Inside: Rgies Delicacies

When I first blogged about RGies Delicacies years ago, I had a (day) dreamt of visiting its factory and having an up close and personal look on how those yummy butterscotch are made.

An assignment for a local magazine last March brought me to Gran Plains Subdivision in Jaro to interview Mrs. Grace Javelosa, the “G” in RGies. I first met her together with her husband Ramon – the “R”, months ago when I was scouting for sponsors for the Visayas Blogging Summit. From then on, I knew that it won’t be our last meeting.

“Butterscotchelicious” and “yemarrific” described that afternoon as my ogled in all directions the moment I stepped inside the premises. A display of their goodies greet visitors as packs of butterscotch with variants, yema, butterscotti and walnut flake cookies scuffle for one’s attention.

As I was led deeper into the lair of sweets, I found myself in the heart of it all – the kitchen. There, I was lucky to have seen what usually off limits to most - how both butterscotch and yema were created. Mrs. Javelosa even gave me a bird’s eye-view of the raw ingredients and the step by step processes involved. I had a glimpse of how butterscotch looks before it enters the oven or how yema is processed before it becomes a ball of sweet.

Then I was off to the packaging station, a floor above the production area. It was as if I had sweet dreams as a galore of butterscotch and yema welcomed me. There I saw how these were transformed from trays and mounds of sweet concoctions into what we buy in stores and enjoy at home.

Straight from the kitchen, trays of butterscotch are cooled off in racks as they wait their turn of being processed. Then a team does the work - one slices each tray into the right size, another places it into individual wrappers. One then is in charge of sealing while another places them in packs of 10’s or 25’s.

The yema, on the other hand, was a more subtle work compared to the hustle and bustle of butterscotch. But it’s also team work as one forms the cooled concoction into balls and rolls it over sugar, another delicate wraps them in colored cellophane and packs them in 10’s.

I then had a casual talk with the RGies couple inside their “home sweet home”. Both were insurance agents before they decided to venture into the pasalubong business. It still is the same venture but this time it ensures the sweetness of life and that’s guaranteed!

More photos on Facebook | Read the magazine article.

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Search This Blog