Food Trip 39 - Langka

If there's one fruit that makes my mouth waters, it would be a ripe jack fruit. Ever since I was a kid, I had this fond liking of this fruit. Way back then when my mother had still a jack fruit tree, she would make it to a point to let one big fruit ripened and I would deliberately feast on it.

Even up to this time, my yearning and liking of this food is already embedded in my system. Whenever possible, I would always find a way to buy a couple of kilos of this fruit and simply enjoy eating it raw. And those I can no longer eat, I would boil them in water with sugar and enjoy several days eating my own version of a jack fruit jam. 

Food Trip 38 - Lechon

If you are a vegetarian, a lechon on the table would be a big no no for you. But for meat lovers, lechon is such a mouth-watering delight and brings smiles to those who longed for it.

I don't know what magic it brings but young and old alike will not miss a chance to fill their plates with lechon. And the moment their lips touches the lechon, their faces simply give them away. 

I am also a meat lover but the only part I love about the lechon is its crispy golden brown skin. It's a good feeling sinking your teeth on the crispy skin and appreciating its crumbling sound. But the moment its skin becomes rubbery, people will simply ignore it and go for its meat.

Anyway, lechon is a great food but I don't indulge on this food that much. Being rich in cholesterol, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Food Trip 37 - Steamed Siopao

One time, I chanced upon a stall in Divisoria selling steamed siopao.  I am not a siopao lover but that time I got curious how a fried siopao tastes like.  I then asked the sales lady about the difference between the steamed siopao from a fried siopao.  I guess she was caught unaware by my inquiry and with all confidence, she declared that it is steamed.  Yeah, right.  Hehe.

Asado and bola-bola are the common siopao variations.  I just don't know about cat siopao if it is true.  But one time while watching the news, the authorities in the neighboring country of the Philippines uncovered that brown boxes are being used as siopao fillings.  Bad cheetah.

Anyway, a couple of orders of steamed siopao proved to be heavy on the stomach.  What I love about this one is its taste.  The taste of pork and its spices are evident and completely different from the usual asado or bola-bola.  The filling is way fresher and the texture of the meat is not overcooked.

Whenever I am in Quiapo, Binondo, or Divisoria, I always make it a point to bring home steamed siopao which I learned to appreciate.  Actually, I also introduced this one to some of my friends and they happened to like it also.  Yummy.

Food Trip 36 - Milk Tea

For some time, mixed tea drinks are almost everywhere especially in the malls.  Since I find this kind of drink enjoyable, most of the time, I am on the look out for a new taste especially the sweet one.

Before I purchase a tea drink, I would usually ask the seller about their best selling sweet tea drink.  Since I am no tea lover, a good mixture would always defy the taste of the tea and it feels like not drinking the real tea.  In this way, I can enjoy the taste of both worlds.

One time, I was tempted by an Asian restaurant to try their tea drink.  As usual, I asked about their best sellers and the promotional displays look promising.  I ordered two different sets, for me and my cousin.  At first sip, the taste of their tea was overwhelming.  I spent some more time mixing the drink and after a while, the taste of tea was still evident.  When I asked my cousin about the taste of her drink, she said that she was like having a tea party. Haha

Food Trip 35 - Lapu-Lapu

Ever wondered why a lapu-lapu dish costs that much in restaurants?

The lapu-lapu meat is known for its excellent texture and flavor. A lapu-lapu dish is one of the favorites especially in Chinese restaurants.

I had a privilege to join a local community somewhere in Palawan where the source of livelihood of the locals is fishing. It was some sort of vacation/immersion and it was one good experience.

The businessmen in that local community maintain fish cages. These fish cages house the live catch of the prized lapu-lapu fish by the fishermen. The lapu-lapu fishes are feed and remain in the fish cages within the sea until they are nearly 3/4 or almost a kilo in weight. They said that those over a kilo are sold at a lower price. Once harvested, these fishes will be delivered to Manila or even exported to Hong Kong.

 I was told that a live lapu-lapu fish is very expensive in Manila. I was also oriented about the other species of lapu-lapu which they considered a "fake" or an "aswang." Thus, if one is unaware of it, he might be ordering a so-called "fake" lapu-lapu. And one more thing, if you are going to order a live lapu-lapu for your meal, have a keen observation of what you order and what is being serve on your table. You might be paying for a live lapu-lapu but the lapu-lapu on your plate might not be the one you ordered earlier. Hmmm. Fishy? Hehe.

