Today, at our school cafeteria, inspite of the array of “saucy” lunch dishes to choose from like menudo, adobo, linaga, bakareta, and spareribs, I still ended up choosing the driest dish,the most common, the most popular viand of all -- fried chicken. That’s why I’ve come to conclude:
We Ilonggos are voracious chicken eaters. (Geez, that sounds frightening!) Give us plenty of food choices and we’ll still have chicken any day.
I know, I know. The premise is weak so let me just cite a concrete proof instead. Just how many chicken houses are there in Iloilo city? For regular chicken inasal( chicken barbeque on a stick), there’s Mang Inasal, Barrio Inasal, Chicken Sari-Sari, Jo’s Inato, Pecho Pak, the barbeque stands such as at Plaza Jaro, Plaza Mandurriao, along UP in front of Doctor’s Hospital, near the freedom grandstand, at La Paz Market….For native chicken inasal, usually served whole, there’s Tatoy’s, Breakthrough, Nes & Tats and Nato & Helen, Rawit’s at Central Market, Corning’s and co. at Valeria extension...For the "45-days" or "bantress" whole roasted chicken, there’s Andok’s, Pecho Pak, the roadside roasters like Mang Pedro’s, Buto’t Balat (also a resto). And for fried chicken, there are the food-chain giants like Jollibee, McDo, KFC, Greenwich, Kenny Rogers. There’s Andok’s (now more popular for its fried chix), JD bakeshop, and the rolling “Jollicarts”parked at busy intersections at downtown Iloilo. (This list is only partial; I need to scour the whole city still.)
I’ve always been fascinated by the Ilonggo’s predilection for chicken: be it fried, barbequed, roasted, stewed (adobo) or in a soup (tinola and binakol) . The only thing not done to chicken, I suppose is to make kinilaw out of it.
Given a choice of restaurants in the city serving Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Italian and Continental cuisines, most Ilonggos are still found eating at chicken houses.
WHY DO WE JUST LOVE TO EAT MANOK?
I’m throwing this question to Ilonggos out there who might happen to stumble upon this young blog. Let us know what you think.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
TAYTAY BONI (pls. don't call it a Spanish bridge)
Photo courtesy of Miagao Munisipyo
If you’re coming from Iloilo to visit the UNESCO World Heritage church of Miagao, there’s a strange-looking stone structure on the left of the National Highway, near the bend at Bgy.Guibongan. It’s actually a bridge. Many folks tend to call it a Spanish bridge. Correction please. It’s a Filipino bridge, specifically an Ilonggo-made bridge. Art historically-correct terms for it can be: “a Spanish-colonial period bridge”/ a stone bridge from the Spanish (colonial) period/ a Spanish-era (stone) bridge/ a heritage bridge/ an old stone bridge.”
The Spaniards did not build that bridge. Nor did they build those churches, convents, cemeteries, schools, houses, town halls. Those structures were built by our forefathers, by Filipinos. Thus, it is very inaccurate to label them as Spanish. Moreover, Spanish architecture has a style of its own. We did borrow certain features from Spanish and Mexican architecture (because the initiators of these building projects were usually the friars);however, our environmental conditions and our local cultural idioms transformed them into truly Philippine architectural pieces.
Going back to Taytay Boni: Iloilo’s best preserved Spanish- colonial stone bridge. Taytay of course means bridge. Why Boni? Short for Bonifacio Neular, the lead guy who built this bridge in 1854. That makes it 157 years old now. Wow!
Several bridges in Bohol have been given recognition by the National Museum. But mind you, our Taytay Boni is many times more beautiful I believe.
Draw a straight line from either end of Taytay Boni and that's your colonial highway. Can you imagine yourself crossing this bridge on foot and walk all the way to Arevalo or the Punta (Iloilo City)? That was nothing unusual in the 19th century. Back then, people did a lot of walking.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
The Miagao cemetery capilla
Text & Photo by Joy Rosal-SumagaysayThe Miagao cemetery located at Bgy. Baybay Norte (formerly Cota Baybay) houses an exceptional capilla or funerary chapel. In olden times, masses were held here on All Saint’s Day, Sundays and other important feast days.
Probably built around 1889-1895, the Miagao cemetery capilla can definitely boast of its original brick dome. It is the only existing capilla in the region or perhaps in the country with such a distinct feature. The capilla is octagonal in shape and flanked by winglike extensions that are actually burial chambers for past town heads and parish priests. Decorative urns carved out of solid stone surround this brick dome.
