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Lechon na, KBL pa

Lechon being ubiquitous in almost all Filipino fiesta fares and KBL (kadyos, baboy, langka) being an Ilonggo favorite, it seems that this KBL na lechon has the best of both worlds. Usually leftover lechon baboy is made into lechon paksiw (simmered in the remaining sauce) but at home, we take it a "step higher". KBL being a family favorite and almost staple too, it is always what becomes of the leftvoer lechon. The meat, the fat, and the skin too - all become part of this delicious and uniquely Ilonggo dish. The usual KBL calls for broiled pork leg to give the soup a "smoky" flavour but using leftover lechon makes the work easier but with more flavour too.So next time you have leftover lechon, most probably since this is the Christmas season - parties, reunions, etc, why not try this uniquely Ilonggo dish as a new twist to lefover lechon. Who knows, you may eventually develop a liking to it.

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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?"

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.