Among the millions of Filipino dishes that I have eaten, mussel is one of my favorite. It is a seashell that can be found piling itself to a bamboo planted under the sea. One must dive in order to get some.
Mussels can be smoked, boiled or steamed. It should be alive just before they are cooked because they quickly become toxic after they die. A simple criterion is that live mussels, when in the air, are tightly shut; open mussels are dead and should be discarded. The mussel shells open by themselves when cooked.
One dish that I know is the "Ginisang Tahong" which I had first eaten when I was in grade school. It became my favorite and I usually eat until my stomach bursts. Another is "Inihaw na Tahong". My brother says it stinks, but when I tasted it, it is extremely delicious! It is a perfect dish for a seafood addict. But this is not until I tasted "Lumpiang Tahong".
Originally, “lumpia” is made of cooked vegetables enfolded over a wrapper. Meat could also be a possible filling, but hearing "lumpiang tahong"? That is something new.
"Lumpiang Tahong" is invented by a friend. She handed me a pack of “lumpia” as a gift for my birthday. I fried it at home and ate it. It tasted so good that I almost ignored the spaghetti that my sister cooked for me. I insisted for the recipe and here it is. You might want to try it. It is delicious!
Ingredients: mussels, carrots
Onion, garlic
Wrapper, cooking oil
Salt, vetsin
Procedures:
1. Remove the mussel shells then slice the mussels into small pieces. Make sure you remove the black part of the mussels.
2. Sauté the mussels in cooking oil then mix the garlic, onion and carrots (sliced into small cubes).
3. Enfold the sautéed mussels into a wrapper.
4. Fry the wrapped sautéed mussels and you will have “lumpiang tahong”.
You can serve it with any sauce you want. Try it!
Monday, August 27, 2007
LUMPIANG TAHONG
Tammy... Look!!!!
The Tamilok (Teredo Navalis)
An interesting delicacy has stumbled upon by the FOODSTER bloggers. It has been featured in the ABS-CBN News' The Correspondents and has sparked some more reports to sprout out to search for unusual "eats".
The TAMILOK, the shipworm, is a mussel of the genus shipworms (Teredinidae), which include about 80 species living in wooden material of logs, pilings and ships at all temperate and warm coast around the world. It could be found in swampy areas especially in mangroves.
The edible worm is a popular delicacy in Palawan. It is either eaten on site where it is found, specifically in the mangroves (bakawan), or at nearby restaurants that offer the worm at its raw form.
The shipworm body is elongate and wormlike; the shell no longer protects the body, but covers helmet like the anterior parts and acts as a boring instrument. The tunnel connects to the surface with a tiny hole with two siphons for inhaling and exhaling of water. Therefore, from the outside the shipworm is very hard to detect, often the damage appears only when the piling breaks. The locals, with their trained eyes, would break open a piece of rotten wood and extract these creatures like taking noodles out of the bowl.
According to Karen Davila, ABS-CBN’s Correspondent for the Tamilok Episode, “…it is somewhat reminiscent of an umbilical cord, and some people feel uneasy upon seeing it. However, for the Palaweños, it's a tasty dish, and a way to earn a living.” It sold from 20 to 40 pesos a glassful of grey stuff. It is believed that the worm got its local name from a foreigner who saw the worm for the first time and scream to his companion, "Tammy... Look!"
In the interest to really know what it feels to eat the delicacy, I have requested my father (in a business trip) to buy just a glassful of worms but unfortunately, he has not yet arrived as of post time.
For a glimpse of the worm’s adventure through the eyes of grossed out and strong-stomached people, you could go to the ABS-CBN Now! Website , and look for The Correspondents video feed.
Sources: The Great Shipworm
The Correspondents
NOT JUST PIZZA, NOT JUST PINAKBET, IT'S PINAKBET PIZZA!
PINAKBET PIZZA
Ilocos Norte is known for its magnificent and charming architectural landmarks such as the world famous Paoay Church - declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Burgos Lighthouse. These treasures from the past have also become icons of their towns.