While the dome and the walls are made from bricks, the capilla’s pilasters, jambs and carved decorations are of creamy limestone. The capilla exhibits Romanesque influence in its three identical arched openings and two circular windows. Most interesting is the skull and crossbones motif enclosed in concentric mouldings found above the arched entrance. This design is repeated in the capilla’s interiors.
BALGOA's MANAPLA PUTO: authentic & the best
I just sank my teeth into the marshmallowy softness of Balgoa's ube-flavored Manapla puto and followed it up with a sip from Venice coffee straight from a vendo.
Not all puto are created alike, not even if they all call themselves Manapla. (Manapla is actually a town in the neighboring isle of Negros that became famous for its puto on a banana leaf base.)
Actually, i'm very careful about passing judgement on food items lest I commit a sin. (he,he). But this one, I'm really convinced about. I just love Balgoa's Manapla puto. It's the ultimate. Most puto--which also pass themselves off as Manapla--(I guess, as long as there's the banana leaf cup, it's called Manapla) are not as soft and tasty as Balgoa's. Those sold in the public markets in Iloilo are generally coarse in texture and can sometimes be gummy.
Come to think of it, the ingredients of puto is an open secret. Its the right combination of quality ingredients and the technique of cooking that set Balgoa's puto above the rest.
There are two varieties at Balgoa's: 1) The traditional Manapla puto sitting on a banana leaf square and 2) the puto without the leaf. Molded in muffin cups, this puto has two flavors: natural and ube-flavored (that's what i'm having this morning).
Striking a conversation with the owner one time, Mrs. Dolly Balgoa, I learned that:
her father-in-law, who started this home-industry in Jaro back in 1960 was originally from Manapla, from a family of puto makers (talk about having the rightful claim to the name).
Not all puto are created alike, not even if they all call themselves Manapla. (Manapla is actually a town in the neighboring isle of Negros that became famous for its puto on a banana leaf base.)
Actually, i'm very careful about passing judgement on food items lest I commit a sin. (he,he). But this one, I'm really convinced about. I just love Balgoa's Manapla puto. It's the ultimate. Most puto--which also pass themselves off as Manapla--(I guess, as long as there's the banana leaf cup, it's called Manapla) are not as soft and tasty as Balgoa's. Those sold in the public markets in Iloilo are generally coarse in texture and can sometimes be gummy.
Come to think of it, the ingredients of puto is an open secret. Its the right combination of quality ingredients and the technique of cooking that set Balgoa's puto above the rest.
There are two varieties at Balgoa's: 1) The traditional Manapla puto sitting on a banana leaf square and 2) the puto without the leaf. Molded in muffin cups, this puto has two flavors: natural and ube-flavored (that's what i'm having this morning).
Striking a conversation with the owner one time, Mrs. Dolly Balgoa, I learned that:
her father-in-law, who started this home-industry in Jaro back in 1960 was originally from Manapla, from a family of puto makers (talk about having the rightful claim to the name).
Monday, March 19, 2007
MONTI'S HUNKS AT UPV
Everyone in the UPVisayas campus used to call those guys as Plato and Aristotle until my colleague and I discovered the truth. They are actually allegorical statues for Law and Order. This building was originally the Iloilo City Hall.
Which one is Law? Which one is Order? Find out yourself.
These huge, free-standing sculptures made of concrete, together with more sculptures (this time in relief) found above the entrance doors were the works of Francesco Monti, an Italian sculptor who lived in the Philippines from the 1930s until his death in the 1950s.
Wherever Juan Arellano was, Monti was not likely to be far behind. No, they were not life partners, just art partners. (When Arellano did the Provincial Capitol of Negros after Iloilo, he also requested the Italian to sculpt the famous lady with the carabao at the plaza.)
Monti’s developed an art deco approach to his larger-than-life sculptures. Observe his stern-looking men. They look very angular and the folds of their togas have a stylized, streamlined effect. Yet, his training in classical sculpture (he came from a famous family in Cremona, Italy, who specialized in tombstone figures) comes out in the way he sculpted the bemuscled body and the closed fist of Law as well as in the details on the faces of the two.
If you’re interested to know more about Monti, there is an ongoing exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum along Roxas Boulevard. Last year, the exhibit was also set-up here at the very building of Monti’s sculptures. Prof. Victoria Herrera, an art historian and museum specialist from UP Diliman is the leader of this humungous project. Being classmates, she asked me to do the research on Monti for Iloilo and Negros. And that’s how we said goodbye to calling dem guys Plato and Aristotle. JRS. 031907.
