ILOILO FOOD TRIP

Making  ube halaya  is just simple but it tends to be almost tedious especially the mixing. The most important is that you make sure you have quality ube (purple yam), preferably the tapul variety. That's easy if you have a trusted and dependable suki at the market who won't shortchange you by substituting purple sweet potato.  And if you're ready for the challenge, here's a simple recipe  to make a delicious Ube Halaya

Kumbo is what Ilonggos refer to as banana fritters - saba dipped in batter then fried and sprinkled with sugar. I love it even more when the bananas used are ripe  as it give the kumbo some natural sweetness in every bite. Its  filling snack and easy to make at the same time tweak the recipe a bit to satisfy your taste and curiosity. Here's a basic recipe for kumbo .

I love kutsinta! The stickier the consistency the better. As among the most popular native delicacies or kakanin , the are so many variations to its recipe. Some are not as sticky as the others yet still having that signature taste. Others also are visually different having colors like yellow or even green from the original dark orange-brown hue. But nonetheless, its still our own preference that would tell apart a delicious  kutsinta. Here's a simple Kutsinta recipe

Bukayo is a native Filipino delicacy which is made mainly with coconut strips and sugar. There are two popular variants - moist and dry (also called bocarillo).  The former is typically made into toppings and fillings for suman latik and inday-inday, among others, though I just love eating it right from the container.  The latter is more candy type reminiscent of bandi, which takes a shape of its own and is more convenient to be eaten on the go. Both share almost the same recipe with some more or less tweaks to make the other. Here's a Recipe to make the Dry-type Bukayo. Ingredients 3 cups Young coconut meat, shredded 2 cups Muscovado Sugar, adjust 1/2 cup Coconut juice or plain water Vanilla extract Calamansi rind (optional) How to make Bukayo In a wok, place coconut juice or water and sugar then mix thoroughly. Adjust the amount of liquid so as to dissolve the sugar but not to runny.  Bring to boil then add coconut meat gradually to m...

Suman sa Ibos or simply Ibos as Ilonggos would refer to is probably among the most popular "wrapped" native delicacy. It can be found almost anywhere - streets, markets, mall stalls and even  restaurants. Sold mostly in bundles, its a native treat that I find most fulfilling paired with sugar - muscovado or refined. But I still wouldn't say no to ripe mangoes and/or native tsokolate on the side. Here's the recipe for Suman sa Ibos.

Puto is most probably the most common native Filipino delicacy. Almost every province has its own version of this steamed rice cake. In Iloilo, puto wrapped in banana leaves are a staple in stalls selling native treats. Puto is commonly eaten with dinuguan yet delicious on its own. It can also be topped cheese, butter , fresh coconuts strips and even salted egg. A good puto is soft to the bite, moist inside and puffy to the feel.  Here's a simple way of making Puto with Cheese

Characterized by it's purple hue because of its quintessential partner - ube or purple yam,  Puto Bumbong  is very synonymous with the  Pinoy  Christmas. It is part of the Holiday gastronomic scene especially during 9-day early morning mass called  Simbang Gabi . . Its named as such because of the usage of bamboo as steaming "vessel" for the native delicacy. Placed on banana leaves, it is then topped sugar, shredded coconut, margarine and even cheese. Here's a simple recipe that could start your gastronomic love affair with the native delicacy even if it isn't Christmas. And you can cook  puto bumbong  even without the  bumbong  or bamboo tubes!

Almost anywhere in the country you'd find fried caramel-sugar coated saba bananas on barbecue sticks. But in the homes, skewers are not part of the preparation as one can just enjoy with a fork. And I always crave for the ripe bananacue - soft and naturally sweet on its own on top of the coating. Good thing, there are just a few who prefer this kind. Here's a very simple recipe for a home-made banana cue. Happy cooking!

I just love nilagang mais ! And I love it even more that a pack consisting of around 5 pieces costs just Php15 in our town. So most of the time I buy two or even three since I know I can finish one pack in just one sitting. Most of the time its the native variety that's sold and peddled in and around town, either as nilaga or sinugba (PhP15/2 pieces).

