igat (dried)

Dried igat (sea eel) sold at the roadside stalls in Brgy. Damortis, Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan.

igat – /i-gat/ (Tagalog, Pampangueño (Capampangan), Pangasinense, Ilocano, Maranao, and Maguindanao sea fish) [n.] dried sea eel.

In Pangasinan, sea eel is made into tuyo (dried) traditionally by sun drying. The igat fish (sea eel) is cleaned of its gills, gutted,  soaked in a brine solution, drained, then sundried. 

When dry, it is cut into pieces (about 2 inches long) and is often sold in cutlet form. Dried igat is considered by Pangasinenses (local folks of Pangasinan) to be a "pampatigas ng tuhod" (potent knee jerker and aphrodisiac). 

It can be fried, grilled, or used as sahog in vegetable dishes.

See also igat 

Below, is a serving of fried dried igats with a dip of sukang Iloko with sliced fresh ripe tomatoes.

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espada (dried)

espadang tuyo – /es-pá-da tu-yô/ Tagalog dried sea fish /seafood; dw Span. espada [sword]) [n.] dried scabbardfish  \dried hairtail (sc.name: Trichiurus haumela).

Best cooked by frying and paired with spiced sukang Iloko as a dip on the side and lots of steaming cooked rice.   

It can also be grilled or boiled on embers if oil is not available or not desired to used in cooking.  Broiled dried fish emits an aromatic smell that can magically attract Filipino appetite and is also best paired with spiced vinegar as a dip on the side and lots of steaming cooked rice. 

However, both fried and broiled can be an offensive smell when sniffed by uninitiated foreigners. Cook dried fish with caution if you are in another country.        

Dried espada fish sold at the roadside stalls in Brgy. Damortis, Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan.

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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. 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 

dilis (deboned and dried)

Boneless dried dilis sold at the roadside stalls in Brgy. Damortis, Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan.

boneless dilis – /bon-les di-lis/ Tagalog dried fish) [n.] deboned anchovies.

The dilis (anchovies) are decapitated, butterflied, and deboned of their backbone, then soaked in a brine solution, drained, and sundried to become dried boneless dilis. 

Best cooked by pan frying briefly on medium heat until the fish turns lightly brown and crisp. Often eaten with a dip of spiced vinegar on the side and lots of steaming freshly cooked rice and a cup of coffee.            

The dilis (anchovies) to be deboned and dried must be freshly caught. Otherwise, when dilis is no longer fresh, it would not be of good quality as it would likely be itchy when eaten and emits a foul odor.

It must be noted that Filipinos are fond of calling deboned fish or meat as boneless. It is actually a misnomer to call this fish "boneless" because the fish here actually has bones and what they did to make it boneless was that they deboned it like what they did to this dilis (anchovy) here. 

Thus, it should aptly be called deboned dried dilis instead of boneless dried dilis. But "boneless" already got its new meaning and usage and has deeply rooted already in the Pinoy community. Boneless already became part of Philippine English to exactly mean "deboned" and we got stuck with it. Those who got confused, please bear with us. This is our language and we are equally entitled to it.

Boneless dried dilis sold at the roadside stalls in Brgy. Damortis, Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan.

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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. 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 

danggit bulad

danggit bulad – /dáng-git bu-làd/ Cebuano dried fish) [n.] dried rabbitfish \sundried butterflied rabbitfish.

To make a dried danggit, the rabbitfish is first butterflied by making a deep incision cut into the back of the head and running the cuts towards the dorsal side (upper back), and continuing to cut the flesh open towards the caudal fin (tail) and deep across towards the anal fin side, leaving the abdomen side (pelvic and pectoral) uncut and remain attached to serve as the hinged of the butterflied body of the fish. 

The process of butterflying a fish is called pakas in Cebuano, and the butterflied fish is called pinakas.   

When butterflied and split-opened, the fish is gutted and the fillet is washed clean, soaked in briny water, drained, and then sun-dried or air-dried under the heat of the sun until the fish is parched, stiff, and very dry. Drying a fish is among the ancient method of preserving a catch.    

The shelf life of dried danggit will last for several months or up to a year if the dried fish is stored and kept away from moisture.       

Dried danggit is commonly cooked by pan frying on medium heat or by grilling or broiling shortly on hot embers as it would easily get burned. It is crisp and crunchy like chicharon when cooked and best served with spiced vinegar as a dip on the side, and lots of steaming freshly cooked rice and a cup of coffee.

Dried danggit sold in the stalls along the roadside of Damortis, Pangasinan.

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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. 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 

pakwan shake

 

pakwan shake – /pak-wan sheyk/ (Tagalog,  and Cebuano cold drinks) [n.] watermelon shake.

This can be made from the fresh juicy pulp of ripe watermelon fruit or from the artificially flavored sugary powder juice formula.

 
For fresh watermelon fruit, the fruit is cut open or sliced into cuts, and the pulp is scooped out and put into the blender, added with ice, milk, and some white sugar, and then processed in the blender until the ice is finely crushed and transferred to a tall glass with a sipping straw.      

When fresh fruit is not available, powdered watermelon juice formula is used. The powder juice is also processed in the blender with some ice and crushed finely in the blender.

Fresh or powdered milk is added to give the shake its creamy taste. A moderate amount of refined white sugar is also added to give more sweetness to this cold refreshment.