The UPV MAIN BUILDING (Iloilo City Campus) by Juan Arellano
If the name doesn’t ring a bell, Juan Arellano is one of the Philippine’s best, having been proclaimed as a National Artist for Architecture. He is responsible for the Art Deco Metropolitan Theater in Manila (now being rehabilitated).
In Iloilo, he designed two buildings, the more famous of which is featured above. The other one is the Jaro Municipal Building (now used as a police station). Arellano took care of the lay-out and design of this former City Hall but he left the embellishment of the façade to his Italian buddy, Francesco Monti.
By the way, I pass through that entrance almost everyday. Sometimes it hits me, “Wow, I’m in a National Artist’s building!” My favorite detail inside is the Art Deco chandelier (which Arellano himself must have also designed). It is made of capiz shells with a stylized bamboo design. Another is the grillwork of what was originally the cashier’s office for this city hall.
The feast of the Candelaria
Her complete title is NUESTRA SENORA DE LA CANDELARIA (Our Lady of Candles).
She is the Patronness not just of the Iloilo's Jaro district, but of the whole Archdiocese of Jaro (a religious jurisdiction that covers the whole province of Iloilo). It's actually the biggest religious fiesta in Iloilo province. Classes in Jaro district are suspended on this day and the main streets are closed to traffic.
Being a Jareño/Jareña myself, I have witnessed the swarms of people that attend her feast every 2nd of February. On the bisperas (the day before the feast), many Candelaria devotees can already be seen at the cathedral's balcony where the Candelaria resides. Can you believe that some would even brave the cold (Siberian winds a-visiting) spending the night at the church compound? They are devotees from outside of Iloilo province (like those from Negros Capiz, Aklan and Antique)who have no relatives in Iloilo. They just come over to light their candles and hear Mass to say their thank you's and lift up their requests to the Candelaria. They are not even after the "tsibug" (slang for food/fiesta fare)as many are. Now, that's what I call pure devotion.
For my family and I, we would attend mass in the morning at around 9. (Masses start as early as 5 a.m. There are actually three masses going on simulatenously--one inside the church, two on the church grounds; you can just take your pick. The mass inside the Cathedral takes an hour (longer if its the High Mass officiated by the Archbishop). The two others are thirty minutes long, more or less. After Mass, its everyone's custom to buy to buy the perdon or blessed candles.
Carrying our bought perdon, we head home to prepare for the handa or fiesta fare. The day is just beginning.
She is the Patronness not just of the Iloilo's Jaro district, but of the whole Archdiocese of Jaro (a religious jurisdiction that covers the whole province of Iloilo). It's actually the biggest religious fiesta in Iloilo province. Classes in Jaro district are suspended on this day and the main streets are closed to traffic.
Being a Jareño/Jareña myself, I have witnessed the swarms of people that attend her feast every 2nd of February. On the bisperas (the day before the feast), many Candelaria devotees can already be seen at the cathedral's balcony where the Candelaria resides. Can you believe that some would even brave the cold (Siberian winds a-visiting) spending the night at the church compound? They are devotees from outside of Iloilo province (like those from Negros Capiz, Aklan and Antique)who have no relatives in Iloilo. They just come over to light their candles and hear Mass to say their thank you's and lift up their requests to the Candelaria. They are not even after the "tsibug" (slang for food/fiesta fare)as many are. Now, that's what I call pure devotion.
For my family and I, we would attend mass in the morning at around 9. (Masses start as early as 5 a.m. There are actually three masses going on simulatenously--one inside the church, two on the church grounds; you can just take your pick. The mass inside the Cathedral takes an hour (longer if its the High Mass officiated by the Archbishop). The two others are thirty minutes long, more or less. After Mass, its everyone's custom to buy to buy the perdon or blessed candles.
Carrying our bought perdon, we head home to prepare for the handa or fiesta fare. The day is just beginning.
San Joaquin Church of Iloilo: A National Treasure
Not many people are aware that aside from Miagao Church (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), there is another gem of architecture in Iloilo. That’s right. The San Joaquin Church is one of 26 churches declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as National Treasures. There are so, so many churches from Aparri to Jolo, and to be in the “magic 26” is indeed something to brag about.
What is it about San Joaquin’s simbahan that made it part of the select list?
It’s those amazing relief sculptures (originally in polychrome) at the façade, specifically on the pediment commemorating the victory of the Spanish Catholics versus the Moors at the Battle of Tetuan.
My mediocre photo above might convince you otherwise, so, better see it up close and personal.
Food for thought: How did such a far, far away event end up on the face of a fortress church in southern Iloilo, Philippines?
P.S. Other things to check out.