The province’s culinary traditions have also attracted and gained the interest of both visiting foodies and the consumer public. Ilocos Norte has become synonymous to the scrumptious biscocho (next to salt!) of Pasuquin, and the savoury empanadas of Batac – arguably the best in the entire Ilocos region. In my two recent trips to Ilocos Norte, I was once again reunited with my Ilocano roots and learn to fully appreciate its culture and culinary delights.
A wonderful new discovery here is Herencia Café. Herencia, which literally means “heritage”, is a restaurant that aims to remain as faithful to the traditional Ilocano cuisine by offering and serving authentic Ilocano dishes like pinakbet, igado, and bagnet among others. Herencia Café, situated right across the plaza of the historic Church of San Agustin (more popularly known as Paoay Church) in picturesque Paoay town, is Ilocos Norte’s new center for culinary tradition. Aside from popular Ilocano and other Pinoy dishes, Herencia’s menu features various entrees of Italian, Indian, and Spanish influences, as well as “fusion” concoctions.
In its effort to be on the forefront of the latest advancement in culinary development, Herencia whips up its own “fusion” delicacy by taking the classic Ilocano dish pinakbet, elevating it to a different level of culinary experience and concocting the country’s first ever gourmet pinakbet pizza. This unique treat combines the traditional pizza crust and mozzarella cheese with local ingredients used for pinakbet.
pinakbetpizza-01.jpg
Herencia’s pinakbet pizza is a real discovery and delight to Ilocanos like me as well as adventurous foodies. Here, anchovies, which, for ages have been used as a popular pizza topping, are replaced by a similar yet our very own native ingredient, the bagoong. A pinakbet pizza won’t be without the usual eggplant, ampalaya, okra, sitaw, and some kind of meat like bagnet or longganisa. Toss them all on a mozzarella cheese-covered, hand tossed thin pizza crust and you have one of the most unique gastronomic creations ever in the country!
For taste, texture, and consistency, I give it two thumbs up! Its crust is unusually thin and stays crispy even when left on the table for some time. The crust, says Sammy Blas, is a secret mixture of local rice and commercially-available all-purpose flour and shortening, its name (I cannot divulge), yet brings back more childhood food memories and a smile as I devour this newly discovered treat!
Herencia Café, with the elegance its old world ambience is the perfect setting to savour the mouthwatering pinakbet pizza. The café’s decor is a mix of antique wood, glass and wrought iron furnishings. The most notable feature is the dining table bases of old sewing machine stands complete with foot pedals, and a wall mural depicting Sitio Remedios, a “heritage village” resort in Currimao. The café’s wide, arched French windows offer a superb view of the majestic Paoay Church right across.
Mangan tayon!
Source: Lafang: Pinakbet Pizza
This is an introduction of PINAKBET PIZZA, one that the group will be eating. It sounds scrumptious enough but hey- looks can be deceiving.
EATING SALAGUBANG
Photo from Yahoo! Images
Next to sleeping, eating is one of my major indulgences. If I may say so, I totally agree with a TV ad's statement that the Filipinos' favorite expression is 'Kainan na!' And so when our group had to decide what topic to pursue for our blog and we finished deliberating other suggestions, we still went back to basics -- food. Obviously, it's our mutual interest.
We decided to dwell on foods that are not commonly known or in some ways odd. Whether it's a traditional dish with a new twist or a totally new recipe, we hope that it will tickle our reader's curiosity as much as it did ours.
First on our menu is the Ginisang Salagubang (sauted beetle). I would have to admit that, although I was excited when we were just talking about it, I hesitated when eating time came. It's not easy for me to see a beetle as a food, when I grew up tying its leg with thread and whirling it into the air to coerce it to fly. I guess 'don't eat your toy' would have been a more appropriate reminder than 'don't play with your food'.
My first encounter with these beetles was during the cooking segment. When we opened the container I thought it smells like an old cabinet. But I guess it was just me and my delusions of its plausible taste. It started to smell like food to me when they started to sauté it with garlic.
Anyway, we still pushed through with our salagubang eating activity. All of us were clueless about how to eat it and how it would taste except for Pan, who had experienced this prior to our group picnic.
