To know my dad is to know the Cardona Fruit Salad. Once you have tasted his version of the Filipino fruit salad, you will come to an easy conclusion that his fruit salad is, hands down, the best.
Growing up, fruit salad was synonymous with summer, celebrations, church potlucks, and Christmas family gatherings.
As a child, I would help my dad scoop mini balls of cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon with one of his two prized melon ballers—perfectly imperfect beside his expert scoops. I remember my hand would hurt from the repetitive motion of using the melon baller and from the friction of the wooden handle—nostalgia.
As a young adult, I took notice of the various “Filipino canned fruits” he would add, like nata de coco, kaong, and macapuno (staple ingredients for Filipino desserts made out of palm seed and coconut). Of course, not being a native Tagalog speaker, I would forget the names of these canned fruits while in the plethora of canned fruit aisles of the Asian market and would have to call home to ask him. The calls weren’t ever a bother; he enjoyed talking “fruit salad” and about his thriving and not-so-thriving plants and trees in my backyard. Through the years, depending on where my parents would travel, he would add local fresh fruit like lychee, mango, or Oro Blanco grapefruit, almond jelly, and his latest addition, sago (tapioca pearls).
Last Christmas, I returned to my childhood home in Toronto, Canada, to visit my mom, my sister, and her family. We decided to make a fruit salad together to remember our beloved dad. We were gifted two extra years with him and sadly lost our dad to cancer that previous summer. It was our first holiday without him. My sister and I went to visit good family friends, whom my parents have known for 57 years. We laughed and shared heartwarming stories about my dad over fruit salad, Indian rice pudding, and chai. Towards the end of the visit, they admitted that our fruit salad was just not the same and “not like Daddy’s.” We hugged and smiled with tears in our eyes.
I wish more of my church family got to meet my dad. My dad had an incredible capacity to love people—because of his love for God. He lived a prayerful and blessing-filled life with kindness, generosity, and warm hospitality. He had a remarkable ability to spread joy, whether through selfless service, forming unexpected connections, or sharing sweet Filipino treats.
In this Advent season, we are reminded that to know our Heavenly Father is to know His profound love for us. It’s about making space for Him amidst the holiday busyness and recognizing Him as the ultimate Gift of Love—a love that influences our hearts to share His goodness and kindness with everyone. As we await His return with hopeful anticipation, let us spread love deeply.
Cardona Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 cantaloupe
- 2 Honeydew melons
- 1 medium watermelon
- 4 x 15 oz Fruit Cocktail (Del Monte preferred)
- 2 x 32 oz Nata de Coco (coconut jelly)
- 21 oz Kaong (palm seed)
- 12 oz Macapuno (shredded coconut strips)
- 3 x 7.6 fl oz Nestlé Table Cream
Cindy Cardona is passionate about “making man whole” as a physical therapist. She balances her life by spending time with her family in nature’s splendor and by helping out at the La Sierra University Church Food Pantry+.