Garcinia binucao is a species of flowering plant in the Clusiaceae family.[1] It is commonly known as binukaw, takway or batuan, is a species of Garcinia endemic to the Philippines. It is not cultivated, though its edible fruits are harvested from the wild for use as a souring agent in some Filipino dishes.
Binukaw belongs to the genus Garcinia (the mangosteens) of the family Clusiaceae. The first description of the correct name of the species is attributed to the French botanist Jacques Denys Choisy in Description des guttifères de l'Inde (1849) based on the basionym Cambogia binucao from the Spanish friar and botanist Francisco Manuel Blanco in Flora de Filipinas in 1837.[2]
The plant is known as binukaw (also spelled binucao, binukau, or bilukaw) in Tagalog, and batuan in Visayan languages. Other names include Ilocano balakut, Bikol buragris, and Panay Visayan haras.[3] The common names are sometimes shared with other similar Garcinia species in the Philippines like Garcinia morella.
Binukaw is an evergreen tree growing to a maximum height of around 25m (82feet) with a trunk around 40cm (20inches) in diameter. The leaves are oblong to obovate around 5to long and 4to wide. The flowers are reddish to creamy white in color. The fruits are round berries, around 4cm (02inches) in diameter with a juicy pulp and numerous seeds.[3]
Binukaw is endemic to the Philippines.[4]
The sour fruits are edible and can be eaten raw. They are also commonly used as a souring agent in traditional Filipino dishes like sinigang.[5]
'Takway' is called "pansit ng bukid" since it grows almost anywhere in the fields. In Iloilo, it is called "palutpot" or "runners" of root crops or taro. As culinary ingredient, it combines with coconut milk, like ginataang alimango. In Davao City, paksiw na takway is blended with mora moro or mackerel scad (galunggong).[6]
The species is becoming rare due to illegal logging and deforestation for agriculture.[7]