Then the long tedious task of “sabul” (whipping) began. She needed to make the mixture expand through expert strokes.
She moved with ease, although the task was fit for a man. She said few people could do the whipping, which in itself is a delicate art.
“If the mixture does not expand, it will be a complete waste of time and money,” Sampang said in the vernacular, briskly whipping the stirrer while she sat with the cauldron in between her legs.
Though an established midwife, she has been making a living out of making “mamon tostado” for almost thirty-five years now.
But that day she was not in a hurry to meet the usual orders.
And the occasion of the Yuletide holiday had called for a different preparation altogether with all the antique utensils from the grand old kitchen of old time.
Five hours later, she poured the mixture in large pans for the baking.
Her children, now all professionals, along with her grandchildren, trooped to the dirty kitchen to help.
“I make sure they come home for Christmas, we observe dutifully even if they stay far away from home. When I was still young, life was very difficult here but my mother then would not let go of this art for sake the tradition, no matter what,” she said while placing the pans inside the large earthen oven (pugun) that have been the barangay oven at a time when baking was the “in” thing.
She said the mammoth oven itself is older than her.
A few more hours later they started to cut the soft bread into thin slices, placing generic margarine (the one bought per kilo in the public market) on one side, toast the bread; put margarine again on the other side for the final toasting.
It was a delicate procedure that requires a lot of patience.
Sampang reveals that the mamon tostados that can be found in supermarkets are merely “commercialized” ones that have been modified (some with preservatives) to last in shelves and the packaging.
Though the delicacy has a lot of “shortcuts” she insists on doing it the old fashion way.
“My kids urged me to use an electric beater to quicken the process but that will not do since the traditional taste requires you to whip the eggs manually,” she said.
The Sampangs are one of the few remaining families who have still followed in the tradition of making the delicacy during Christmas season and Fiesta.
Living up to his pastry town's tradition, they make delicacies like duman, mamon tostado, masa (uraru) among others.
Struggling tradition in the whole town, not more than 14 families still make the mammon tostado or any of the other delicacies the town is famous for.
Prices of ingredients and the procedure itself have routed the tradition from most homes.
The baking usually happens as early as November since the mamon last for more than three months when stored properly.
Families are reunited, friendships renewed and new relationships forged during the baking since the sheer trouble of making the delicacy forces one to create a lot and save on the manpower.
The process lasted for eight to ten hours, depending on the size of production and the number of friends and relatives who are to receive the food.
Sampang said half of what they produce during the Yuletide season would only go to their friends and relatives.
“My children give out the mamon to the 'namamasko' serving it or sending them as
Gifts,” she said.
The Lansang and Cunanan families made a milestone of putting delicacy into the mainstream market, commercializing the delicacy without compromising the taste.
Appearing on specialty shops but has yet to penetrate the national market.
The food stuff, like other delicacies in the town, are unfamiliar with most people even with people from the town itself.
“My grandchildren's friends were actually surprised to find out that we make this delicacy just for Christmas. It was even their first time to taste it and every year since then they always came by for it,” Sampang chuckles, as she places the mamons on a large Orocan drum.
“The interest on another delicacy (duman) have recently gained ground due to attention being given by certain groups and delicacy lovers, it won't be long before other delicacies in the town will receive the same attention,” she said.
She said as long as some people have not forgotten the taste of the obscure delicacy; the antique beaters will continue to sound amid the laughs of families gathered in front of old earthen ovens. (IOF)