* inside the church are stone retablos (altars) that were originally painted in bright colors; you can still see traces of the paint
* flanking the main altar are two extraordinary giant columns; nothing like them
* the ruins of the huge convento adjacent to the church. There is a really huge, elliptical well that was the lifeblood of the Augustinian friar community who lived or visited there in colonial times.
HERITAGE CONCEPTS
Joy Rosal-Sumagaysay
The word heritage comes from two Latin words – heri (past) and tangere (to touch). Literally, it means “touching the past.”
Heritage is the sum total of all cultural goods we inherit from our ancestors. As inheritance, we have the obligation to take good care of it (preserve) and hand on. In our language, heritage can best be translated as paranubli-on. Its root word, the verb subli connotes not absolute ownership of something inherited from an elder; rather, it carries with it a duty to handle it with care (paranubli-on like duta, alahas, manggad…) so that it can be further passed on to future generations.
Heritage can be classified into two general categories: intangible heritage and tangible heritage. Examples of intangible heritage are our oral history, songs, lullabies, values and beliefs. Tangible heritage consists of everyday objects, food, clothing, paintings, sculptures and structures among others.
In particular, the architectural or built heritage of our place, its structures or monuments, is one concrete link to our forefathers long gone. Here we have actual, physical evidence--structures we can gaze at, explore with our bare hands—-to jolt us into realizing that “Hey, these are real people; my great great grandparents participated in the building of these; they sweated it out in backbreaking labor to leave us with reminders from their era.”
For us living in the present, our built heritage helps define the identity of our town and its inhabitants, bringing out what is distinct and outstanding in our locality and positively setting us apart from our neighbors. Being conscious of our heritage develops in us a ‘pride of place.’
A heritage structure is important because of its cultural heritage significance. This can be assessed based on social, aesthetic, historic and scientific values. Miagao church, for example, ranks high on aesthetic significance because of the exceptional bas-relief on its façade.
In a publication entitled “Protecting Local Heritage Places” are listed the reasons why we need to protect our heritage places:
• they are a link with the past, a reminder of special moments in lives, history and culture
• they are part of a location’s special identity which could bring economic as well as other benefits to the area
• they have natural or cultural values which should be handed on to future generations
• there are social, spiritual or ethical (including respect for existence or intrinsic values) obligations to do so
The word heritage comes from two Latin words – heri (past) and tangere (to touch). Literally, it means “touching the past.”
Heritage is the sum total of all cultural goods we inherit from our ancestors. As inheritance, we have the obligation to take good care of it (preserve) and hand on. In our language, heritage can best be translated as paranubli-on. Its root word, the verb subli connotes not absolute ownership of something inherited from an elder; rather, it carries with it a duty to handle it with care (paranubli-on like duta, alahas, manggad…) so that it can be further passed on to future generations.
Heritage can be classified into two general categories: intangible heritage and tangible heritage. Examples of intangible heritage are our oral history, songs, lullabies, values and beliefs. Tangible heritage consists of everyday objects, food, clothing, paintings, sculptures and structures among others.
In particular, the architectural or built heritage of our place, its structures or monuments, is one concrete link to our forefathers long gone. Here we have actual, physical evidence--structures we can gaze at, explore with our bare hands—-to jolt us into realizing that “Hey, these are real people; my great great grandparents participated in the building of these; they sweated it out in backbreaking labor to leave us with reminders from their era.”
For us living in the present, our built heritage helps define the identity of our town and its inhabitants, bringing out what is distinct and outstanding in our locality and positively setting us apart from our neighbors. Being conscious of our heritage develops in us a ‘pride of place.’
A heritage structure is important because of its cultural heritage significance. This can be assessed based on social, aesthetic, historic and scientific values. Miagao church, for example, ranks high on aesthetic significance because of the exceptional bas-relief on its façade.
In a publication entitled “Protecting Local Heritage Places” are listed the reasons why we need to protect our heritage places:
• they are a link with the past, a reminder of special moments in lives, history and culture
• they are part of a location’s special identity which could bring economic as well as other benefits to the area
• they have natural or cultural values which should be handed on to future generations
• there are social, spiritual or ethical (including respect for existence or intrinsic values) obligations to do so
What's in a Name? Why PANAY? Why ILOILO?
Panay is said to have come from “Hay pan!” (literally “There is bread!”)
Etiological legend says, to borrow the phrase of respected art historian Fr. Rene Galende, that when the Spaniards (Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and co.) scoured the nearby islands for food (they were near starvation in Cebu, their first official settlement), they discovered this island abundant in rice. In great relief and joy, they exclaimed “Hay pan.”
