A visit to a Strawberry Farm in Bucari, Leon

Finally, on my hand lies a freshly picked strawberry grown organically in Brgy Bucari in the town of Leon, Iloilo. It was a few weeks ago when I blogged about these fruits now grown in Iloilo. And today together with some friends, we visited a private farm which is among the first which grows strawberries in Iloilo.

Brgy. Bucari is nicknamed "Little Baguio" - pine trees, cool climate, picturesque mountainside and now strawberries. The town of Leon is around 40 minutes from Iloilo City and from the plaza, you can take jeepneys going to Brgy Bucari (9am is the first trip then 3pm is the last trip unless you occupy/hire the jeepney and make it your service).

After another 40-minute ride through scenic mountainside, lush vegetation, bumps and humps plus a lot more things first timers would notice, we finally walked down for around 20 minutes through a semi steep hillside (the view like the one below was fantastic!).

Despite the scorching summer heat, the air was cool when we traveled down the hillsides going to the farm.

Then we saw what we came for, an organic farm growing corn, lettuce, rootcrops and their star produce - strawberries!

As the farm has just started growing them, it's still a small patch in the backyard where they can be found. Still, they are inside "plastics" where they can be easily moved for natural and organic "research and development".

And there they were - red and luscious, beckoning us for a closer look. A single "seedling" can produce as much as 10 berries so it won't be a long wait when we can see this farm expand their strawberry "plantation".

Surrendering to the temptation, I finally got hold of them (I was actually concerned there wouldn't be too many left since my companions were already picking them).

And the series of clicks and flashes (despite the high morning sun) began...

Posing as if ready for a close up

Focus your attention!

A "berry" photogenic

As if the berry temptation would never end - then I had my first bite.Just a little brush of the dirt if there was any and a little wash with water. Talk about organic! Some berries even had "insect bites" to prove they were. I expected it to be sour since they are just still small. But they weren't, they were sweet with little hint of tartness, like most strawberries do. That got my strawberry appetite going - I had around 7 pieces from then on!

With our curiosity satisfied, our cameras/mobile phones teeming with photos, strawberry-cravings fulfilled, it was time to retrace our steps back - upward! It took us twice the length of time to go back up - searing heat of the sun (but the air was cool) and the steepness "doubled". But it was worth the trek. Finally we have traveled, saw and tasted "home-grown" strawberries that can be considered "right in our backyard". Now, Bucari can really pride itself as a Little Baguio!

Acknowledgment: Many thanks to Mr Johnny Que and his able staff (Arvi, Nards, Marjoe and Tina) for facilitating this strawberry farm tour. The produce of this farm as well as that of Orchard Valley are being sold at Iloilo Supermart and used at Days Hotel Iloilo, Coffeebreak, Green Mango, Floyd's Famous BBQ, Nothing but Desserts, Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine, Mojave Grill and Steak House and Amalfi Cucina Italiana, among others.

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

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.

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.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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