Filipino Fruit Salad for Christmas

Filipino Fruit Salad for Christmas!

As we're nearing my favourite holiday, Christmas, my family is already planning for our Noche Buena (meaning Good Night or alternately Christmas Eve in Spanish), a traditional Filipino family feast taken place right after Christmas' midnight mass.

Did you know: Maligayang Pasko is Merry Christmas in Tagalog. 

This Yuletide fare usually includes: pandesal (sweet Filipino buns) with sliced hamon (Christmas ham) and queso de bola (edam cheese ball sealed with red wax), fruit salad, macaroni salad, bibingka and tsokolate (Filipino hot chocolate). By the time we've tucked into this bountiful meal, it's 2am and our tummies are full, but we're wide awake getting excited to open presents and while Frank Sinatra and Perry Como Christmas classics are jingling in the background.

Here's an easy and colourful Filipino fruit salad recipe that will get your family & friends excited for the holidays!

Make enough fruit salad for leftovers, your family will love you for it!

Fruit Salad
Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients
- 1 can (770 ml) DelMonte Fiesta Tropical Fruits (pineapple, nata de coco, papaya and cherries)
- 1 can (398ml) sliced peaches in juice, drained and diced
- 1 can (398 ml) pear halves in juice, drained diced
- 1 fresh apple, chopped
- 1 jar (340ml) kaong, sugar palm fruit in syrup
- 1 jar (340ml) coconut strings in syrup
- 1 cup whipped cream
- 1/2 can (300ml) condensed milk

Directions
1. Drain all canned and jarred fruit preserves well so no juices are remaining. This will ensure the whip cream and condensed milk will not get watered down.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Chill for 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Fruit salad, masarap!