Food Trip 34 - Squash and Malunggay Patties

There are some kids and even adults that are not fond of eating vegetables.

One time, I was offered something to eat that had an enticing smell.  I got curious about the food and I readily gave it a try.  Some ingredients were unknown to me but its taste was good and it was a bit heavy on the stomach.

The raw squash is thinly sliced.  Together with malunggay leaves, the squash is then added with flour and egg and then formed into patties.  The patty is deep fried until it turns to golden brown.

For people who don’t eat vegetables, this food will definitely make them ask for more.

Food Trip 33 - Minatamis na Saging

Minatamis na saging is one dessert that anyone can practically prepare without much effort. You simply allow the water to boil, add a certain amount of sugar, and add the sliced ripe banana (saba). You may add a vanilla flavor to enhance its aroma and after some minutes, you can already eat your heart out.

I prefer to prepare this stuff if muscovado is available. Aside from being unadulterated, the syrup of muscovado is far better than any known commercial sugar. Its rich syrup brings a certain form of texture to the taste which is lacking in processed sugar. But others don't appreciate muscovado because of its strong sweet taste.

Minatamis na saging is a common ingredient in halo-halo and mais con hielo but it can be enjoyed as it is. Hmmm. I feel like I wanted a serving of this.

Food Trip 32 - Tuba

Bahal is a local wine equivalent to a red wine.  It comes from the trunk of the coconut tree where the coconut fruit grows.

During the early stage where the coconut trunk is ready to bear fruit, the trunk is tied and its tip is cut.  A small container is then placed underneath the trunk overnight.  The following day, the juice coming from the trunk fills the container.

In the Visayas region of the country, the gathered juice extract from the coconut tree is consumed right away.  But in some other areas, a preservative which is known locally as barok is added to the newly gathered juice extract so that it will not turn sour.  Afterwards, the solution is tucked in a place where it is left to age.  According to the locals, the older it gets, the better it tastes.

Food Trip 31 - Fish Intestines

Since my growing up years, I come to love and appreciate fish intestines.  Of course, not all fish intestines are edible.  I am referring to the intestines of big fishes.

The common big fishes in our locality are tuna and salmon.  Whenever they are sold, they are being cut into slices which also include their intestines.  At times, these intestines are being sold separately. 

All the time, we prefer fresh fishes and that include their intestines.  Since I know how to prepare a fish dish, I am also particular how the fish intestines should be prepared.  The intestines should be opened first and using the blade of a knife, the inner walls of the intestines should be scrapped meticulously.  And in order to get rid of its smell, rubbing a good amount of salt on the cleaned intestines walls will do the trick.

A fried fish intestine is as good as its flesh but it tends to shrink once it is cooked.  I would prefer a dish with soup and it could be a plain pangat, sinabawan, or to a more lavish sinigang.

Food Trip 30 - Chapchae

We were dining at Bonchon restaurant and my cousin was quite excited about this experience because it was her first time.  As always, she took her sweet time ordering something to eat and I gave her that moment.  She always has this appetite and asks so many questions before settling with what she thinks might satisfy her cravings.

We were already starting to eat and she kept glancing at a poster in a glass wall near our table.  She repeatedly stated that the food looked good.  Well, I cannot blame her because she is always adventurous when it comes to food and she loves Asian food.  And after a couple of minutes, she finally ordered the thing.

Chapchae, as they call it, is made from glass noodles.  It was my first time to see a glass noodle that thick because I happened to use only a Chinese vermicelli which is thinner compared with it.  Anyway, we were anticipating that order since we were already about to finish our food.  And right before our last bite, the order came.

I was not surprised at all about the appearance of chapchae because I use to prepare something similar at home.  Aside from the long strands of glass noodles, the other ingredients were somewhat too few and too small.  The very obvious one was the scrambled fried egg which was too small and hardly recognizable.  The other one were bits of chicken meat which were too small, likewise.  The rest of its ingredients are literally unknown to me and I did not ask about those things because they might be company secrets.  But what wowed me about chapchae is its odor.  The odor of the food is really very good.  I was trying to figure out the scent and may be they include an oyster sauce (which happened to be my favorite) in its preparation.  My cousin laughingly scolded me about smelling the food for sometime because I might be sending a wrong signal inside the restaurant.  But I said to her that I just could not help myself appreciating a good smelling food like that one.

