WE BECOME what we eat. It is therefore important to be mindful of what food we consume. The dishes we partake have their own history. They are products of our culture, the legacy of heritage handed down to us by our ancestors. This is very much true in Silay because our community is the ‘hometown of best delicacies.’
In maintaining this status, our teachers in Silay made it their mission to educate the young. In the age of fast food chains where burgers, ice cream, doughnuts, spaghetti and hotdogs are rising in popularity, many parents have already forgotten the nutritional value of boiled bananas and sweet potatoes. Our teachers are cordially reminding parents to train their children to value the native food with high nutritional values.
This initiative ensures that healthy diet in the community is sustained. Silaynon families always look forward to “laswa”, “tinolang isda”, “sinigang pasayan” and stewed fish made sour by “batwan” or “iba”. Even our “linagang carne” with “langka” is also made sour by “batwan”. We discourage artificial seasoning in packs.
In the bigger community in Silay, we are also thankful that we still have a group of delicacy makers and snack sellers in the market who never fail to sell ibos, but-ong, panara, baye-baye, inday-inday, puto lanson, banana turon, ukoy, kalamay hati and more. The average buyers could always afford their “kalan-unon”.
Those who want the best can always go to “El Ideal” to buy buko pie, cassava cake, pastries, cookies and other gustatory delights. Prominent Silaynons and city hall officials still offer their guests the best from Emma Lacson’s kitchen; empanada, pili square, banana tart, and angel cake.
Among the best sellers, we have the “lubid-lubid” of Emilie Jison, the “lumpia ubod” of Zenda Belleza, and the “piaya mucovado” of Jessica Go (now cooked by Marit).
For the best viands, people go to the different seafood restaurants in Balaring.
Thank you teachers for sustaining healthy diets in Silay.