FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

It's still an "unexplained tradition" for me why native delicacies are the staples when Pista Minatay comes. Some say it's "Filipinizing Halloween" that instead of candies and other sweets, we have these native delicacies to share as treats and not as tricks. And it started in the rural areas where the abundance of rice and coconuts, among others has made these traditional eats as the "undying" staple this annual celebration of remembering the departed. So, let's start our native delicacies gastronomic journey with IBOS or more commonly known as "SUMAN" in other areas. Click for IBOS Recipe This is probably what comes to mind when one says "kakanin" as this is made with sticky rice and often partnered with ripe mango, native chocolate or just plain sugar, whether refined, brown or muscovado. There's the SUMAN which others refer to as BIKO. A delicious treat of glutinous rice oiled in coc...

Bangus  or milkfish is one of the most abundant and versatile fishes around. It can be cooked in so many way - sinugba, pinirito, sinigang, paksiw and relyeno, among others. One of the easiest yet delectable is cooking it paksiw Ilonggo-style called pinamalhan . It rooted from the Hiligaynon word " mala" meaning dry. Here's a simple recipe for Pinamalhan nga Bangus.

Now you may ask, what is Inday-Inday ? It's another repetitive-feminine named native delicacy that is made from rice like its more popular sister - baye-baye . While the latter is has its own original flavor and make, inday-inday is actually a combination of two well loved native delicacies - muasi ( palitaw ) and bukayo . But the muasi portion is not the the usual palitaw  recipe for the it's more firm and gummy (I don't know the English term for kid-ol ). Actually its more like a hardened kutsinta and this makes it more to my liking since I'm not really fond of muasi in the first place.  And its not quite easy to find inday-inday in the market today, though I've seen and tried it in Sabor Ilonggo stalls but their's is more like suman latik for the based is ibos -like. Ibos is malagkit rice boiled in gata which is called suman in Tagalog. Despite the uncertainty for its nomenclature (I've read that inday-inday is just plain pal...

Park Inn by Radisson Iloilo  and SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC), proudly announced the launch of Tela Tales Visayas in Iloilo and Bacolod City. This groundbreaking initiative aims to empower local communities and promote sustainable practices through the upcycling of discarded linens and fabrics from Park Inn by Radisson Iloilo and Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod as well as other SMHCC hotels and properties. In conjunction with the launch, Park Inn by Radisson Iloilo hosted a special event featuring a sustainable six-course lunch prepared by their culinary team, led by Executive Sous Chef Diego Trillana.  The lunch showcased the hotel's commitment to sustainable dining practices, emphasizing local sourcing, reduced meat consumption, and minimal waste. From the crispy Zucchini Batonette amuse-bouche to the refreshing Tomato Calamansi Sorbet, every dish showcased fresh, local ingredients with a creative twist!  Highlights of the Menu: 💚 Grilled Blue Marlin with Ratat...

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 this recipe. Ingredients 1.5 kilos Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED  then sliced into bite size pieces  1/2 to 3/4 kilo unripe Jackfruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit  (or tamarind p...

Valenciana is always to be found in any Ilonggo household whenever they are occasions, most especially during fiesta. Basically, "go, grow and glow" dish, it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful.  And it can come in its simplest form with just malagkit rice, pork, chorizo and bell peppers to some fancy with additions like raisins, peas, chicken, hardboiled egg (just garnish though), etc. But NO hotdogs, please... The recipe is just simple for it only involves Cooking  (Cook malagkit rice with turmeric then add some broth cubes for added flavour.)  Sauteeing  (Just gisa the pork, chicken, liver, peas, chorizo bell peppers, etc and then set aside)   Mixing  (Add sauteed ingredients to the half-cooked rice making sure of even mixing and wait for it to be fully cooked).  Garnishing   (Top with hardboiled eggs, onion leaves, etc and serve.) Dukot sang...