Puto Manapla de Sta. Barbara

It was during the visit of some 300 members of the Philippine Councilors last week that I got to discover this type of puto in my hometown. Usually, it's those sold 5's and wrapped in banana leaves which are also good, made in Brgy. Lanag as I was informed.

But a stall during the event had this mouthwatering display of native delicacies and among them are the visually enticing puto manapla. At first I though they were just imported from nearby towns until I was told that it was made in Brgy. (the name just escaped my mind). During regular days, a carinderia which sells native chicken binakol (which I'll be blogging about soon) carries these puto manapla, and is located beside the municipal hall.

Among the ways of determining an authentic "Manapla" puto as I was told, is the texture of the banan leaf it is wrapped in. It should be "sturdy" enough not to tear when the puto is unwrapped. And this one surely was. Nonetheless, it was the taste that really said it was a good puto manapla.

It was the ube variant that caught my attention first, of course the same with everybody else I assume, but I liked how the original one taste. It was just as heavenly as I can remember. It was also very filling aside from being a lot bigger than the usual puto manapla.

And it's just PhP8 each - a big puto with cheese on top that not only smells and looks good but also tastes good - very good! I'll be "hunting down" the maker of this puto very soon to find out how these are made!

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

An Ilonggo favorite - Suman Latik

Suman Latik is one of my favorite native delicacies - plain suman/ibos topped with sweetened coconut strips or bukayo . Most of the time those sold in the markets have this two (suman and bukayo) already in one wrap and all you have to to is devour it. But most of the time, the bukayo portion is bitin that I wish there's more. So why not make our own suman latik so you can have all the suman we want with all the bukayo toppings we desire! Here's a simple recipe for Suman Latik

Easy Century Tuna Recipes

If you're looking for simple, easy and delicious Century Tuna recipes online, congratulations, you've found it right here! How about spicy tuna sisig or tuna sinigang ? Maybe stir fried tuna with pickles or just yang chow fried rice . I love Century Tuna from its flakes in oil variety, the spicier the better, but when I discovered the versatility of its solid variant, it became an obsession. At first I was just into the usual tested recipes; pasta and sandwich filling, but then it got simpler – I just eat it straight from the can! Usually with a piece of bread or an apple. I just add a few drops of vinegar to spice it up a bit. Then came the experiments. Yup I got tired of that habit that one day, I decided to test my skills in the kitchen. Serendipity, you might call it yet most of them turned into good recipes that I have shared now and then. Satisfying my Palabok cravings had me experiment on this recipe on the spot. With Century Tuna in lieu of the us...

Muasi

A confession to start this blogpost - I consider MUASI as one of my hated native delicacies given its bland taste even with the sugar dip. But that was back during my childhood days. Maybe be because I may have used less sugar or might have completely forgotten to "dip" it at all. Yet nowadays, I have learned to appreciate it especially when its freshly cooked with the muscovado teeming the aroma of roasted sesame seeds. So let's make some MUASI

Bitso-bitso

What is bitso-bitso ? Also spelled/called bichu-bichu or bitsu-bitsu , this native delicacy is made with fried rice flour dough then coated with coconut cream and muscovado sugar syrup. Its like a combination of making palitaw and banacue . The rice flour based "dough" is usually twisted and deep fried. Then it is placed/cooked in a mix of muscovado sugar then dried out. The sugar then "re-crystallize" making a crisp coating for the fried rice flour. The result is a local delicacy that crisp and sweet in the outside yet chewy inside. Cooking bitso-bitso is done many different ways and with different mixes of ingredients. These particular ones in Santa Barbara, Iloilo are still crisp even after being exposed - they are peddled every afternoon around town for 5 pesos a piece. I particularly like the fact that the sugar coating crumbles in every bite, though messy at times, but its alway a treat to have these bitso-bitso . ...

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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