5 Pakbet Iloco Variations Served in an Ilocano Turo-Turo

          Alright, here's another Turo-Turo article for those Food lovers out there. Oh my Gosh, it seems that I can't get a hang out of the Food topic which I have been creating these past few days. Last week, It suddenly came to my mind to get an inspiration from a usual "turo-turo" where I love to eat my meals during lunch break. This time, what I would like to share you guys are the things that make me feel proud to be an Ilocana. Yes, you are right, I am an Ilocana and I love eating Genuine Ilocano dishes such as Pinakbet simply because I find it mouthwatering and tasty. This time, I am going to let you have a peek on what typical Pakbet  dishes are typically served in an Ilocano Turo-Turo. So if you guys are ready, the let us begin our Pinakbet adventure.

Pakbet a Saluyot with eggplant.

Dish Number 1 - Pakbet A Saluyot -Aside from the famous Pakbet Iloco, "Pakbet A Saluyot " has always been a signature dish for Ilocanos as most people believe that a true blooded Ilcoano is someone who loves to eat Saluyot (Jute). I am aware that this food has this saliva like juice which sometimes makes it a bit awkward to eat. However, if we try to consider its various health benefits and the unique cooking procedure of Ilocanos to this dish, the awkward feeling of eating this food would surely be replaced with appreciation. 

"Bagbet" : A yummy treat for everyone

Dish Number 2 -Bagbet -   If you are someone who loves to eat meat and you eat less veggies here's one dish that you have to try. "Bagbet" got its name from the combination of pinakbet and bagnet (these are two common dishes genuinely found in the ilocos region). Pakbet is a manner of cooking where the veggies are being steamed and mixed  Bagoong or fish paste while bagnet is a local way of cooking meat and frying it several times to make it crispy. When these two dishes combine, we are able to come up with a softer texture of bagnet with the exotic saltiness of pakbet.

Siling Haba Pakbet to spice up your meals

Dish Number 3 - Pakbet na sili - If at any rate you would find time to visit one of the Turo-Turos in Ilocos, you would be able to see this long and slender green chili ( siling haba)  being served with a wrinkled look and treated with "bagoong". This dish is what we  call  as Pakbet na Sili. Some people would perhaps ask about the spice brought by these chili, well based from my experience as an adventurous  Ilocana , I would say that the spice depends upon the size and length of these chilies.Experts say that the longer and the chubbier the chillies are, the spicier they are. Thus, this dish is just fine enough to create an ample spice and chilly flavor after taste upon eating. 

Ampalaya Pakbet: An Iloco way to treat bitterness

Dish Number 4 - Pakbet na Ampalaya ( bitter melon) -  Ampalaya or Bitter melon is a common ingredient for the traditional Pakbet Iloco (mixed vegetables cooked in fish paste) recipe. As a variation, most locals would love to solely cook its fruit as pakbet. Its bitter taste when mixed with the saltiness and sourish taste of tomatoes make it just as appetizing as any other Filipino dishes. As an additional ingredient for the  sole Pakbet na Amplaya, locals tend to add deep fried meat to vary its pure bitter melon taste.

Have a plate of this uniqe Daludal Pakbet

  

Dish Number 5 - Pakbet a Daludal ( young taro stem) -  Locals sometimes call this dish as paksiw na gabi but I would choose to call this as Pakbet na Daludal as ilocanos cook this food in the same manner as they cook "pinakbet". This pinakbet variation is done by using stem and leaves of young taro being cooked with tomatoes, local fish paste ( bagoong) and sauteed meat. Since taro stems are characterized by leaving an itchy feeling to our taste buds when eaten, expert Ilocano cooks suggest that these young stems need to be thoroughly washed and mixed by means of shaking the casserole instead of using laddle. 

         Gee, I am pretty sure that this "Pinakbet Tour" made all of us feel hungry and  be excited to have a taste of these various Pinakbet dishes. Thus, I believe that the best way to realize their respective" yumminess " is to start earning money for a trip to Ilocos  a start feeling this unique culinary experience of eating Pinakbet.








photos courtesy of google.com