Traditional Filipino massage at Kasanag Wellbeing Centre

It was a very relaxing and soothing experience when I availed Kasanag Well-being Centre's Traditional Filipino Massage. Known as hilot, this hour long massage is perfect to end a very tiring day as it calms and relaxes your body through it's five-step process.

From their website:

Hilot stimulates the systems of the body, encourages improved circulation, aids digestion, waste removal and neural communication, invigorates and relaxes muscles, speeds up skin exfoliation and promotes cell regeneration.

TUOB/BANYOS. In the old days, this was a very effective way of curing fever or regulating the body’s temperature so that it will achieve normalcy. Experience this kind of pampering. Be wrapped in a fine white cloth and have your feet soaked in a basin of lukewarm water that is infused with a herbal decoction, fresh herbs, flowers and fruits.

HINGUT-AN. This head and shoulder massage is derived from the traditional `kuto-kuto alis’. This was influenced by the rural lifestyle of Filipinos having a relaxing afternoon by sitting on bamboo-made stairways and helping each other kill hair fleas with their two thumbs.

PATTING THE FEET DRY. This concludes the tuob process, preparing the guest for the hilot session.

FILIPINO MASSAGE HILOT. This is an ancient Filipino massage that uses banana leaves to promote wellness for the guest. Banana leaves are known for protecting the body from external factors like wind and cold. Enjoy the massage as the staff applies virgin coconut oil with ylang-ylang scent all over your body.

TEA RITUAL. The experience does not stop there. Be relaxed as you sip lemon grass tea or ginger tea. The ritual lets you enjoy the taste and warmth of these natural detoxifiers.

The hilot itself lasts for around 45 minutes and after that very invigorating massage, a cup of tea (had ginger that time) ends your session in high spirits. I don't like ginger but that time, I learned to appreciate ginger more than its nutritional value, it did taste good that time.

It's really not that expensive to pamper yourself with their individual services or better yet their packaged services which aside from pampering you "to the max", also saves you money. So enjoy and relax at Kasanag Well-being Centre, your sanctuary of healing and enlightenment.

Kasanag Well-being centreand Bluejay Coffee and Deli offer this promo.

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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