The star of the fiesta
The old and the new. The provincial and the pop. The slow and the fast. The past, the present, the future. That’s what’s cooking in Philippine cuisine. Which means that, as the most popular (people-created, people-processed and people-consumed) segment of popular culture, it is dynamic and changing, living and lively.
—From the book What’s Cooking by Doreen G. Fernandez
Filipinos have always been known for their warm hospitality and festive celebrations, but no occasion is ever complete without the arrival of the superstar of the fiesta, the lechon. As unique as the 7,107 islands that make up our beautiful archipelago, each region, each city — in fact, each family — has their own preferences as to how their lechon should taste, look, and feel. For those who think that it’s just a roasted pig, you might be surprised as to how elusive techniques and recipes can be when it comes to preparing the perfect lechon.
One such lechon specialty is known by the name Diplahan Lechon, an original recipe from the town of Diplahan in the Zamboanga peninsula. The Diplahan Lechon has particular traits that differentiate it from the others: for starters, this particular lechon does not have the characteristic smooth, glistening, thin and crispy skin of a roast pig. With Diplahan Lechon, the pig’s skin is lightly textured with a slight blistering from the intermittent stirring of the coals, which lends the skin added crunch, very similar to another Filipino favorite, chicharon, and the color of the skin is golden brown.
Since Zamboanga is relatively far, you can thank the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of Jotle Viray, who happened to sample the lechon during a business trip to the south. He liked what he tasted and suggested to the couple that runs the business that they allow them to replicate the lechon in Manila, an idea the couple was open to.
A few months ago the first organically fed pigs sourced by Viray and his wife, Luisa, were sampled by friends and family members. You might be wondering, why the emphasis on organically fed pigs (meaning pigs that are grass-fed and usually do not get steroids or processed feeds to fatten them up)? The time required to raise them can be slow but rewarding. In fact, as of press time, Viray and his team are on a quest to find organic pigs that have the perfect ratio of fat and meat — one of the many challenges they face as they learn the ropes of the lechon business.
Unlike the typical lechon, where the chopped-up meat and skin are ceremoniously dipped into a spicy liver sauce, Diplahan Lechon is distinctively dipped into vinegar instead to temper its saltiness and enhance the balance of seasoning and flavor that makes Diplahan Lechon tastier than its other native counterparts.
Should you wish to have a taste of this delightful roasted pig, feel free to look them up on various social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or better yet, give them a call at 0917-826-8010 and look for Carol.
