Noodles for wealth, health and long life

CEBU, Philippines — One of the most popular good-luck dishes for Filipinos is the noodle dish “pancit.” It’s ever present during such celebrations as birthdays and New Year. At today’s Chinese New Year’s dinner, of course, the pancit is a sure star – to attract wealth, health, and long life (for which the noodles shall not be cut short so as not to corrupt the symbolism).

The pancit is said to have been introduced in the country by Chinese traders during the Spanish colonial era. It must have fitted well with the Filipino palate, as pancit has since become a staple dish in Filipino feasts. And Filipinos have made the pancit their own, with particular variations in the different towns and provinces of the country.

The term “pancit” is derived from the Hokkien “pian i sit,” meaning “convenient food.” As various kinds of noodles are now found in supermarkets, the pancit is already commonly cooked and served at meals at home. Most local restaurants also have pancit in their menus, with some restaurants specializing mainly in pancit and are called panciterias.

There’s now even the so-called Prosperity Pancit that’s made of noodles for long life, eggs for new beginnings, and peanuts for health and wealth, among other lucky ingredients. This particular pancit variation supposedly indicates affluence. But pancit is pancit – its main and most significant ingredient is still the noodles.

In the Visayas, there’s a special pancit variety called “bam-i.” Here’s a bam-i recipe, from the website www.filipinorecipesite.com, to try at home:

Bam-i

Ingredients:

1 (2 lbs.) chicken, cut up

½ cup bokni (dried black woodear mushroom)

8.8          oz. sotanghon noodles, soaked in water just to soften a little, drain

2 tbsp. canola oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 pc. onion, sliced

1 pkg. (14 oz.) canton noodles

2 tbsp. minced cilantro

1 hard-cooked egg, sliced

Patis (fish sauce), salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure:

1. Boil chicken in enough water to cover.  Simmer until tender.  Cool and shred chicken meat.  Save about six cups of chicken broth.

2. Soak bokni in hot water for 15 minutes and then slice.  Set aside.

3. Sauté garlic and onions in hot oil.  Add sliced bokni, six cups chicken broth and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.

4. Stir in canton for three minutes and then add sotanghon, shredded chicken meat and cilantro.  Cook for 8 to10 minutes.  Check the doneness of the noodles (be sure not to overcook as it will become soggy).

5. Garnish with slices of hard-cooked egg.

This recipe makes eight servings.