FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Googling for Pancit Efuven showed only a handful of pages and most links were actually some of my own forum posts and pictures.  PCIJ’s online article said this noodle was actually named from the maker but it had no supporting information actually also made me hunger for more, info that is. My familiarity with this noodle started on the fact that it had become one of the staple noodle dish prepared at home, whether on special occasion or just any given Sunday lunch.  I can only assume that we (family members) got curious about this noodle variety that we tried to use it instead of the usual pancit canton, bihon or sotanghon. Or we might also have heard others talked about it or ate in some restaurants serving this pancit. It has no special ingredients, just plain and simple noodle. Some say it’s the local version of linguine, others a much cleaner pancit canton.  It doesn’t really matter but for me it does taste like a cross between a panc...

The district Jaro, Iloilo celebrates biggest fiesta in the region characterized by the pageantry and the grandeur of the occasion paying homage to Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria , the patron saint of Western Visayas. Every February 2, all roads lead to Jaro as Ilonggos celebrate the feast of O ur Lady of Candles in different aspects - religious, gastronomic, enterprising, and more. (For) As early as December the Jaro Plaza is teeming with the Jaro Grand Carnival with activities like carnival games, food stalls, fruit stands and ukay-ukay, among others. It culminates on fiesta day with the coronation of the Fiesta Queen, chosen among the lasses of Jaro families. For the second straight year, I was at the Jamerlan household (thanks Sir Eugene) to celebrate the gastronomic part of the Jaro Fiesta. And just looking at the spread alone, it is indeed a grand way of celebrating the fiesta with one of the prominent Jareño families. And the gastronomic journey started with these a...

Noodles named after its maker, this Ilonggo pancit has no special or secret ingredients. Can be made into a variety of dishes like the usual pancit canton or just being topped over with chop suey, this local version of thin, flat pasta is slowly catching up with its other famous relatives, La Paz batchoy and pancit Molo After a year when I posted this entry, I just have to *bump* it back on top because of a funny yet irritating story. Last Sunday I watched Istayl Naton , a local lifestyle show over GMA TV 6. It features the culture&heritage, places&landmarks, people, events&festivals and almost everything Ilonggo (and beyond). Ofcourse, Ilonggo cuisine is an integral part of it since this is part of the charm of the region. Pauline Gorriceta-Banusing was featured for the Nth time and it was Freska , her native Ilonggo foods restaurant that took centerstage. It was would have just been a usual feature when something caught my eye that made me laugh my heart out at the same ...

PCIJ’s online article said this noodle was actually named from the maker but it had no supporting information actually also made me hunger (no pun intended) for more, info that is. Googling for Pancit Efuven showed only a handful of pages and most links were actually some of my own forum posts and pictures. So I decided to update my blogpost about this Ilonggo noodle, not that I'm an expert but the fact that I am familiar and has some visual information that would certainly satisfy, at the same time spark more, interest on efuven. My familiarity with this noodle started on the fact that it had become one of the staple noodle dish prepared at home, whether on special occasion or just any given Sunday lunch. I can only assume that we (family members) got curious about this noodle variety that we tried to use it instead of the usual pancit canton, bihon or sotanghon. Or we might also have heard others talked about it or ate in some restaurants serving this pancit. As what the pa...

PCIJ's (Philippine Center for Investagative Journalism) online article entitled Republic of Pancit reveals these three noodle dish contributions of the Ilonggos in the Philippine gastronomy scene. La Paz Batchoy The most famous (and easily "accessible") contribution of all and named after one of the city's districts, La Paz batchoy would probably be among the icons that would represent Ilonggos. Teds Old Timer Deco's Original Pancit Molo Another dish named after one of the city's districts is basically is of Chinese "descent" but with Ilonggo flavour. Pancit Efuven The least known of all, efuven is the Ilonggos answer to pancit canton, bihon or sotanghon or even pasta.