Pakwan shake is ideally poured and served in a tall transparent glass tumbler and with a sipping straw, and sometimes garnished with a miniature paper umbrella, especially during summer or any hot seasons, while at the poolside or at the beach.

pakwan shake from a restaurant in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.

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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. 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 

basi

basi - /bá-si/ (Ilocano wine) [n.] sugarcane wine.

A  native Ilocano wine made with fermented sugarcane juice, particularly those produced in the region of Central and Northern Luzon. This wine is processed in burnay (Ilocano earthen jar).

Basi wines sold along the roadside stalls in Binalonan, Pangasinan using recycled bottles and plastic containers (gallons)

 

The extracted juice of sugarcane is distilled and stored in the jar to ferment with locally made yeast, such as bubod, to become wine. 

The basi makers  would classify their basi into either basing lalaki or basing babae. 

The basing lalaki tastes dry, potently strong, and has a high content of alcohol. While the basing babae tastes rather sweet and has lesser alcohol content.

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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. 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 

siling labuyo

Siling kulikot sold in the Carbon Public Market of Cebu City

siling labuyo - /si-ling la-bu-yò/ Tagalog spicy condiment/seasoning) [n.] Philippine bird’s eye chili (sc.name: Capsicum frutescens, [Linn.]).

Other local common names: 

• a.k.a. siling bundok or siling palay in Tagalog
  
• kulikot or siling kulikot in Cebuano and Boholano
• kutitot or sili katumbal in Ilonggo
• udto-udto in Hiligaynon
• pasete or pasiti in Batangueño
• mimis, siling diablo, or sili’t sairo in Ilocano
• rimorimo in Bicolano
• paktin in Ifugao
• sili napet in Itawis
• katumba or lara jangay in Tausug
• loia tidek or luya tiduk in Maranao

What is siling labuyo?  How can we tell a siling labuyo? 

Well, let's talk about it.

A species of wild native hot tiny chili pepper that grows in the forested areas of the country, though it can be grown also in the garden, backyard, or pots.

It bears tiny fruit refuted to be one of the hottest peppers in the world, especially the ripe ones that are bright red in color, but green and sometimes rare white when unripe and yellow when about to ripen.

The Ta'u-sug lara jangay sold in the Public Market of Zamboanga City

This species of Philippine tiny wild chili pepper is also known as the “bird’s eye hot pepper” known to grow only in the Philippine archipelago. So called siling labuyo because it is picked by wandering wild chickens called labuyo by the Tagalogs. The siling labuyo plant bears tiny fruits refuted to be one of the hottest peppers in the world. It is classified as “very hot” with a scale of Scoville heat unit (SHU) ranging from 80,000 to 100,000.

Siling kulikot sold in the Carbon Public Market of Cebu City. This is the same kind of chili known in Tagalog as siling labuyo.

Authentic siling labuyo is very small, very short (less than an inch) with a not-so-pointed tip.

Some imported and less spicy hot chilies are passed on as siling labuyo in the market or grocery stores when in fact it is not a siling labuyo like the siling Taiwan that is more than an inch long and very pointed.

The mimis of Ilocos Sur province

This tiny chili is known for its intense piquancy - so small in size, yet so hot in taste.

Despite its irritating piquancy, chickens and birds are picking the ripe mimis in the wilds, as if it is their favorite.

The mimis of Ilocos Sur province.

Ilocanos would use mimis as spicy flavor in making spicy hot sukang Iloko (sugarcane vinegar). They also used it as condiment in some dishes and dippings.

Siling labuyo is more commonly used in Filipino kitchens as a condiment. Also used as one of the main ingredients, in some Bicolano, Ilocano, and Maranao dishes.

In Leyte, they have a fiery hot dish called taguto that uses minced siling kulikot equal to the amount of minced native chicken.

The tiny fruits are served as sliced, chopped, crushed, mashed, or marinated whole in vinegar, as in the sinamak vinegar. It may be also sun-dried and ground into powder and placed in a shaker for sprinkling over some dishes on the table or while cooking. 

Some bottles of sukang Iloko in Binalonan, Pangasinan are steeped with mimis.

Siling Taiwan sold in the public market of Cabanatuan City. It is commonly found also in public markets and groceries in Metro Manila, often passed on as siling labuyo, when in fact it is not a siling labuyo.

Siling labuyo is mild if spiced as a whole piece, but very fiery if it is cut open, mashed, or chopped into pieces as it exposed its seeds and juice, which are the hottest parts. It is advised that siling labuyo should not be taken during pregnancy and lactation.

The young leaves (tops) of siling labuyo are also used in cooking as vegetables in soupy dishes.

Siling Taiwan being sold in the Alabang public market of Muntinlupa City. Keep in mind that siling Taiwan is not siling labuyo.

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Related posts:

Taguto

Wild chili ale

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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. 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 

wheat pandesal

 

wheat pandesal – /wit pán-de-sal/ Tagalog bread; dw Eng. wheat + Span pan de sal [bread with salt]) [n.] a loaf of pandesal that is made with whole wheat brown flour as its base ingredient.

Processed wheat flour is often added to adjust the consistency of wheat pandesal bread.

The dough used in baking this bread also uses shortening, yeast, and of course salt.

The wheat pandesal of Pan de Manila bakeshop in Metro Manila and some cities in Luzon

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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. 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