.

Simula noon, kung tawagin ng mga tao ang pook simbahan ay sinasabing, :Doon sa maraming kopa, doon sa makopa."

Nang matagalan, ang puno ay nakilala na sa tawag na makopa.