100% Pinoy: Flavors of Iloilo

I remember watching this episode years ago around 12mn on GMA 7. It was truly a gastronomic delight even at that time since I was still in Manila and it sort of satisfied my cravings for Ilonggo delicacies. Here's a snippet from that episode that eventually inspired my blog name.

From 100% Pinoy GMA NEWS

Pista ng mga pagkain

Kilala ang Iloilo dahil sa Dinagyang Festival na talaga namang dinarayo rito tuwing Enero. Sa Dinagyang – na nangangahulugang "kasiyahan" – makikita ang iba't ibang palabas at parada.

Syempre hindi mawawala rito ang pista ng mga pagkain kung saan kilala rin ang Iloilo.

Dinayo ni Raffy Tima ang pistang ito ng pagkain at inumin para makisaya sa taunang pagdiriwang ng Dinagyang.

La Paz batchoy

Kapag sinabing Iloilo, kakambal na nito ang La Paz Batchoy.

Kapag sinabing La Paz Batchoy, agad na pumapasok sa isip ang Deco's – ang sinasabing original na gumagawa ng La Paz Batchoy. Ito raw ay pagmamay-ari ng tinaguraing "Father of La Paz Batchoy" na si Frederico Guillergan.

Pero kahit na sila ang nauna, meron ding ibang namayagpag sa lasa – ang Ted's Oldtimer La Paz Batchoy. Sa sobrang sarap daw nito ay umabot na sa Maynila ang kanilang specialty.

Minatamis ng Ilonggo

Ang minatamis na yata ng Iloilo ang pinakamakasaysayan sa bansa.

Alam nyo bang ang kauna-unahang minatamis dito ay nagmula sa tira-tirang itlog na ginamit sa pagpapatayo ng simbahan ng Molo sa Iloilo? At ang sikat na biscocho ay nagmula sa mga patapong tinapay?

Pinaniniwalaang may "sweet tooth" daw ang mga Ilonggo at nasasalamin din dito ang isang katangiang pinagkakakilanlan sa mga taga-Iloilo – ang pagiging malambing.

Ilonggo specialties

Hindi natatapos sa La Paz Batchoy at sweets ang panlasa ng mga Ilonggo dahil dito rin matatagpuan ang ilan pang putahe na proudly Ilonggo-made talaga.

Nariyan ang pancit molo, binakol, kansi, kadyos, tambo at marami pang iba. Alamin kung paano ginagawa ang mga ito sa 100% Pinoy, Huwebes ng gabi pagkatapos ng Saksi, sa GMA.

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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