Cebu City, that's the place where I grew up. Being away from home doesn't just get me homesick.. I think it's more like, for a lack of better term, "foodsick". It doesn't mean that I don't enjoy a bit about Finnish food but the fact that I don't have access to what I'm craving for is torture!!!
Native delicacies of all sorts are just few of the MANY things I really miss the most back home to the extent that they have frequented my dreams! LOL Imagine dreaming of a flying banana cue! Ridiculous, isn't it? Unfortunately for me I can't even make the simplest banana cue because in Finland you can only find 1 type of banana. :) A "saging lakatan" won't make justice to substitute "saging saba". So without further ado, here are the culprits of my undying cravings for native food.
**All photos are my own unless stated otherwise. Copied photos are credited from source.
1. Puto (nga naay violet sa ibabaw) & Kutchinta
Steamed rice cakes and kutchinta (no english translation). I remember a distinctly different sound from this male vendor who sells puto and kutchinta. When the clock strikes 3 in the afternoon, expect this vendor to honk his bicycle horn and shouts "Puto na kutchinta!!! Alas tres na... isnack namo!!!" Even if he's late, he still considers it 3 o'clock! :D We would then rush out of our homes to buy his tasty treats! And he really is good in building rapport to his customers. No wonder he sells 'em in a jiffy! :)
 |
| photo by http://laherbabuena.wordpress.com/2009/09/27/kutchinta/ |
2. Masi
Made of ground rice filled with crushed peanuts and caramelized sugar. Mom used to tell me nga ang "masi" kay gi hulma sa ilok sa tindera maong lami!!.LOL
3. Balanghoy
Made of cassava or manioca, grated coconut meat topped with caramelized sugar.
4. Ensaymada sa Julie's bakeshop
Light, soft, airy and freshly baked bread. Julie's ikaw na! :)
5. Banana cue and Turon
Made of banana (saba) deep fried in oil with brown sugar. Wrap the bananas with pieces of jackfruit in a spring roll wrapper to make "turon". Yes they haunt me in my dreams!!!! Grrrrr
 |
| photo by http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/plaintain |
6. Dolor's kakanin
The pride of Malabon. This is by far the best tasting kakanin or sapin-sapin I have ever had. I don't know how it's done but I do know it's made from glutinous rice.
7. Linusak
Made of mashed semi-ripe bananas (saba) with grated coconut meat and sugar.
 |
| photo by http://likecebu.com/tag/best/ |
8. Halo-Halo
Literal english translation: "Mix Mix". This is a perfect summer dessert when the temperature in Philippines reaches over 30 degrees. It's a mixture of both fresh and preserved local fruits and various boiled sweet beans with finely shaved ice and milk, served in a tall glass or bowl and topped with your favorite ice cream flavor.
 |
| photo by http://joel7663.wordpress.com/tag/halo-halo/ |
9. Chinese Ngohiong & Puso
These are simply divine!! The best ngohiong for me is the one near University of San Carlos where I studied in college. These are made of "singkamas" or Jicama, spiced with some secret ingredients, wrapped in a spring roll wrapper and deep fried in oil. Best eaten with "puso" or "hanging rice" in english. It's rice cooked by steaming inside weaved coconut leaves. And don't forget to dip it in it's special hot sauce. It enhances the flavor! :)
10. Utan bisaya (Native vegetable soup)
The last time I visited Cebu, I wanted to eat this almost everyday!!! That's how I wanted local vegetables so badly. A mixture of yellow squash, malunggay leaves, okra, alugbati leaves, sikwa (i don't even know the english terms for some of' em!LOL ) especially with dried fish and coconut milk!! Nothing compares! :)
Any native food you're craving right now? :)
No comments:
Post a Comment