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

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barako finger (dynamite chili stick)

barako finger  - /ba-rá-ko fing-geyr/ Tagalog delicacy) [n.] green finger chili roll \dynamite chili. 

Other local name:

• a.k.a. dynamite chili or dynamite chili stick in Tagalog and Cebuano

The siling berde or siling haba (green finger chili) is cut lengthwise with the stalk remaining intact, seeds removed, washed clean, then filled with a cheese stick. Another version is filled with sautéed ground meat in chili sauce instead of a cheese stick. The filled chili is then wrapped in lumpia wrapper (wanton wrapper) and fried until crisp and browned.

The stem or stalk of the finger chili juts out like a wicker of dynamite. Thus, it is called dynamite chili with reference to its dynamite-like appearance.

Packs of freshly made and uncooked barako fingers are sold in food stalls at the Caticlan Airport in Malay, Aklan.

The barako finger is deep fried and served as an appetizer or a pulutan. It makes a good partner with your ice-cold beer.

The barako finger is not too hot to handle as one may think because siling haba (green finger chili) is mildly spicy hot, even made lesser spicy hot when its seeds are removed.

A pile of dynamite chilies at a world-class and first picnic-inspired night food market at Glorietta's Dolphin Park in Ayala Center, Makati City.

The barako finger could be a lot hotter if the seeds are not removed. However, keeping all those seeds inside would cause this appetizer to have a hint of bitterness in taste.

Here are the steps on how to make the simplest version of barako finger (a.k.a. dynamite chili).

A serving of freshly fried barako finger (a.k.a. dynamite chili) doused with sweet chili sauce.

There are now many variations on how barako finger is prepared and enhanced. The most common is with the filling lined with a sheet of bacon before it is wrapped in a lumpia wrapper.

Those who seek or demand an intensely hot variation can have their wish granted by simply adding minced siling labuyo (Philippine tiny bird’s eye chili) or any other species of chili pepper that are intensely hot. If Carolina Reaper is available, you can use it to rig the barako finger or dynamite chili to the max. Just add the explosive super hot chili in the sautéed ground meat for the filling. A chili sauce version can also be used.  

Now you have another good reason to cry out loud, babe.

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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 

taklong

taklong – /ták-long/ (Hiligaynon [Capizeño] snail) [n.] forest snail. 

Other local common name:

• a.k.a. takrong in Hiligaynon (Capizeño)

A species of big-sized forest snail found in the woods or forested areas of Capiz province and nearby provinces on Malay island. This snail would thrive in moist places near a river or waterfalls. It lives on trees as this snail is fed with leaves of trees and other plants. 

They are caught crawling under the foliage and on the branches of trees and other plants. The snail is carrying on its back a dark brown coiling shell. 

It looks like kurakol (plant snail) or a big-sized kuhol (escargot). 

As food, taklong is collected and boiled in water to make it easy to pull out its meat from its coiling shell. The meat is pried out with a fork or pin.

The meat is cooked into barbekyung taklong (forest snail barbecue) by marinading it in barbecue sauce then skewered on a stick and grilled, or made into guinataang taklong (forest snail in coconut milk), guinisang taklong (sautéed forest snail), or adobong taklong (pickled forest snail). When cooked, it is gummy and chewy like a chicken gizzard.

Personal note

This snail is quite different from kuhol. It tastes bitter and chewy. In my case, I turned squeamish and had a thorough exercise with my jaw masticating the dish. It takes a good combination of spices and seasonings to make it at least enticing. Its bitterness is definitely so strong due to its diet of forest green leaves.

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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 

tsikalang

tsikalang – /tsi-ka-láng/ (Cebuano and Chavacano (Zamboangueño) snack of southern Mindanao) [n.] fried rolled purple glutinous rice. 

Other local name:

• Also spelled as chicalang in Chavacano (Zamboangueño)

The purple glutinous rice is ground and mixed with some trigo (wheat flour) and water, moderately enough to make a rice dough. A handful lump or cut of this rice dough is rolled to the size of a banana fruit and then fried in deep cooking oil. When frying is almost done, it is sprinkled with brown sugar and cooked until the sugar would caramelize and coat the fried rice dough. The caramel-coated rice dough is then removed from the pan and set to cool.   

The cooked tsikalang is then skewered in a bamboo stick similar to that of a banana cue (fried saba banana in a bamboo stick). 

A bite of tsikalang is a bit chewy because it is made with glutinous rice.

Tsikalang in Pagadian City is skewered in bamboo sticks.

In other parts of southern Mindanao, like in Zamboanga City, tsikalang is shaped like a twisted donut or big pinilipit and is not skewered in bamboo sticks, but coated with flour and caramelized sugar.

Tsikalang in Zamboanga City is shaped like a twisted donut or big pinilipit with flour coating.

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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 

ensaimada

ensaymada – /en-say-má-da/ Tagalog and almost all other dialects bread/pastry; dw Span. saim [pork lard] > ensaimada <>ensaimades) [n.] spiral soft cheese bun.