And its taste?  I hardly finished a portion of that serving because I easily got satiated because it tastes sweet.  I was actually anticipating that it may taste spicy because it is an Asian food but I was wrong.  It was sweet and I usually don't appreciate a sweet dish like that one.

Food Trip 29 - Crab Meatballs

In Divisoria, where people literally rub elbows with one another, street food are everywhere.  Everytime there are plenty of people, you may expect that food carts can be found along the sidewalk.

One time, I gave in to my appetite.  I just wanted to munch the big crab meatballs being o

Among the different food sticks, I just eyed on the crab meatballs.  Though I am already aware of its taste, I said to myself that I have to taste it again after a long haitus of crab meatballs.  I don't have problems or allergies with crabs.  It is just that for quite some time now, I don't have encounters with food containing crab meatballs.

May be that time, I just fancied on how it was prepared.  The claws of the crab were inserted on the tip of each meatballs which really caught my attention.  When it was cooked, it was simply deep fried in oil along with other stick goodies.  When it was served, the same confectionaries are offered depending on your taste. 

Since it is crab meat balls, the taste of the crab is still intact regardless of how it was cooked.

Food Trip 28 - Max's Pancit Lomi

I do not really have a big gusto over pancit lomi.  May be because from the past, all those pancit lomi I'd tasted were not that appealing to the taste.

One time, my cousin invited me to go out and the moment we were hungry, we went for a foodtrip.  Since it was already early evening, I opted for a rice meal while my cousin preferred a light meal.  She ordered a clubhouse together with pancit lomi. 

The serving of pancit lomi is good for two. Since the serving is too much for one person alone, I had no choice but to get some spoonfuls of pancit lomi.  And for the first time, I feel in love with pancit lomi.

When you visit Max's and you're looking for something hot to eat, their serving of pancit lomi will definitely make your day and worth every peso that you're going to spend.  The taste of their pancit lomi is definitely awesome and I can guarantee you that it will instantly become your favorite food.

Food Trip 27 - Suman

Every time there are special occassions such as new year, birthdays, all saints day, and xmas day, one will expect that there's always a family that will prepare suman.

Suman is a local delicacy made from sticky rice.  The sticky rice is cooked like an ordinary rice.  The coconut milk is then boiled until latik is formed.  Latik and oil are the results of boiling the coconut milk.  Once latik turns to golden brown, it is then removed from the pan. 

Muscovado is then added to the oil in the pan.  The muscado needs to be dissolved before addind the cooked sticky rice.  Once the sticky rice is added, it needs to be stirred vigorously in order to fully integrate the mixture of muscovado and coconut oil to the sticky rice.  The latik is then added as the toppings of this delicacy.

In our place, we oftentimes prefer to eat latik alone instead of topping it to suman.  It is good to the taste while latik is still hot.  Once latik becomes cold, it is no longer appealing to the taste.

Food Trip 26 - Fried Chicken Skin

Fried chicken skin is one of the popular street food in the busy city streets of the country. 

Along with the growing population is also the demand for food.  Through time, the ingenuity of people about food is always surprising.  Who could have thought of raising a chicken purely made of skins? Haha

Kidding aside, the taste of crispy and tasty fried chicken skin cannot be questioned.  Anyone who is a meat lover will definitely give in to the temptation of fried chicken skin.  And with the growing number of vendors of this stuff, fried chicken skin becomes readily available at a reasonable price.

I, too, had my moments with this food.  A modest serving of rice or two, and an order of fried chicken skin made me survive a day with minimal spending.  Truly, it was a great help during those days when I was trying to make both ends meet.

But my glory days of enjoying the fried chicken skin was cut short because a friend of mine warned me about the ill effects of this food.  The cholesterol of her father who is also fond of this food rose to an alarming level.  It was scary because her father had to undergo some expensive medications.  Since I was afraid to suffer the same fate, I disassociate myself with this kind of food right away.

Food Trip 25 - Steak

It's the burnt fat that I enjoy the most in a steak.

