FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

While most towns and places take pride on native delicacies and dishes, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo has a drink that can actually do more than quench one's thirst. It doesn't stop flowing even during summer, it is colored like tea and it "burns". But before you take out your white hankies and start waving it; or line up, bathe or take a sip in the hopes of curing physical pains, it's not actually that "miraculous" in that sense. Known as "poso", this has been the drinking water of most Sta. Barbaranhons since time immemorial. There are around five poso "water stations" around the poblacion and the most popular and the biggest is known as Sulbod just behind the Sta. Barbara public market. Others are found along Montinola Street, near the elementary school, one known as "Licup" (bearing the name of the family where it is found) and (an already defunct one) near the municipal hall. There are also p...

Tastes like melon but the size of an apple! Got these apple melons from our neighbor who bought them from a peddler in the farm. At first I thought, it's just regular melon that was harvested while it was still small.  It turns out be a minute variety of one of the popular summer fruits. It can be mistaken as pear since the color, shape and skin texture is almost like one. But the shape would give it away and that's where the apple comes in. It's like yellow apple in the outside but once sliced or eaten, you'll never second guess that it's really melon. Namit gid!

Mention Ramboy's and a mouth-watering slab of lechon liempo comes to mind! And it's among among the tastiest roasted pork belly you'll ever find.  With just the simple toyomansi (well that's how I taste it) and some other spices as the marinade ,the lechon liempo comes out with a crunch that's big on taste! When served freshly off the roaster the liempo is sinfully delicious - crunchy skin which is surprisingly melts in the mouth oozing with fats and the "meat" packing all the seasoning. It's one big bite into cholesterol heaven! Of course, just have this liempo in moderation. They also have this tasty pancit bihon - so good that we even ordered a second plate for take out. With a resounding crunch, there's Lumpia Shanghai that even on it's own, its already good to eat. And how about some sweet and sour pork? Its simplicity brings out the flavors we love and are familiar with making it doubly memorable. Enough for us to ...

I just love eating ensaymada that just came out warm from the oven. I love it even more if it's from Tinapayan Bakeshop as it is fluffy and cheesey that makes it delicious in every bite. And now there's even a premium queso de bola variation that makes every bite even more satisfying. Is it the queso de bola that gives this ensayamada a different taste dimension? The answer is just PhP40 away and I think I\ll be asking myself that question again - just for another bite of this ensaymada.

It maybe a regular salad at first glance but "something blue" makes you do a double take.  Its the Blue Ternate flower which has been appearing recently as a novelty in some restaurants and food places here in Iloilo.    Basically it's the blue hue that makes the flower stand out when used in food preparation. For salad, it creates contrast with the greens before you mix it with other ingredients like this organic salad bar at Orchard Valley Farm . It also appeared in the fresh ginger cooler they served us during a seminar on Organic Agriculture. The blue ternate created a cool color to the ginger drink which made it look and tastes "cooler". Before, I had an ice cream at a snackshop at The Molo Mansion that had blue ternate bits in it making it interestingly bluish in color. Soon, there could be a lot more lot food and drinks that will utilize the rich hue of blue ternate.

Want a slice of heaven? You're looking at one! I just love this Ube Flan Cake from Tinapayan. It is among their newest items as I was told, so as curious as I am, a pack found its way home where I enjoyed every bite of it. To start with, I am a big fan of Tinapayan's chiffon cake especially the orange chiffon but this Ube  chiffon base also has its own taste wonders. Now that's its topped with mouth-watering leche flan, it's the best of both worlds in a single bite. Fluffy ube cake meets delectable densed leche flan - can't help but jut drool over this pic. And speaking of pics, here' what it looks like as a whole cake (taken from the FB Page of Tinapayan ). They also have a plain chiffon flan cake and both are PhP 250 per order. And that's next on my target list... 

I attended a seminar on organic farming recently held at Orchard Valley Farm in Tigum, Pavia, Iloilo. Entitled "Orientation on Organic Agriculture for the 4th Estate" , it was organized by the Panay Organic Producers Association in cooperation with the Dept. of Agriculture Regional Office. As it was an enlightening discussion about organic farming which I will blog separately, food served were as interesting as the seminar. Like this corn, squash and malunggay muffin topped with kesong puti which is an "off the beaten path" combination for muffins or even baked goodies in general. It had a subtle flavor switching from corn to squash with "whole" malunggay leaves giving a visual contrast that also says "don;t worry, you're eating healthy". The kesong puti gave it a mild flavor contrast with its subtle saltiness. It was served with a refreshing buko juice that had hints of calamansi giving the coconut drink a delightful twist of it...