• Also spelled as ensaimada in almost all languages and vernaculars in the Philippines 

Filipino ensaymada has its origin in Majorca, Spain, where it was originally made with flour dough, water, sugar, eggs, and pork lard called saim. Thus, it is called ensaimada. 

The Pinoy version substituted pork lard with butter, and several sub-variants of ensaymada are now seen and sold anywhere in the Philippines that include: ham ensaymada, ube ensaymada, mongo ensaymada, ensaymada Malolos, and the all-time-favorite cheese ensaymada. 

Pinoy ensaymada is still a soft dough bread in a spiral form that wounds towards the center, often glazed with melted butter or margarine and lightly sprinkled with or pressed and rolled on refined white sugar and topped with grated cheese. 

Enhanced variations have strips of ham, macapuno strings, or a sweet paste of ube or ube jam. 

The Bulakeños started making before World War II their large version of ensaymadas topped with lots of grated cheese and thin slices of salted duck egg.

The latest variation of ensaymada is no longer spiral in shaped but a clustered several pieces of softy yellowy buns made with the same ensaimada ingredients and still glazed with butter or margarine sprinkled with white sugar and generously topped with grated cheddar or filled cheese.      

Some Batangueños migrated and brought their baking expertise to Mindoro. These ensaymadas in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro came from a Batangueño bakery in town.

Almost all bakeries in Metro Manila are selling ensaymadas. These ones are from a bakery in Apitong, Brgy. Cembo, Makati City.

These are the ensaimadas of the Red Ribbon bakeshop in Metro Manila.

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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 

potato rib

potato rib - /po-te-to rib/ (Tagalog snacks) [n.] potato twist stick. 

Other local names:

• a.k.a. potato twist, twistix or chipstix in Tagalog

A spirally sliced potato fries in a stick. The whole piece of unpeeled potato is sliced spirally thin continuously from end to end using a rotating shaft. It is skewered in a pointed-end bamboo stick and deep fried until crisp and dusted with salt and the optional powdered cheese and other flavorings of choice.

This looks like a modified version of twister fries.

Commonly is served with a sprinkle of finely ground salt or a dipping sauce of catsup or mayonnaise or their combination. It also has a variety of flavors that includes cheese, sour cream, BBQ, pizza, ketchup, and sweet and spicy, among others.

potato ribs freshly cooked at a food stall in the ground floor of SM Supermarket in Makati City.

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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 

walkman

walkman – /wok'-man/ (Tagalog delicacy) [n.] pig's ear barbecue. 

Other local names:

• a.k.a. taenga ng baboy BBQ or tenga ng baboy BBQ in Tagalog. BBQ here is read as "barbecue".

Walkman is a popular colloquial name for tainga ng baboy barbecue from the 1980s until the early 2020s. 

The ears of pigs are scalded, shaven well, and the outer skin scrapped off. This process is often done while the slaughtered pig is still at the abattoir. But barbecue makers would and must clean it further well. 

The cleaned ears are then sliced into bite-size and soaked in the marinade for at least an hour or allowed to stand overnight in the refrigerator. The marinade could be a simple solution of vinegar, soy sauce, pounded peppercorn, and crushed cloves of garlic. The flavor could be enhanced by adding some muscovado or brown sugar, juice calamansi juice (Philippine round lime), and laurel leaf. 

The marinated ears are then skewered in sharp-pointed bamboo stick, then grilled over red-hot charcoal embers, occasionally turned over, and basted with basting sauce, oil, or with the remaining marinade, until the barbecue are seared.

Pig's ear BBQ got its colloquial name “walkman” after it alluded to that an iconic pocket-size portable-listening gadget popularly known by the same name "Walkman," paired with a set of wired earphones, first invented in Japan in 1979 and reached the United States in 1980 and into the Philippines a year later. The Sony Walkman of Sony Corp went popular in the Philippines in the early 80s and was a fad in the streets of Metro Manila and then to the rest of the country. It was then that tainga ng baboy BBQ (pig's ear barbecue) was named walkman alluding with a jest to one's ears that listen to Sony Walkman.

 

Eventually, the popularity of the Sony Walkman gadget and the walkman barbecue waned when iPod was introduced in 2001 and then the iPhone in 2007 which eventually put Sony Walkman away as a thing of the past as years went by. Walkman as a colloquial name for Filipino pig's ear barbecue also faded its usage in the co-terminus with the Sony Walkman gadget. Filipinos gradually forget walkman and the barbecue got back its vernacular name tainga ng baboy BBQ and that is what it is fondly called again now. 

Tenga ng baboy BBQ of Victoria's Grille. I got this at the Mercato Centrale one weekend at the Bonifacio High Street parking area in Bonifacio Global City (The Fort), Taguig City.

Cooking tip

To help soften the meat of the BBQ, add the marinade with few drops of extracted juice from pounded ginger roots or the extracted whitish resin that comes out from the skin of pricked fresh green papaya fruit. These extracts can also be used in stewing or braising hard-to-cook meats. It will effectively loosen the meat off the bones and the tissues to separate. 

References:

• The New Yorker, "The Walkman, Forty Years On," Matt Alt, June 29, 2020, https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-walkman-forty-years-on

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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.

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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