Iloilo, on the other hand, comes from Irong-Irong (meaning shaped like a nose)
I used to think it was so because the entire Panay island appears like an irong/ilong . Then I learned that it is Irong-Irong, eventually becoming Iloilo in reference to that patch of land near the mouth of Iloilo river (a delta) shaped like a nose.
Etiological legend says, to borrow the phrase of respected art historian Fr. Rene Galende, that when the Spaniards (Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and co.) scoured the nearby islands for food (they were near starvation in Cebu, their first official settlement), they discovered this island abundant in rice. In great relief and joy, they exclaimed “Hay pan.”
Iloilo, on the other hand, comes from Irong-Irong (meaning shaped like a nose)
I used to think it was so because the entire Panay island appears like an irong/ilong . Then I learned that it is Irong-Irong, eventually becoming Iloilo in reference to that patch of land near the mouth of Iloilo river (a delta) shaped like a nose.
Iloilo's Most Awe-Inspiring Cemetery
Found at the southernmost town of Iloilo is San Joaquin cemetery. Its a spectacular sight as these Ilonggo teens have proven when they scaled its steep stone steps to the capilla--the cemetery's crowning glory.
San Joaquin cemetery is the last cemetery to be completed before the revolution erupted in the late 1890s. Fray Mariano Vamba, the last Augustinian parish priest of the town, initiated the project but real credit, of course, goes to the people of San Joaquin who worked on this camposanto.
Check out the ironwork above the entrance to see if you can still decipher the numbers. That's the inauguration date, my friend.
You will see all over the capilla made of coral stone and brick (do go around it) rich stone carvings of flowers and leaves. At the entrance are more engaging designs. There's a skull-and-crossbones (nope! that is not a symbol for death, nor pirates, nor poison) carving guarded on either side by cute little angels without bodies (cherubs). Move back from the entrance (be sure to check for approaching bullet San Joaquin jeepneys!), look up and examine the design at the pediment (that triangular space above the entrance). Its a man's head in profile alongside a growing plant. A half circle encloses these figures and sun rays radiate from it. Guess what that means.
ILOILO'S BEST: Ang Suman Latik ni Manang Rosa
Text & Photo by Joy Rosal-Sumagaysay
Ask an Ilonggo kakanin vendor about a collective term for her delicacies and she will tell you “neytib foods.” Interestingly, there seems to be no Hiligaynon equivalent for the word kakanin or native cakes; the 1931 Kaufmann Dictionary documented none. To Ilonggos, perhaps, these kakanin are so distinct that to lump them under a generic term is to decrease their culinary worth. Of course, mine is just a theory. The late food guru, Dr. Doreen Fernandez must have a better answer than this.
One such neytib food popular in Iloilo and in the entire Western Visayas is suman latik, basically a rectangular bed of pilit (glutinous rice) topped with latik or bukayo (candied young coconut) served during breakfast or snacks.
I grew up loving suman latik more than the other rice cakes of my childhood like ibos, but-ong, suman and alupi. At Jaro, Iloilo’s Thursday market, the Huebesan , how delightful it was to see tiyay carefully unfold the banana leaf and get from her kaserola a spoonful of bukayo to spread on the thin suman. After that, she would refold the banana leaf and hand me my treat.
As horizons expanded, I found, in the district of La Paz (home of the famous Batchoy), suman latik packaged like miniature overstuffed green pillows. Its contents revealed a tempting mound of finely-shredded bukayo heaped on an extra-thick suman bed. My search for the maker of this exceptional suman latik led me to the home of Daprosa Ambid in barangay Baldosa. (Once a brick manufacturing center in Spanish times, Baldosa, as well as neighboring Ingore, is now the kakanin capital of Iloilo City.
Dapro to her neighbors and Rosa to her suki, she started producing various kakanins in 1963, a skill she inherited from her mother. Although suman latik making is common knowledge in Panay and Negros, Manang Rosa can be credited with setting the standard and improving its packaging.
I have never seen such devotion to quality than at Manang Rosa's. In this humble Baldosa abode was an amiable old woman extremely particular about the ingredients, method and appearance of her indigenous cakes.
The whole process starts with excellent unadulterated pilit, thoroughly washed, seasoned with salt and mixed with her extraordinary ingredient: kulitis lye. Extracted through a laborious process from the kulitis plant (slender Amaranth), this natural lye is the secret to her suman latik's longer shelf-life. Manang Rosa recalls with amusement how people thought her crazy as she scoured roadsides, vacant lots and open fields for mature kulitis and pulled them out by the dozen.
