FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Chances are, you might already be munching and enjoying a lot of native delicacies in your respective provinces when this time of the year arrives. It's an "unexplained tradition" why native delicacies are the staples of the season. Some say it's Filipinizing the Halloween that instead of candies and other treats, we have these native delicacies to share. They say it started in the rural areas, with the abundance of rice and coconuts, make these the season's staples. ( Link to the recipes is posted at the end of the blogpost ) Let's start with linugaw , though it is made year round as ingredients are not seasonal, it is always during Pista Minatay that we make the biggest batch. A concoction of coconuts, kamote, ube, sab-a, sago and rice flour balls all simmered in a thick rice flour and coconut milk mix. A simple yet tedious cooking process makes this one of the most satisfying home-cooked meryenda for all seasons. And I like it c...

Chances are, you might already be munching and enjoying a lot of native delicacies in your province as today, Nov. 1 is when most Filipinos go visit their dead in cemeteries despite the fact that it's actually All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day is still a sleep away. It's an unexplained tradition why the mix up just like why native delicacies are the staples of the season. Some say it's Filipinizing the Halloween that instead of candies and other treats, we have these native delicacies to share. they say it started in the rural areas, with the abundance of rice and coconuts, make these kakanin's the staple. And that this tradition may have caught up with the urbanites who at some point of their lives have took part of this traditon, adapted it in the big city. Whatever the case or occasion maybe, these native delicacies are always anticipated as it brings back not only the the taste memories one had in his younger years but they are really good eats i...

Last Saturday, I was lucky enough to avail of the last two "packs" of puto lanson sold for PhP15 each at Sabor Ilonggo at The Atrium. I've been looking for one ever since so as to update my photo of this native delicacy. Puto lanson is also called aripahol nga balinghoy (kamoteng kahoy or cassava). It is made with this grated root crop, coconut plus flavourings then steamed and sold in banana leaves. It has a rough finish opposite that of the more popular puto but it packs in more flavour that I eventually finished this pair in just one sitting. How to make Puto Lanson Puto Lanson Ingredients: 4 cups grated cassava 6 tbsp. brown sugar 1 cup grated Young Coconut (long and thin) Mascuvado (optional) Tin Molds ( you can use Condensed Milk can, cut in half and make sure to put holes at the bottom ) Puto Lanson Cooking Instructions: Prepare the Cassava, peel and wash it. Grate the Cassava once finished then squeeze out the juice using cheese cloth, air dri...

I was sleepily watching television one afternoon when I heard shouts of "aripahol" in the street. I was wide awake all of a sudden and totally forgot what I was watching for without thinking, I immediately called out the vendor to our gate. Very excited to finally get hold of aripahol, it was such a dismay that it turned out to be puto lanson. She said that its actually aripahol made from cassava while the the one I was looking for was made from pilit, a sticky rice. She also had had bingka which were plump and not like the ones commonly found in the plazas of Molo and Jaro. It smelled good that I was enticed to get two packs (10 pieces in all) and only 2 pieces of puto lanson just to update my photo. Surprisingly the bingka tasted really good. It may not have generous amount of coconut and it almost in the border of being like a puto in consistency, it tasted really good. Though they are what you will term as commercialized , I will say again that they were really good ( l...

A puto made mainly from desiccated cassava and shredded coconut.