Or simply nilatik, this uniquely Ilonggo dish is referred as such for the use of coconut milk in it's preparation. Other places may just refer to it as ginata-ang kalabasa. Among the favorite of the locals, this dish is packed with vitamins and minerals from it's two main ingredients. The kalabasa, with its yellow color provides vitamin A while the malunggay, well, innumerable nutrients.
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...