Once prepared, the pilit mixture is ready for wrapping. Two spoonfuls are placed on a banana leaf quickly folded for the grains to cook to a nicely firm but moist layer. Tied in pairs, the wrapped suman are stacked compactly inside a recycled can of cooking oil, filled with water and covered with a weighted down pad of banana leaves. After 2-3 hours of intense boiling over a fire supplied by wood shavings and sibucao, the suman is ready to cool.
Now for the latik/bukayo. Unlike other makers, Manang Rosa has never used grated coconut as sweet topping. She will have nothing else but tender bukayuon meat, shredded to incredibly fine strips. Bukayuon are coconuts older than butong (ideal for buko juice) but younger than lukadon. Honesto General (The Coconut Cookery of Bicol) describes the lukadon as coconuts hard enough for grating but still immature to produce gata. Ilonggos share in this definition. But unlike the Bicolanos who are content with lukadon for their bukayo, Ilonggos favor the bukayuon grade. Manang Rosa's insistence on shredding the bukayuon to such thin “noodles” (the finest I've ever seen) and slow-cooking it in rich brown muscovado is what sets her latik apart. It is firm and thick, not soggy nor syrupy.
With the sweetened coconut prepared in advance and the pilit rectangles cooled, the rice cake ready for packaging. The suman is removed from the wet, discolored banana leaf it was boiled in and transferred to a clean and shiny piece. Manang Rosa thought of this innovation, a couple of decades back, after getting feedback from her bank customers who found it messy to unwrap the sticky banana casing. With the suman resting on its new lining, a generous serving of luscious latik is heaped on top and the banana leaf is folded in the signature look of the Baldosa delight.
At 72, Manang Rosa still handles the preparation of the pilit herself for herein lies the right flavor and longevity of the kakanin. Other suman latik do not last beyond a day or two. Not Manang Rosa's. It can last for four days and are best without refrigeration! No wonder hundreds of these have reached Europe and the US as pasalubong.
While some originals fade away, unable to maintain their good taste, Manang Rosa's suman latik continues to reign supreme. The suman is soft and flavorsome and the fine tender shreds of bukayo are cooked just right. Finally, it is the only suman latik around to remain fresh long enough for loved ones to savor across the seas… All because of simple woman's sacred respect for quality.
Ask an Ilonggo kakanin vendor about a collective term for her delicacies and she will tell you “neytib foods.” Interestingly, there seems to be no Hiligaynon equivalent for the word kakanin or native cakes; the 1931 Kaufmann Dictionary documented none. To Ilonggos, perhaps, these kakanin are so distinct that to lump them under a generic term is to decrease their culinary worth. Of course, mine is just a theory. The late food guru, Dr. Doreen Fernandez must have a better answer than this.
One such neytib food popular in Iloilo and in the entire Western Visayas is suman latik, basically a rectangular bed of pilit (glutinous rice) topped with latik or bukayo (candied young coconut) served during breakfast or snacks.
I grew up loving suman latik more than the other rice cakes of my childhood like ibos, but-ong, suman and alupi. At Jaro, Iloilo’s Thursday market, the Huebesan , how delightful it was to see tiyay carefully unfold the banana leaf and get from her kaserola a spoonful of bukayo to spread on the thin suman. After that, she would refold the banana leaf and hand me my treat.
As horizons expanded, I found, in the district of La Paz (home of the famous Batchoy), suman latik packaged like miniature overstuffed green pillows. Its contents revealed a tempting mound of finely-shredded bukayo heaped on an extra-thick suman bed. My search for the maker of this exceptional suman latik led me to the home of Daprosa Ambid in barangay Baldosa. (Once a brick manufacturing center in Spanish times, Baldosa, as well as neighboring Ingore, is now the kakanin capital of Iloilo City.
Dapro to her neighbors and Rosa to her suki, she started producing various kakanins in 1963, a skill she inherited from her mother. Although suman latik making is common knowledge in Panay and Negros, Manang Rosa can be credited with setting the standard and improving its packaging.
I have never seen such devotion to quality than at Manang Rosa's. In this humble Baldosa abode was an amiable old woman extremely particular about the ingredients, method and appearance of her indigenous cakes.
The whole process starts with excellent unadulterated pilit, thoroughly washed, seasoned with salt and mixed with her extraordinary ingredient: kulitis lye. Extracted through a laborious process from the kulitis plant (slender Amaranth), this natural lye is the secret to her suman latik's longer shelf-life. Manang Rosa recalls with amusement how people thought her crazy as she scoured roadsides, vacant lots and open fields for mature kulitis and pulled them out by the dozen.
