Malunggay-flavored ice cream, anyone?

Soon, malunggay ice cream will be among the "flavors of Ilocandia."

Now setting an eye on this eventually is the Mariano State University (MMSU), a five-campus institution of higher learning in Ilocos Norte whose seat of administration is the main campus in Batac town.

Under the administration of new MMSU president Dr. Miriam Edulian-Pascua, ice cream from the iron-and calcium-packed vegetable tree and other "health crops" will be given a big push.

Aside from malunggay ice cream, the university has already come up with squash – and garlic-based ice creams.

Squash ice cream was whipped up by MMSU just about the same time as malunggay ice cream.

Recently, too MMSU produced garlic-flavored ice cream for "healthful" reasons. As MMSU’s Yolanda Pammit has reported, garlic has been said to cure common colds, high blood pressure, high fever, rheumatism, tuberculosis, wounds, respiratory problems, toothaches, snakesbites, whopping cough, and baldness.

Main ingredient of ice cream is bugo, an indigenous root crop.

MMSU began venturing into malunggay ice cream in the 1990s through the efforts of, among others, Dr. Lorna Valera and Mrs. Marilyn Domingo (College of Technology, Laoag City).

There were times when MMSU-produced malunggay ice cream was served in some Malacañang functions during the term of President Fidel Ramos through the initiative of his uncle, then Ilocos Norte Rep. Simeon Valdez.

Nutritionists have long attested that malunggay leaves and fruits contain more calcium, iron, and vitamins than other vegetables.

Two hundred grams of fresh malunggay leaves are as nutritious as four eggs and two grams of milk. Moreover, 100 grams of malunggay leaves provide 75 calories of food energy, six grams of protein, 13 grams of carbohydrates, and 353 milligrams of calcium.

Just a small volume of cooked malunggay leaves gives children their daily requirement of iron, calcium, and vitamins A, B, and C.

One more essential malunggay attribute is, it is a "vegetable tree for all seasons" (it thrives in backyards throughout the year). – Rudy A. Fernandez