Heirloom Recipes of Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — Wikipedia defines Cebuano cuisine as one that consists of “cumulative ways of cooking and dish preparations that are unique to the Cebuano people of the Visayas, central Philippines.” The first book to describe Culinaria Cebuana was the “Primo viaggio intorno al mondo,1535, written by Antonio Pigafetta, chronicler of Ferdinand Magellan which related that Raja Humabon ate turtle eggs and drank ‘tuba nga nipa’ using reed pipes.  The book is silent whether the turtle eggs were cooked sunny side up, poached or simply boiled.

In 1924, “Lagda sa Panpanluto,” written by Maria Fadullon Vda. de Rallos, came out. It had 510 recipes of the local and foreign dishes popular here during the early 1900’s. Nearly 100 years later, Radisson Blu Cebu served these heirloom recipes at Feria, the hotel’s signature all-day dining restaurant. The recipes were inspired by the creations of “Nyora Inday,” as Rallos was then fondly called, and recreated by the hotel’s Junior Executive Sous Chef Coke Semblante and Chef de Cuisine Deoffrey Vistal. Several of us Lifestyle media were invited to sample the dishes.

Welcome drinks were Cardinal Punch, Ponche nga Holanda (Dutch Punch), Ponche nga Alemanyanhon (German Punch) and Ponche nga Masayon (Simple Punch) made with wine, soda, lemon and pineapple. In the 60’s, the drink “punch” was common. I myself once had a punch bowl and have already forgotten where I stored it.

Appetizer (Abre-gana) was Galantina nga Manok, Atchara na Mangga and Empanadas; while Soup (Sabaw) was Sopas nga Punaw. Nearly all countries serve a kind of Empanada or Turnovers. Nyora Inday’s recipe uses 1 cajita pasas, hamon, chorizo, 1 lata gamay guisantes and 2 peraso achara dulce (raisins, ham, sausages, green peas and pickles), which made it super delicious.

Main course (Mga Sud-an) were Kari-Kari, Humba, Pansit Binukid, Sapsuy and Arroz a la Valenciana. The Arroz requires “2 sawpan bugas” (scoops of rice?), 1 lata sili (1 can sweet pepper) and instructs that “dayan-dayanan sa hiniwang itlog linapwaan ug katunga sa sili” (decorate with slices of hardboiled eggs and ½ of the pepper). I found this Cebuano version of the paella better than that of the Bringhe (in Pampanga) because that one uses glutinous rice, while the La Bomba rice used in paella is non-glutinous. Chefs Coke and Deoffrey were assisted by Cebuano history and heritage author Louella Alix.

The Pansit Binukid is one dish I had never seen and finally I found it in this banquet of heirloom recipes. The dish may actually be called “Mountain Noodles,” but I prefer to call it “Noodles from the Boondocks.” “Boondocks” is an American expression referring to a rural town that is considered backward. Well, it’s the “bundok” in Tagalog. Pansit Binukid is made with puso sa saging sab-a (heart of banana), 5 sentabos tanghon (5 centavos worth of mungbean noodle, about one plate of tanghon today), buwad nga isda (dried fish), onions, garlic and salt. The more popular Cebuano noodle dish, Bam-i, uses dried squid and meats (pork and chicken) instead, giving it a more sophisticated taste.

Desserts (Sira-Gana) served were Tortang Cebuano, Masi, Kalamay and Bocarillo.