The inevitable moment came and we had to face our fears. One of our group mates suggested we eat it at Sunshine Park so we could scream louder, in case we want to. But there was no need for that. We ate it at school and were triumphant.
Pan taught us how to eat. We removed the wings and head. We took the belly and sipped it like a shrimp's head.
Initially, it tastes weird. But it wasn't so bad after all. I'm not sure if I've tasted anything like it before but it's basically salty. One of our classmates said it's even better if its adobo but ginisa is still good. Maybe we'll try it some other time and you should too.
Forgive my extensive story on how we dealt with the beetle. Earlier I used the word 'experience'. For me, it's the apt word. It's the time and what we did with it that's more remarkable, well, for me at least. I think that's the joy in trying odd foods with friends. You get to feel weird, together. If you think otherwise, then you might as well try odd foods by yourself and then you can share with us how it went. Nevertheless, try the Ginisang Salagubang and we're hoping to hear from you soon. Thanks!Ravmo blogger, Charise C. Bautista
S-A-L-A-G-U-B-A-N-G
Brown beetle or bug
Pangasinan-Sibaweng
Tagalog-Salagubang
S-sibaweng in Pangasinan, when
A-added with flavorings it makes a
L-lovable taste. It's an
A-appetite satisfier that is
G-good for the health. An
U-unusual menu. It's
B-brittle when fried, but still will have
A-an appreciating taste. It's a
N-native delicacy in Ilocos Sur. Salagubang is a
G-gift from nature
Toying SALAGUBANG
A beetle, an insect. An insect that can be a… food. Believe it or not yes it is. Salagubang is usually sauté and fried by people in most provinces especially in Ilocos. I really can’t believe that an insect is made into a delicacy, a special delicacy until I tasted it.
When I first saw the “salagubang “ on the plate, I can’t afford to pick one and eat. I said to myself, those are the insects that we used to play in the province before when we were still young. Those are the “salagubang” that fell from our guava trees every time my cousins shook those trees during rainy season. We played with those insects, we tied thread on their neck and let them fly while we were holding the other end of the thread. So when I saw those insects on the plate I was surprised that it’s ok to eat it. I couldn’t believe it, I’m still not convinced that our stomach can digest it and that it’s safe to eat it.
Until finally, after seeing my friends eating, I said to myself “why don’t I give it a try, they didn’t die when they ate it, why should I not taste it”, then I’m ok. I calmed myself down, meditate a minute, got my softdrink to help me push the insect in my stomach, and prepared myself to eat the unbelievable food.
Then when finally the insect arrived in my mouth I was surprised by its taste, the cliché “don’t judge the book by its cover” came to my mind. It may look disgusting, but once you’ve tasted it you can forget that it is an insect.
Crunchy, alluring taste added with adequate amount of salt that perfectly blends with its innate juice. The taste sips through the mouth that you can’t talk once you’ve tasted it. It taste even better when you dip it in calamansi juice. Whew…its delicious, exquisite and gratifying I can’t help but to look for its taste. I can’t wait to eat more salagubang. Honestly I’m saliving while writing this paper the taste of salagubang is still in my mouth and I can’t forget it.
I realized that every creature that God has made is wonderful. Our nature is full of wealth that is hidden on our eyes and is just seen beyond its appearance. The salagubang is just an insect but that insect is not just a toy for little children, rather it’s a food that satisfies everyone’s hunger and helps us to live.
ABAL -ABAL or SALAGUBANG-RECIPE
The Salagubang comes out when the rainy season starts on May or on June.
When cooking salagubang, it is best to choose those which just passed the larval stage because they are still soft. Removed their wings before cooking.
SAUTE SALAGUBANG
INGREDIENTS:
Salagubang
oil
vinegar
pepper
salt or soy sauce
Sauté salagubang into a small amount of oil then blend with salt or soy sauce and pepper. When it is already half cooked, add a small amount of vinegar. stir until it becomes dry and toast. You can also fry salagubang when you want it to be brittle.
Source: Northern Dispatch