Bukayo is a native Filipino dessert delicacy which is made mainly with coconut strips and sugar. There are variants - moist and dry (also called  bocarillo ). The former is typically made into toppings and fillings for  suman latik  and  inday-inday , among others, though I just love eating it right from the container. The latter is more of a hard candy type reminiscent of  bandi , which takes a shape of its own and is more convenient to be eaten on the go. Basically both share almost the same recipe with some more or less tweaks to make the other. Here's a recipe to make Bukayo.

Cassava cake is among the most popular Pinoy native delicacies. In Iloilo, one can find it in the stalls insides malls and groceries in ready to go boxes or in bite size pieces ready to satisfy one's cravings. But it is also easy to prepare as the ingredients can be mostly found in the wet market or even grocery stores.  Here's a simple cassava cake recipe:

Locally known as sambag or sampaloc in Tagalog, tamarind is mostly associated with sinigang , a dish made with meat or fish with a sour broth. Yet it can also be a dessert with hints of sourness when it's made into a candy. Its an acquired taste but if you already love the sourness of tamarind in soups, chances are, you'll love it even more as a candy. Here's a simple recipe on how to make a Tamarind Candy

Most places in the Philippines have their own version of this cassava-based delicacy. In most parts of Western Visayas, this native delicacy is called alupi (or alupe ). It is made with grated  balinghoy  (cassava) mixed with coconut milk and meat plus sugar and other flavorings. It is then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. Here's an easy recipe in making Alupi or Cassava Suman

Suman is to the Ilonggos as what biko is to Tagalogs and other places. So don't be surprised if you're given this malagkit rice specialty instead of the one wrapped in coconut leaves which is commonly called ibos in this part of the country. Here's a simple recipe for Suman or Biko.

Cassava cake is among the most popular Pinoy native delicacies. In Iloilo, one can find it in the stalls insides malls and groceries in ready to go boxes or in bite size pieces ready to satisfy one's cravings. But it is also easy to prepare as the ingredients can be mostly found in the wet market or even grocery stores. Here's a simple cassava cake recipe:

Suman Latik is one of my favorite native delicacies - plain suman/ibos topped with sweetened coconut strips or bukayo . Most of the time those sold in the markets have this two (suman and bukayo) already in one wrap and all you have to to is devour it. But most of the time, the bukayo portion is bitin that I wish there's more. So why not make our own suman latik so you can have all the suman we want with all the bukayo toppings we desire! Here's a simple recipe for Suman Latik 

There are two types of bingka I've grown up with. First is the flat and "coconutty" ( with lots of buko strips) bingka made famous by the bingkahans in the plazas of Iloilo City especially in Molo and Jaro plus Plaza Libertad. But the most famous is the one in Mohon, Arevalo which gave birth to the popular bingka sa Mohon. Flat bingka from Mohon And second is the one closer to home, in my hometown which before only appears during Semana Santa but now almost year round. This is what we refer to a puto-bingka as it looks and taste like toasted puto. Here's a sample recipe of this Puto-Bingka

How about some Fried Ibos? This creation makes a  new taste, texture and flavor dimension to a well-loved native delicacy - suman sa ibos . It's easy, just fry the ibos and serve it with the its usual partners - fresh ripe mango (or in jelly dip) and tsokolate tablea . Or you can have it with honey or pulot . 

Bitsukoy / Bichocoy is an all-time favorite snack! As simple as it may seem (it's just sugar-rolled deep-fried dough), it's a delicious snack or even dessert as it could be the local version of a doughnut. While appearance may differ - some as twisted and others are really doughnut shaped, it basically tastes the same. A treat that brings back the taste memories at the same time satisfy one's craving witha sweet and delightful bite. Here's a simple recipe for Bichocoy / Bitsukoy

Adobong Mani is the most popular way Pinoys enjoy peanuts. Sold along the streets, sold in mall stalls or peddled all around even jeepneys and buses, fried peanuts are perfect munch on the go!  Much more so if there's a generous amount of fried garlic in your batch - that is if you have a suki mani vendor. If not, then you just content yourself with the "measly" garlic or you can make your own! Here's a simple Adobong Mani recipe