Cabeza De Turko Flowers As Food
La Union residents, especially those in San Fernando City, said they have known as far as they can remember that the flowers of cabeza de turko are edible. They cook it as dinengdeng mixed with ampalaya leaves or fruits and grilled fish. When cooked, the flowers taste like saluyot.
Vendors at the San Fernando City public market sell five flowers for r10 because not so many residents have this plant. According to consumers, unopened flowers taste better than open ones. And so vendors do not sell open cabeza de turko flowers.
For a number of years now that I have been observing the vendors of cabeza de turko flowers, I have learned that it does not take long before the flowers are sold. Most vendors grow this cactus themselves. They told me that they sell the flowers to the city public market for additional income.
