My fondest childhood memory of jam-making in our kitchen was rekindled when I met Frenchman Pierre Marmonier, the man behind The Fruit Garden line of French-inspired, made-in-the-Philippines luxury jams. In my world, jams are like jewels, visually delighting in those clean little jars with shiny covers, and providing comfort in a special way.
Every year we'd harvest mangoes from our orchard in Pangasinan -my father's hometown- load basketfuls of them into our trusty owner-type jeep and bring them home to Manila. Our summers were spent basking in the sweet mango aroma drifting all over the house. Mom would carefully select which ones will be made into jams, and together we stayed for hours in the kitchen just preparing them. It was a labor of love as she taught me to continuously stir the mango pulp mixture in a large vat over a low flame until the right consistency is achieved. Up to now the taste of my mother's mango jam lingers and no other jam comes close.
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| Mango orchard in Sta Barbara, Pangasinan |
Perhaps it was a similar childhood memory that inspired Pierre Marmonier to come up with his own jam selections. Growing up in the Rhone Valley in France, Pierre's breakfasts were typically bread, butter and fresh fruit jams made by her dear mother. His wife said he never ate commercial jams, nor did he find the taste of home among the jams he tasted in the Philippines. It was this longing for her mom's home-made jams that paved the way for the birth of The Fruit Garden.
Pierre began experimenting with specialty jam recipes in his Paris home back in 2003. When he moved back to Manila, he applied his French recipes and techniques to the local fruits, cooking them in small batches in copper cauldrons - like how it was done in France many years ago.
Technically speaking, jams are generally composed of fruit, sugar, pectin and acid. Fruits are chopped or crushed, mixed with sugar, and cooked until they can round up in a spoon but still spreadable. They reach the "luxury jam" status when the fruits comprise 60% of the finished product. As such, The Fruit Garden jam selections are indeed classified as true luxury jams - using only fruits and sugar, without any preservative.
Like Pierre, many Pinoys enjoy a breakfast of eggs and toasts with some butter and jam on the side. Some will probably put a dollop of strawberry jam on top of their pancakes, or spread as a filling for sandwiches. Or even smothered on a freshly-peeled banana. But the jam stops there.
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| L'Entrecote at the Forbes Town |
Through a collaboration with Chef Martin Kaspar of L'Entrecote, Pierre took us to a new level of experiencing jams not through the usual breakfast-dessert path. Using The Fruit Garden products, Chef Martin created a full course meal, highlighting the role of jams and chutneys as key ingredients that enhance a dish.
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| Chef Martin Kaspar, Owner/Operator of L'Entrocote |
We began with some warm bread and butter infused with Pineapple Coco Rhum jam. Not a fan of butter nor pineapple, I ended up liking it because of the playful flavor combination with coconut and rhum in the jam. Almost a cocktail in a butter.
A trio of beautifully plated appetizers was served next, each one infused with a different jam flavor. The Goat Cheese Tartlet with Tomato Chutney & Pure Philippines Honey Dressing is an excellent display of Pierre's products other than fruit jams. For the Gruyere Cheese Croquettes, he blanketed them with a spiced mango jam to cut through the nutty and slightly sweet taste of gruyere.
Finally, the Foie Gras with Black Peppered Pineapple Jam & Melba Toast is luxury and sophistication on a plate, a creative fusion of peppery and tart notes. The crunchy texture of the melba toast is a stark and sexy contrast to the luscious creaminess of the liver gliding on my tongue.
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| Goat Cheese Tartlet, Foie Gras, and Gruyere Cheese Croquettes |
The main course was an orange jam marinated duck breast served with Cointreau orange sauce. Citrus flavors often goes well with duck, as the acidity balances out the fattiness of this meat. Cointreau, a brand of orange liqueur from Angers, France, masterfully combines sweet and bitter orange peels resulting in a heady aroma. Together with the orange jam marinade, it gave the dish layers of invigorating citrus notes.
The creamy polenta on the side served as base for the irresistibly crispy Wine Maker Cheese I couldn't get enough of.
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| Orange Jam Marinated Duck Breast with Cointreau Orange Sauce |
For dessert, it was a duo of Chocolate Mousse with Four Seasons Jam and Fruit Cocktail Jam. In just a few seconds, I wiped out this couple. The slightly bitter taste of chocolate kicked the cutesy fruity taste of the jam with just the right power.
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| Chocolate Mousse Duo |
With his passion and vision for The Fruit Garden, Pierre is slowly changing the way we see, taste and enjoy fruit jams. Aside from selling them in bazaars and weekend markets, he also works with a number of hotels developing new flavors for them. He sets himself apart from other jam makers by blending French traditions with Filipino ingredients and leading them to new territories in terms of flavors. His effort in recycling the bottles is equally noteworthy.
As Christmas draws near, Pierre launches The Wave Collection - a special boxed set of luxury jams in wave-like stackable jars, just for the holiday season. It contains the golden Four Seasons, a medley of guyabano, orange, mango and pineapple with a vodka finish, and the maroon Winter Cocktail, a combination of blueberries, papaya, oranges and mangoes with spices and a rhum finish.
For a complete list of The Fruit Garden products and where you can find them, please visit the official website at www.thefruitgarden.net.
The Fruit Garden
Gomega Building, P. Martinez St.
Mandaluyong City
Email: pierre@thefruitgarden.net / andrea@thefruitgarden.net
Facebook: facebook.com/thefruitgarden
Website: www.thefruitgarden.net
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