Sunday, June 24, 2007 A little bit exotic, a little bit mestiza By Jinggoy Salvador
IT'S not a beauty pageant candidate or a mail order bride. Is that the picture that came to mind? A little bit exotic and a little bit meztiza. Definitely not a mongrel aka askal. Let's try cuisine this time.
Let's play quick Q&A very much like what Kuya Boy A does to his guests. No mahiwagang salamin to tell messages to after the game. Tell me what province comes to mind when I say:
* The best longanisa
* The tastiest halu-halo
* The most unusual bagoong
* The best tocino
* Most talked about sisig
* The best confections: polvoron, puto seco, yema
If you answered Pampanga in all of the above, then you got it right. Lahar was completely disregarded, you can't eat the ashes but can you can create a million forms with it.
We call the Ilongos "tikalun," the Ilocanos the thrifty bunch and the Capampangans the best cooks. They are also known to be the "proud" race and maybe they have every reason to be, gastronomically that is. Who hasn't heard about the culinary skills of the Capampangans? Isn't it second nature to us Pinoys that the follow up question after finding out a person is from Pampanga is, "O, di masarap ka magluto?"
One would be lucky to have a friend from Pamapanga who knows his way around the kitchen. They can surely cook a mean meal. The cuisine must have been influenced highly by the Spanish; rich-sauced dishes. Never "stand alone" dishes, these must be paired to our staple food-rice. There's just no other way to enjoy meals like these.
It is not surprising to know that each household having their own secret recipe. They can even tell who prepared that asado you are currently consuming. A friend relates of a great tasting asado to her Capampangan host and got this as a reply, "This must have come from Mrs. so and so. Try mine." When asked how she would prepare hers, all she got for an answer was, "Basta tikman mo lang." The taste must have been distinct per preparation and as to the recipe why this came about - don't hold your breath.
Let's focus on the dessert. Just about anyone who has visited this province would agree that their Halu-halo is simply the best. Can you picture your dessert bowl with all those sweetened condiments of mongo, bananas, white and red beans, ube, langka, sago, gelatine, topped with a scoop of ube ice cream and enjoying it on a hot summer day? Well, that's not they would make it there, Corazon and Razon makes it simple but with the sweetest surprise. Sweetened banana and leche flan for Corazon, Razon makes theirs with pastillas, manually shaved ice (yes, just like the old times) milk and sugar. It must be the goat's milk in the leche flan and pastillas that makes everything so different and great-tasting that it is permanently implanted in your mind that yes, this is the best halu-halo.
How about the sisig? The area must have claimed another jewel off their chef's hat for the best one. Probably the best in the country that they hosted a Sisig Festival in Angeles City. Oh, and that's the fourth one. As described: they all came in different looks, flavors and names. Can you think of 177 ways? On this gathering, they did.
Lucing Cunanan must be very proud. She concocted her original dish with chopped grilled pig cheeks and chicken liver soured by kalamansi (Philippine lemon) and spiced by siling labuyo (chili) and onions. Today, the Capampangans have created more versions and for sure, they will add another recipe with each passing Sisig festival. A number marked to coincide with the founding anniversary fo Angeles City.
But that's just a couple from the thousands of dishes they can make. Probably enough to fill volumes to replace those encyclopedias gathering dust in your library.
Are you ready to sample the culinary wonders of Pamapanga? Then head to Caf‚ Marco of the Marco Polo Hotel. You have until the end of the month to sample just a few of the delectable dishes of this region as prepared by the Chefs of Abe, that chic Capampangan resto in Manila.
Try anything once, more if you enjoyed it. Just one of the important lessons I learned from a chef friend. So I did. Fear Factor? Far from that. It is until you find out what it is that makes you wince. But honestly I like it even though I knew what it was. So I dove in and went for the exotic dishes Pamapanga is popular for.
First on the list: the crispy fried Kamaru-farm crickets simmered in vinegar and sauteed in garlic, tomatoes and onions. And second: the Betute - deep fried farm frog stuffed with minced pork meat, garlic & pepper corn. The mestiza dish I called, the Biringhe - Valenciana rice with chicken and liver in coconut cream, their version of the paella and of course Abe's signature dish, Abe's Chicken Supreme - spring chicken stuffed with sticky rice, chestnuts and raisins.
I skipped the Arobung Kambing - mutton meat slowly simmered in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic, and the Kare-kare. They must have been very, very good but I promised to be experimental.
The most important part of the meal: the dessert. The fresh fruit salad was nice but I loaded myself with the sinful fried suman topped with tsokolate. It was a sinfully delicious indeed!
To end this story, ilalabas ko na ang mahiwagang salamin... Now that you have savored and luxuriated in the Capampangan cuisine, anong messsage mo sa taong nakikita mo ngayon?
My message was: Hit the gym and burn those calories you just took. Your turn.