During the time when I knew nothing about steaks, I got used in grilling beef.  Since we don't have a refrigerator in the province, we use to grill the uncooked beef for the coming days.  The very first time I smelled the burning fat of beef, I right away had a liking of the meat.  The aroma of the burning beef fat already makes my mouth waters and it really makes me hungry.

Everytime I had my fill of a steak, I really spend some time smelling the burnt fat.  To me, it brings back all those fun memories especially during my childhood days.  And it is the burnt fat that I usually eat first while it is still hot.

Food Trip 24 - Fried Bangus Skin

There's a restaurant in Greenhills where they offer bangus or milkfish as their specialty dish.  Well, aside from bangus, they also have the common meat stuff to attract more customers.

As we browse through their menu, a fried bangus skin caught our attention.  In order to satisfy our curiosity, we ordered one.

The meat of bangus is separated from its skin.  The skin was then cut into into strips and deep fried until it becomes crispy.  It has been seasoned to taste already before it was deep fried.

The moment it was served to us, we found the oil used for cooking the bangus skin still present in it.  It could had been better if they placed that one on a paper towel in order for the oil to be absorbed first before serving.  Since it was freshly prepared, it was like a chicharon with all those crackling sound every time you eat it.  It would be a good finger food during a beer drinking spree.  But the catch is, its crispiness was gone after several minutes.  I guess you need to finish this one as fast as possible the moment it is serve.

Food Trip 23 - Bibingka

Bibingka is a native delicacy that is available the whole year round.  Oftentimes, food stalls selling bibingkas and other similar delicacies could be encountered in almost every nook the moment the "ber" months are in.

We were waiting for a jeepney ride and in a street corner, there was this stall selling bibingka and puto bumbong.  The bibingka smells good though they had started cooking that one.  We wanted to taste their so-called special bibingka but there was already someone waiting for several orders of that stuff.  Since we could not wait any longer, we deferred our craving.

In the course of our conversation, I asked the lady vendor what made their bibingka special.  She proudly answered that their bibingka has salted egg.  In that case, I told her that I am also special because I have the same stuff as well.  The man waiting for his orders of bibingka could not help but to laugh upon hearing my joke.  The lady vendor looked at me a bit puzzled.  Hehe.

Food Trip 22 - Pancit Lomi

In a street corner which I use to pass almost every day, there are several stores selling food that ranges from merienda to a decent meal.  Theirs are among the cheapest in the area that's why I become their regular patron.

One time, out of the blue, I tried a lomi soup.  It is called a lomi because of its thick noodles.  A serving may be plain or with a boiled egg.

One of the common bystanders by the food stalls commented about the foul odor of lomi.  At first, she thought the food was no longer edible but the vendor told us that it was because of the boiled egg inside the cauldron.  Later on, the woman commented that the boiled eggs should be contained within the cauldron because for the duration of the day lomi will really smell bad like a bad egg.  The boiled egg should only be added upon ordering a serving of the lomi soup.

The woman’s observation was true.  The boiled egg should be separated from the lomi soup.  It is similar to the egg which is kept inside the underwear and is soaked in sweat.  It will really smell bad.  Hehe.

Food Trip 21 - Fish Eggs

I don't know if you'll consider fish egg as an exotic food.  Others say that this stuff is an aphrodisiac food.

I am no stranger to fish eggs.  Actually, we used to scramble over fish eggs every time they were part of our dish.  Those were the days when my siblings and I were still young.

The taste of fish eggs is different from its meat.  Well, almost all different body parts of a big fish taste different.  And if you have not yet tasted a fish egg, either with broth or fried, I suggest that you give it a try.  I'm sure you'll enjoy it.  Just keep an open mind and an open mouth about this stuff.  Hehe

Food Trip 20 - Guyabano

During a hot day, experts say that we should refrain from eating guyabano because it is hot for the body.  Unlike watermelon and pineapple, the likes of guyabano and mango are not to be taken to cool off the body temperature.  But hot or not, I would always welcome the guyabano fruit.

When I was growing up, we had a guyabano tree by the backyard.  Its tree is not tall and even a kid can climb that one.  The moment it bears fruit, you wish they are not going to get ripe all at the same time.  And I am the most excited one among my siblings.  I got to feast on the fruits without so much competition around.  Haha.