Once prepared, the pilit mixture is ready for wrapping. Two spoonfuls are placed on a banana leaf quickly folded for the grains to cook to a nicely firm but moist layer. Tied in pairs, the wrapped suman are stacked compactly inside a recycled can of cooking oil, filled with water and covered with a weighted down pad of banana leaves. After 2-3 hours of intense boiling over a fire supplied by wood shavings and sibucao, the suman is ready to cool.
Now for the latik/bukayo. Unlike other makers, Manang Rosa has never used grated coconut as sweet topping. She will have nothing else but tender bukayuon meat, shredded to incredibly fine strips. Bukayuon are coconuts older than butong (ideal for buko juice) but younger than lukadon. Honesto General (The Coconut Cookery of Bicol) describes the lukadon as coconuts hard enough for grating but still immature to produce gata. Ilonggos share in this definition. But unlike the Bicolanos who are content with lukadon for their bukayo, Ilonggos favor the bukayuon grade. Manang Rosa's insistence on shredding the bukayuon to such thin “noodles” (the finest I've ever seen) and slow-cooking it in rich brown muscovado is what sets her latik apart. It is firm and thick, not soggy nor syrupy.
With the sweetened coconut prepared in advance and the pilit rectangles cooled, the rice cake ready for packaging. The suman is removed from the wet, discolored banana leaf it was boiled in and transferred to a clean and shiny piece. Manang Rosa thought of this innovation, a couple of decades back, after getting feedback from her bank customers who found it messy to unwrap the sticky banana casing. With the suman resting on its new lining, a generous serving of luscious latik is heaped on top and the banana leaf is folded in the signature look of the Baldosa delight.
At 72, Manang Rosa still handles the preparation of the pilit herself for herein lies the right flavor and longevity of the kakanin. Other suman latik do not last beyond a day or two. Not Manang Rosa's. It can last for four days and are best without refrigeration! No wonder hundreds of these have reached Europe and the US as pasalubong.
While some originals fade away, unable to maintain their good taste, Manang Rosa's suman latik continues to reign supreme. The suman is soft and flavorsome and the fine tender shreds of bukayo are cooked just right. Finally, it is the only suman latik around to remain fresh long enough for loved ones to savor across the seas… All because of simple woman's sacred respect for quality.
Madge's--a truly Ilonggo kapihan
Where do you go for authentic Ilonggo brewed coffee? To the Ilonggo kapihan. And where do you find such a place? In the public markets of Iloilo.
One of the most popular is Madge Coffee House located inside La Paz Public Market(in front of Grand Dame Hotel). Madge Coffee house is 55 years old. It’s one of the oldest family-run coffee shops in Iloilo. This was established by Mr. Gerardo de la Cruz in 1951. The name Madge stuck on for Gerardo’s wife assisting him at the kapihan was named Magdalena. He passed on the business to his son, Vicente. With the untimely demise of Vicente in 2002, his son Peter took the reins. With his good marketing background (Peter was actually working as a branch manager for SM Delgado), he introduced innovations to the business.
Peter noticed Madge’s many loyal customers, generations in fact. As a perk and thank you, he made them personalized mugs, each with his loyal patron or suki's name. There are more than a 100 of these personalized mugs now apart from the regular coffee mugs for walk-in customers.
Peter's devotion to his customers can also be gleaned from the way he greets each one, treating each one as family. This warm homey approach at Madge's will be hard to match by any posh cafe in Iloilo.
The interiors of Madge’s Coffee Shop may be a far cry from any of the modern day cafes. No airconditioning; No classy interiors. But you will be won over by the quality of their brew and will perhaps laugh at its cost: P16.00 (less than $1!) for a perfect brew of organically grown beans from the hills of Iloilo.
Besides, part of the charm of the Ilonggo kapihan is precisely its very down to earth ambiance. What's so amusing is that every customer or group has a predictable sked. They arrive in shifts. The Ilonggo kapihan is a favorite hang-out of men who like to discuss and argue about the country’s latest news and events and gossips too. (Men never admit to that though).
BISCOCHO HAUS MEMORIES
If there is one food icon of Iloilo, it is Biscocho Haus.
These days, its presence can be seen in strategic places all over Iloilo city and its districts. BH has penetrated the malls--SM, Robinson's and Gaisano. Their SM City branch, being easily accessible, is always buzzing with customers especially during conventions and festivals in Iloilo. There are other branches: in Molo near Iloilo Supermart,along Gen. Luna, near Assumption, near YMCA, at the PLDT office in La Paz and a couple of others I forgot (hehe).
