adobong sawa

Adobong sawa with chicharon balat ng sawa (python skin crackling) from Lamarang Steak & Seafood Restaurant in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija during one of my travels in central Luzon in summer 2012. 

adobong sawa - /a-dó-bong sa-wá/ Tagalog, Cebuano, Boholano, Bicolano, Ilocano, and Novo Ecijano delicacy) [n.] python adobo.

The meat of the python snake is cooked adobo-style.

Adobong sawa can be prepared as masarsa (saucy) or pinatuyo (dry) kind of adobo.

A live sawa (python) on display at the entrance of the Eagle Center in Malagos District, Davao City in April 2012.

A python at the Eagle Center in Malagos District, Davao City (actually there were several of them on display) is not for sale to take home and cook into a delicacy. The snakes are for the visiting tourists to experience how it feels to be hug by this constrictor reptile.

A serving of flaked adobong sawa from the Lamarang Steak & Seafood Restaurant in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija province during one of my travels in central Luzon last summer of 2012. This is cooked pinatuyo style (dry).

Adobong sawa is an exotic delicacy in the Philippines as it is not commonly found and prepared in all places. It is considered by some as an aphrodisiac and is thought to have a potent effect. Some attested to having experienced a sensational warmness in the body after having this dish as pulutan (food served along with alcoholic drinks).

All photos by Edgie Polistico in this blog are copyrighted. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Encouragement and enthusiasm are not enough. I also need moral support, prayers, and anything else that can uplift my spirit and keep my good reasons. Keep them coming.  Sharing and giving away is happiness to me.  If you are pleased and happy with what I am doing, just smile and share the happiness we have in the PHILIPPINE FOOD ILLUSTRATED. I feel energized every time my blog becomes one of the reasons why you are happy and smiling. 

Edgie Polistico  

humba (braised pork)

Humba cooked by a relative in Inopacan, Leyte.

 

humba – /húm-bâ/ Cebuano, Boholano, Waray, and Tagalog dish;  dw Chin. Hokkien hon bà [highly spiced pork dish] < ho [saucy] + bà [meat]) [n.] braised fatty pork 

Other local names:

• a.k.a. humba Bisaya in Cebuano
• umba in Capampangan

This is a dish of chunky slices of pork, complete with those wobbly thick layers of pork fat and skin. 

To cook, the chunks and fatty slabs of pork are braised in a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, water, spices (crushed garlic, peppercorn and laurel leaves, etc.), and salt to taste. It is simmered for long hours until the oil from pork fat would exude and blend in the gravy. The meat must be very tender with the pork fat having a jelly-like consistency that would easily wobble when you shake the dish, and when you prick or press it with a fork or table knife, the tines or blunt blade would effortlessly sink into the skin and fat. 

There are now many variations of humba across the country depending on what ingredients are available. In some places of northeastern Mindanao, eastern Visayas, and Laguna, humba is seasoned with tahure, and tausi, and added with skinned peanuts. The Visayans would add peanuts and a spoonful of brown sugar to enhance the texture of every bite and taste.

The humba of Warays in the eastern Visayas has the skin of pork removed before cooking, leaving only the fatty layer and meat in the pot. Skinned peanuts are also added.

A tray of humba sold at an eatery in Panabo City.

Humba is also savored in Luzon that an old version of humba called umba by the Capampangans of Central Luzon (particularly the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac) and Tagalog region including Metro Manila. Humba in Luzon is cooked with chunks of cracked panocha (concave mold of raw cane sugar) or many spoonfuls of muscovado sugar to enhance the taste. They would also use crushed tahure (salted bean curd) or tausi (black beans) instead of toyo (soy sauce). They also add peanuts, kinchamsay (dried banana blossom), and/or ripe saba banana.

Some local Chinese restaurants in Metro Manila originally add kinchamsay to this dish.

In Iba, Zambales, humba has chunks or big slices of very ripe saba banana (Philippine plantain). 

In Iba, Zambales, humba has big slices of very ripe saba (plantain) banana.

Reheating the humba for several days (at least for 2 to 3 days) on low fire for at least an hour and occasionally turning over the meats would render the dish more flavorful, more tender, and tastier. When reheating, a little more water mixed with little more vinegar and soy sauce may be added to keep the dish saucy and the meat from getting fried by the pork lard. The more humba is reheated, the more delectable it would be.

Learn to cook with this simple humba recipe

All photos by Edgie Polistico are copyrighted. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

See Index of Entries here 

If you liked this post, share it.

Let us know your opinion on the subject. Feel free to comment in the comment section, below. It is important for us to know what you think.

Tell us what other topics you would like us to write, share, and discuss. 

For more about Filipino food, see  this Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary. It is OPEN and FREE.

Continue to follow my blogs. You can also follow and learn more by joining us in our Facebook group. Have more bits and pieces about our kind of food, ingredients, and ways of cooking, dining, and knowing food culture across the 7,641 islands of the Philippines.

Encouragement and enthusiasm are not enough. I also need moral support, prayers, and anything else that can uplift my spirit and keep my good reasons. Keep them coming. All I know is that I am happy with what I am sharing and giving away. If you are pleased and happy with what I am doing, just smile and please share the happiness. Keep sharing and include to share the PHILIPPINE FOOD ILLUSTRATED. I feel energized when my blog becomes one of the reasons why you are happy and smiling. 

Edgie Polistico