Which of these PAMAHAW would you prefer?

Here are the 10 entries in this year's search

for typical Ilonggo breakfast.

OPEN CATEGORY

“Milkfish with Love (Bangus con Gugma)”

I never thought that this is one of my beloved bangus recipes. This is sinigang na bangus with puso ng saging. The banana heart gives the broth a distinct white color and also serves as the “vegetables.” I was near this display, when the judges were doing their interview with the chef and penning the scores when I heard Ms. Pauline Banusing say “Manamit sya!” This got to be one of the simplest entry and presented very simply too. Just this bowl of soup, some cups and utensils. Not even a “grain” of rice on the table.

*WINNER* “Arroz Carrajuevo” *wINNER*

I was right of course to say this had rice with kalkag on top. It’s a simple dish of fried rice, poached? egg with vegetables and small chops of salted fish (I think) but the presentation managed to “hide” the simplicity. Even the table set up was very simple. It had no “trimmings” whatsoever just some tabletop design. Surely it was overlooked by the judges.

“Ilodoco with Bagoong Rice (Iloilo Itlog Adobo)”

This one’s really simple and presented simply too. Scoops of bago-ong rice, sunny side up egg and chicken? adobo. The decorative cucumber seemed to have overdone the presentation, imo. A few pieces would have done so but this one looks there’s a cucumber party going on.

“Unwrapped Lumpiang Ubod with Peanut Sauce”

I was lucky to get this photo since there was a crowd around ready to dive in this entry. A lady beside me even tasted the native chocolate (see the mark?) while I was getting this shot ready. So the lumpia is the main dish with ibos, central na kalamay and mango as dessert. A cup of cocoa and some decors complete this entry. Want to know what it tastes like? Just spread peanut butter on your lumpia (I think).

“Umbok-umbok”

Yep it’s fried quail and its eggs on top of fried rice. If not presented this way, it could even pass as a “tapsilog”. Hmm, if umbok umbok doesn’t create a stir, maybe “quasilog” will do. This entry seems to pay homage to Mang Inasal (one of the sponsors) by the use of banana leaves on the plate.

STUDENT CATEGORY

“Tulingan sa Gata at Batuan”

First, I would commend the table set up for this entry. You can distinguish its table even from Guimaras island (lol). It had this large gabi? leaf (around 4 square feet- more LOL ) protruding from a very tall glass vase filled with colored gel thingies. That’s all I remember. And this got the best trays I’ve ever seen, a classy all glass with roughly cut edges that would even make a candy wrapper a thing to behold! Anyway, this entry really surprised me since it was not I imagined it to be. It was even better. It reminded of me of my favorite way of cooking canned mackerel. I think the tulingan was first fried then stewed in the gata and batuan concoction (or vice versa)….If only you could have seen the table presentation! (LOL)

“Guma-a with Kalkag Rice”

The entry name and the photo don’t come as a surprise since it’s really “it”. But I’ll just have to describe it (lol). A cup of rice mixed and topped with kalkag with guma-a halves sitting on a bed of chopped onions and tomatoes. This entry is probably the first thing that comes to mind when one says “pamahaw”. People around were not so interested since it’s really a typical breakfast just served in a much nicer way. But give me this plate anytime of the day and it’ll never see tomorrow.

“Toasted Pandesal ni Paa served with Whipped Butter and Trappist Guava Jelly, Fried Molo Balls, Guimaras Fresh Mango and Native Chocolate Drink”

This got to be one of the crowd pleasers since it’s very convenient to eat compared to the other entries. That's why it was almost gone when I got to this entry(Sorry no pics of fried Molo balls). Very simple to prepare, only the Molo balls need actual cooking and the rest just mix and assemble. I would say this would have been a nice addition to the menu of hotels and restos in the city, but the only downside I see … the name’s too long!
Just imagine this scene in hotels and restos all throughout the city“Waiter, I want to order Toasted Pandesal ni Paa served with Whipped Butter and Trappist Guava Jelly, Fried Molo Balls, Guimaras Fresh Mango and Native Chocolate Drink” And he responds “ Sir, one order of Toasted Pandesal ni Paa served with Whipped Butter and Trappist Guava Jelly, Fried Molo Balls, Guimaras Fresh Mango and Native Chocolate Drink coming up” LOL

*WINNER* “Linupak Layered Root crops served with Pulot” *WINNER*

It’s “nativity” (being all native that is) is a plus and the mix of colours seem to be like a halo halo sans the liquids. Banana, ube, coconut strips and others (I forgot to look closely.) with pulot as syrup, this breakfast could either make or break your day, IMO. This mix of root crops plus pulot could give you the much needed carbohydrates to jumpstart the day or if you’re unlucky, you’ll spend the day in the bathroom. Pardon me lol and also forgive me for the quality of the photo, it was one of the last entries I've been too and yes, it was almost gone when I got there.

“Bino-otan nga Pangat”

A well prepared and presented entry but this doesn’t typify an Ilonggo breakfast or just even only breakfast. But this entry would be a big hit if served in classy pinoy restos in the city like Bauhinia (at The Avenue) since this dish has the restos mark, making simple Filipino dishes classy not only for the palate but also visually.

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

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