FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Crispy Shrimps are among the best pasalubong buys when you find yourself in Aklan. In a recent trip to Kalibo for Globe Platinum's Noah's Ark Classroom Project Groundbreaking , we found ourselves really enjoying this ultimate Akeanon treat. This snack treat is as heavenly as the white sands of Boracay at the same time native as the Ati-Atihan Fesitval. Its made with whole unshelled shrimps - thoroughly cleaned and then mixed in the flour, salt, pepper and other seasoning mixture. It is then finally deep fried to give it a a perfect crunch in every bite. ( I assume though that they are sun-dried first before being fried )  Even though it has been packed, maybe even for days, it still has the crisp and crunch in every bite. Ofcourse, once you open a pack, you will surely be addicted on the first bite and really wanting for more! Popular brands selling this Aklan pasalubong specialty are Jocyl's, Nelfa & John, and Rosa's where I got these pack for PhP50/each...

Tam-is literally means sweet in the melodic Hiligaynon language. It is also what Ilonggos call a variant of a tuber-crop related to the ube, potato, taro and yam, among others, with a collectibe? scientific name of Dioscorea esculenta, syn.: D. fasciculata. Tubers are the enlarged storage tips of a rhizome. The “eyes” are actually buds in nodes, arranged in spiral pattern from the base to the apex of the tuber. Aerial tubers, which are common in yams, are called tubercle. ( Source ) So when most people have their first bite of the tam-is , they find it weird and ask why isn't it sweet. Now I don't have the "etymology" (how the hell it got its name) for tam-is , but it brings back the childhood memories for most especially those with access to rural goods. Tam-is is starchy but its "smoother" compared to kamote and cassava. One can find them during market days especially in inland towns where farming is abundant and crops come in different kinds. No...

Camiña Balay nga Kawayan in Guimaras was among the featured food stops during the Blog The City of Love campaign of Injap Tower Hotel . To promote Iloilo was the main focus of the 3-day and 2-night event with bloggers and writers from around the Philippines experiencing the heritage, cultural, historical and gastronomic offerings of the City of Love and Guimaras. An enjoyable island adventure started our day trip in Guimaras. An eco-tour around a mangrove forest in Brgy. San Roque commenced our trip. It is the village's community-based local tourism program that draws tourists to this part of this island. Island hopping to the many islets around the area proved to be one filled with rock formations and lots of beaches. But the place where we all frolicked was not a beach but a naked island "drowned" in 2-3 feet of water. ( More on Suba Malawig Eco-Tour   ) Lunch was next on the agenda and its was a Farm-to-Plate culinary experience at this family rest ho...

Though overshadowed by the more popular KBL ( kadyos, baboy, langka ), another uniquely dish that makes Ilonggos crave and yearn for simple but delicious eats is the combination of kadyos, manok and ubad . With no "monicker" of its own – ditch that KMU suggestion for this aint “labor-revolting ”, it’s just plainly named as such because of the three main ingredients. The ever popular-to-the-Ilonggos-but-alien-to-others is kadyos – pigeon pea. Soft beans with hues playing from dark brown to black and gives a distinct violet shade to the broth it makes. Chicken also provides protein for this dish and to make it more Ilonggo, most of the time native chickens referred to as “ Bisaya ” are used. These free roaming chickens are much flavourful than those raised in “captivity”. And ubad – it’s no typo error; yes it’s ubad with an “A”. Not to be confused with ubod, both are different yet share a similarity. Ubod is the pith of the coconut tree while ubad is t...

Macaroni Salad is a staple dessert during special occasions. Aside from being easy to make, it is also versatile to easily suit your taste and budget. And whatever your end product maybe or how it will look like, it still is a salad and chances are they will be asking for more! So here's a basic recipe of a macaroni and fruit salad. Ingredients 3/4 kilo macaroni  1 medium-sized Fruit Cocktail  2 cups Cheese, diced  500 ml mayonnaise  2 cans Condensed Milk 2 boxes All-Purpose Cream Optional Nata de Coco Kaong Peanuts, crushed Raisins  Procedures: Cook macaroni noodles according to package instructions. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, place cream then add condensed milk and finally mayo. Just adjust the quantity to suit your taste. When done, place macaroni, fruit cocktail and cheese. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving Garnish and serve cold. For the fruit cocktail usually it's Del Monte and it's either ...

So, what's on my plate? Specialties from Japan, Mexico, Thailand, China and of course, the Philippines. On separate plates (there's so much food around that they need more than 1 plate), there are Italian specialties and more plus local delights given the luxe way of dining. I found myself again at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu during my Cebu (and Bohol) escapade just a few days ago. My nth time is still anticipated with excitement as I again made my way through the hilltops of Lahug to the sentinel on top of the mountain that has been overlooking Cebu City since the 80's.  Upon arrival, the lobby was inviting as usual - as if almost waving at you for an invite to have a selfie or just a photo op. A floral centerpiece brings more life and color to the surrounding and the grand staircase that's (another) selfie magnet, Marco Plaza Cebu's lobby is already a sight to behold.  But I never let that dazzle distract me from my (gastronomic) intention - to again e...