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
 

5 Reasons Why People Love to Eat in Carinderia

         

  Hello my dear readers, It is indeed great to be back to my blog posting job once again.Things have been too hectic these past few weeks so I didn't have much time to get in touch with you dear friends. Let me guess, I bet most of you are already eager to get to know about what is installed for you today. Well, for today's article, I decided to write something about food and eating. 

Yeah, that's right. I am well aware that most people love to explore different places and seek for something unusual that may satisfy their stomach. This is the main reason why I decided to come up with a feature about 5 Common Reasons Why People Love to Eat in Carinderias. Did you hear the word "Carinderia" ring on your ears??? I knew it...I knew that you could relate to this topic that I am about to share to everyone that is why I would not keep you wait any longer.

   

       To start with, People most especially Filipinos would rather choose to eat in a "turo-turo"( This is the other term for Carinderia) rather than in renowned fast food chains or restaurants simply because "turo-turo" or Carinderia has already played a great role towards provision of Genuine Filipino Dining Experience - What makes eating in a "carinderia" unique is the unusual way of choosing your food from their menu. If most typical restaurants would have their menu board  or menu books where costumers could choose what they would want to eat, Carinderia gives you the chance to point at the displayed food samples and they immediately get and serve the product of your choice. This so called "turo-turo" (pointing technique) to choose the food is indeed a unique experience for someone who would want to know what it feels like to eat in a local restaurant.

Number 2, History tells us everything -  Unknown to many Filipino People, The spirit of Carinderia dining originated in the Pre- Hispanic Time when Indians would put up small stalls just to sell "Curry" dishes. Sources tell us that "Carinderia" used to be called "Karihan" which obviously means a place where one could eat curried dishes. As time passes by, the tradition of selling curried dishes in a typical "karihan" has evolved towards selling several options of dishes particularly home- cooked Filipino dishes. From then on, the word Karihan has already been changed to Carinderia.

Number 3,  It serves home - cooked meals - As part of Filipino tradition, most Carinderia owners are those people who love to cook dishes for their family and in order for them to earn a little for their living, these people try to expand their cooking services not just to their family members to their clients as well.  This scenario then gives us the  reason why most Carinderias are guaranteed to sell genuine home cooked meals for everyone. Aside from that, Filipino hospitality also gives the reason why home cooked food are usually served in small restaurants. Since most Filipinos love to travel and move away from their hometowns, Carinderia's serve as an avenue for someone to feel at home even when he is far.

Number 4,  The food is Cheap - There isn't any best way to experience eating genuine Filipino dishes than having your meals in a Carinderia. Despite the fact that it doesn't have good looking food attendant and the ambiance is a bit informal compared to high class restaurants, it gives you the assurance that you get satisfied with what you eat at a very low price because this is the primary goal of every Carinderia that has been put up all around the country. Every owner always makes it a point to showcase their cooking expertise through creation of locally made dishes and make every costumer realize its mouth watering taste at a very low price.

Finally, It is safe - This I guess is the most important factor why several individuals love to eat in these small food houses in the locality. Since most of the ingredients are directly brought in the market, it gives an assurance that they always use fresh items for their dishes. Aside from that, since most of the food they make are home cooked, the cooks make it a point that they never use much artificial flavorings to make their dishes tasty.

Gee, I guess blogging about Carinderia made me feel hungry (hehe) I gotta go everyone as I need to go and grab something to eat from a Carinderia nearby my place. I hope you too got inspired to someday try to be a street smart person and try having a genuine Carinderia Dining Experience.



photo credit:2.bp.blogspot.com