pinoy food adaptations

the pinoys’ ability to adapt and re-invent is impressive.  we take on many things, adjust and label it our way, or think of it as “only in the philippines.”  food for example.  

when i first went  to work in hongkong, having had a fill of dimsun lunches with office colleagues,  i looked for chopsuey and lumpia shanghai.  no such thing in the menu.

there were stir fried mixed vegetables and spring rolls. so was a variety of noodle dishes that i didnt know existed.  some resembled our pancit mami, lomi and even batchoy ilonggo but none that remotely looked like batchoy ilocano.  rows of crispy lechon de leche (suckling roast pork) hung in the glass counter alongside roast duck, steamed chicken and chia siew, which is the chinese version of tocino. 

in indochina, i was surprised to find balut hawked and eaten with style.  most of us thought or still think that this rather “gross”  delicacy is exclusively pinoy.  

pinoys would usually outright peel off the egg shell, slurp the juice and eat the meat/fetus and yolk with salt.  the vietnamese or cambodian vendor , however, would provide an eggholder, a tiny teaspoon, basil and mint, salt and pepper mixed with monosodium glutamate (msg - popularly known in the philppines as vetsin, or its brand name, ajinomoto). you’d position the egg on the holder, tap the upper end with the teaspoon, peel off the that part of the shell, sprinkle with salt and pepper on the open top, delicately spoon out the meat and eat with the herbs. this you relish standing or sitting on the sidewalk or on a mat, al fresco, by the banks of the river or the lake. 

when spaghetti found its niche beside pancit in the turo-turo, it  would assume an overbright red cloak or a sickly orangy look, depending on how much banana catsup is put in.  dotted with thinly sliced maroonish hotdogs,  it  would present a pretty picture. italians though are turning in their graves with our sweet spaghetti, which some of us i have learned add condensed milk for that extra creamy sweetish taste.  

pinoys later discovered that spaghetti has a white version and called it carbonara.  the pasta is drenched in a heavy creamy sauce with either ham or bacon or tuna from the can.  those who are familiar with a bit of haute cuisine, or think they do, know that heavy cream does not figure in carbonara, although sophia loren’s version does use light cream but sparingly.

there are many other examples of food adaptations pinoy style.  but oh well… the french did not invent french fries, nor   do the hamburghs own hamburgers as theirs. food and culture arent pure but are enriched when blended.  

for a little bit of enlightenment, below is an original carbonara recipe, from the laszio region near rome.  

Ingredients :  eggs, guanciale or pancetta, grated parmesan cheese

600 grams spaghetti or bucatini

120 grams guanciale or pancetta * — diced or cut into strips. bacon can also be used but preferrably not ham   

1 clove garlic
2 medium eggs (very fresh)
100 grams mixed Parmesan and pecorino Romano (or all pecorino) – grated
olive oil
salt and pepper

• Cook the guanciale in a pan along with the whole peeled garlic clove and a little oil, until the guanciale is well coloured. Discard the garlic.
• Beat the eggs in a bowl with a little of the cheese and a pinch of salt.
• Cook the pasta until al dente, drain and add to the pan with the guanciale.
• Lower the heat to a minimum and add the egg mixture. Mix well. Be careful not to let the eggs set.
• Remove from the heat and add the rest of the cheese. Mix again and serve immediately.

*  guanciale is a cut of pork that is made with the cheeks and jowls of pigs, then cured. generally, this Italian cured pork resembles thick slices of bacon, although the length of the pieces may be somewhat uneven in texture, rather than with an even cut.

 finished product, voila!  note that the pasta retains its natural color and is not drowned in heavy cream