The mother of all stores is of course at Lopez Jaena, Jaro. Biscoho Haus now has a distinct character with its signature colored glass windows, antique wood cabinets and as accents, their Dutch pulley lamps, floral wooden traceries or calados and iron barandillas.
But do you know that Biscocho Haus started as a the Guadarrama family's homey snack house under the shade of a tree? (Check it out; it's still there). I have fond memories from the 80s when my Lola would bring me along as she and her friends had merienda there. In that open breezy space set with a couple of tables and chairs, I would usually have spaghetti with their trademark biscocho while Lola and her church friends would order their delicious dinuguan and puto. (These continue to be served up to now). Ah, yes their banana cake and cheese roll were (still are) also very delicious. Then, they developed their thin garlic bread slices and the melt-in-your-mouth mocha-colored meringue. Eventually, more and more Ilonggo delicacies have been added to their list. Of course, its their butterscotch that has really put Biscocho Haus in the national food limelight. (Now, that's ironic for butterscotch is not exactly Ilonggo...)
From that simple snack house under the tree has evolved the most famous Ilonggo delicacy shop of all--Biscocho Haus.
These days, its presence can be seen in strategic places all over Iloilo city and its districts. BH has penetrated the malls--SM, Robinson's and Gaisano. Their SM City branch, being easily accessible, is always buzzing with customers especially during conventions and festivals in Iloilo. There are other branches: in Molo near Iloilo Supermart,along Gen. Luna, near Assumption, near YMCA, at the PLDT office in La Paz and a couple of others I forgot (hehe).
The mother of all stores is of course at Lopez Jaena, Jaro. Biscoho Haus now has a distinct character with its signature colored glass windows, antique wood cabinets and as accents, their Dutch pulley lamps, floral wooden traceries or calados and iron barandillas.
But do you know that Biscocho Haus started as a the Guadarrama family's homey snack house under the shade of a tree? (Check it out; it's still there). I have fond memories from the 80s when my Lola would bring me along as she and her friends had merienda there. In that open breezy space set with a couple of tables and chairs, I would usually have spaghetti with their trademark biscocho while Lola and her church friends would order their delicious dinuguan and puto. (These continue to be served up to now). Ah, yes their banana cake and cheese roll were (still are) also very delicious. Then, they developed their thin garlic bread slices and the melt-in-your-mouth mocha-colored meringue. Eventually, more and more Ilonggo delicacies have been added to their list. Of course, its their butterscotch that has really put Biscocho Haus in the national food limelight. (Now, that's ironic for butterscotch is not exactly Ilonggo...)
From that simple snack house under the tree has evolved the most famous Ilonggo delicacy shop of all--Biscocho Haus.
ILOVEILOILO: an Ilongga's take on the fantastic sights and flavors of charming Iloilo
Welcome to ILOVEILOILO, my blog featuring the Philippines southern charm. Yes, there are many other provinces in the Philippines, but a visit to Iloilo is surely an experience worth having.
My name is Inday Hami. Proud to be Ilongga. I love the artistic manifestations of Ilonggo culture, both traditional and popular. I’d like to share with you an art historico-cultural picture of Iloilo, its sights and smells, as we locals see it. (Didn't mean to make it sound scholarly; its my work base coming in.) This site aims to go beyond the typical tourist info to share with you well-researched information, honest impressions and tips for people interested to know more and experience Iloilo to the fullest.
Aside from my own musings, you will also come across features by colleagues, friends ,students and most especially, the "Ilonggo on the street" whom I will invite to share their own take on things Ilonggo. After all, I'm not a wikipedia of Iloilo, just a simple Ilongga who dearly loves the culture of her home. So let me build these pages and share Iloilo with you.
My name is Inday Hami. Proud to be Ilongga. I love the artistic manifestations of Ilonggo culture, both traditional and popular. I’d like to share with you an art historico-cultural picture of Iloilo, its sights and smells, as we locals see it. (Didn't mean to make it sound scholarly; its my work base coming in.) This site aims to go beyond the typical tourist info to share with you well-researched information, honest impressions and tips for people interested to know more and experience Iloilo to the fullest.
Aside from my own musings, you will also come across features by colleagues, friends ,students and most especially, the "Ilonggo on the street" whom I will invite to share their own take on things Ilonggo. After all, I'm not a wikipedia of Iloilo, just a simple Ilongga who dearly loves the culture of her home. So let me build these pages and share Iloilo with you.
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