Coming soon: ILOILO'S FINEST

An online article caught my attention weeks ago. Though, it wasn't mainly about food, it will have an impact in the gastronomical scene of Iloilo City most especially in the pasalubong items. Here's a snippet from the said article:

Speaking at the SME Otop Fair last July 13, 2009, de Vera also witnessed the launching of Iloilo Brand that depicts the Arroyo Fountain fronting the provincial Capitol here with words "Iloilo's Finest" to be incorporated in packaging of local products and stickers showing the best of Iloilo products and services. >>> Read complete article

It reminded me of an other article which speaks of the same thing.

For the Philippines, Mr. Cristobal said, registering the products as GIs will help prevent their misuse and misrepresentation. Using the indicator for branding will help a product increase its market share in the country and abroad, Cristobal said.
He cited Saranggani province for having registered two marks: the “Saranggani Golden Mango” and “Sarap Saranggani.” Bulacan branded its famous sweets “Tatak Bulacan.” Tarlac has registered “Natural Tarlac,” positioning the province as a source of natural and organic products, while Pampanga has “Vida Pampanga” for its delicacies. >>> Read Complete article

It's laudable effort for Iloilo businesses through the help of the local government to finally make an important addition to their products; that is recognize and be proud of Iloilo. But come to think of it, even before this stint was made "public", a few businesses have already done this.

JD Bakeshop has this Proudly Made in Iloilo seal in almost all of their packages. The first time I saw them, I was really thankful for the bakeshop for being proud of its roots. Though I have some skepticism over some of their products, I am very proud of this small effort.

Another one is Rgies Delicacies which is synonymous to great tasting butterscotch. Though not really as conspicuous, it had this Iloilo's Pride written over it's "neat" packaging. They really chose a fitting tagline since they really are makers of great butterscotch, which is in my opinion really the pride of Iloilo.

Going back to the topic, my only concern and question is that, will this Iloilo's Finest tagline be obligatory to all products and brands or just limited to really the real FINEST brands and products. I hope it's the latter but then who will choose/decide if it is really fitting to be "tagged" as one? I mean, there could be products that are not really Iloilo's finest but backed by very influential people or politicians and on the other hand some really good products but coming from a small business. The list continues but and only time will tell if this thrust will really push through.

Mama's Kitchen and Sinamay House in Arevalo

A stones throw away from the plaza of La Villa de Arevalo is an ancestral house where one can find not only good pasalubong items but also a look into the past of the district. Known as the Sinamay House , this well preserved ancestral house is an attraction not only in the outside but also what it houses inside. A collection of what the past like is housed in the two storey edifice which also acts like a museum of sorts. Sinamay is simply known as abaca by most and, here, a variety of products made from this fiber can be found. I remember watching a feature on tv wherein the owner proudly showed a framed letter signed by the late Princess of Wales, Diana, showing her appreciation of the handkerchief she was given as a gift coming from this very shop. But the attraction I am most familiar with are the chewies and crunchies made by Mama's Kitchen. Attractively packed in boxes showing their current flavours and variety, this is among the better...

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

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 por...

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...

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. ...

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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