Food: The Empanada Battle

In Ilocos, there is a strong yet hush hush battle of the best kind of empanada - the orange and thicker crust one from Batac versus the pale yellow and thinner crusted one from Vigan.  And last December, I had the opportunity to taste both! Before I give out my verdict...let me describe these two empanadas thoroughly based on my taste.

The Ilocos empanadas are not like the usual empanada we see and buy here in the metro. The chicken empanadas and others here are made of flour/bread like crust which are often baked instead of fried. The filling are a weird yet flavorful combination of papayas, cabbage or mongo sprouts, one whole egg and longganisa. Instead of comparing it to the usual empadanas, I think I could actually compare it to a fried spring roll or lumpia.


Vigan Empanada

Since my first stop was in San Vicente near Vigan, Ilocos Sur, I happened to sample the thinner, paler empanada first from the city center of Vigan. It was my second day exploring the Heritage Village - a name given to the historical Crisologo street  and various surrounding streets- a UNESCO world heritage site. Walking around the old street felt magical as my adrenaline and excitement is on an all time high. There are various souvenirs to ogle and buy.

But one thing I am interested in apart from the semi-obligatory ref magnets and keychains is to take home and sample the food of the place. After buying one too many chichacorns and Vigan longanisa, it is time to chill, hang out and sample the empanada.

There is a certain area in the town plaza called the Vigan Empanada center where many different stalls are selling the yellow empanada.The Vigan empanada has a thin crust and is yellow in color. What's inside the crust are shredded cabbage, sliced green papayas, one whole egg and Ilocos longganisa.

It was crisp, hot because it was freshly cooked. You need to douse it with sukang Iloko to be able to get the right melange of tastes right. I,m salivating right now!


Batac Empanada

En route to Pagudpud from Vigan, I made it a point to make a pit stop at Batac to try their version of empanada.

Before I took the roadtrip to Ilocandia, a lot of people have been telling me to actually try this empanada - it's Batac empanada or nothing at all! Imagine how some passionate foodies defend their choice, what more to actual people who hailed from such places. With no intention in fueling the fire...I actually stopped at Batac in  to sample these orange wonders with the intention of comparing it to the Vigan empanada I tried days before.

Papa and Mommy

My first impression, it looks a lot like the orange quail eggs sold back in Manila. You can see them everywhere. But Batac empanada was colored with natural coloring - atsuete. The dough is also thicker compared to Vigan empanada. What's interesting is that you get to choose between Sukang Iloko or Banana ketchup to go with your empanada. Hmmm.

The filling: instead of shredded cabbage, the Batac empanada uses generous amounts of mongo sprouts or togue, sliced green papaya, one whole egg and longganisa.


The verdict? 

Though Vigan empanada is thinner, I found Batac empanada tastier. It's probably because of the dough. My first impression was that Batac empanada would be a letdown but despite the thick crust I can actually taste a whole lot of MSG in it. Haha. Seriously, the serving was actually quite bigger with generous filling.

However, I hated to pair it with ketchup at first but when I did, it tasted quite better.
Vigan empanada is best enjoyed sitting down and dousing the entire thing with Sukang Iloco for a minute before diving in.
Did I actually cast my vote? Haha. For me Batac empanada is tastier. Of course my father from Vigan would say otherwise! haha. But it is better to try comparing the two when you get to Ilocandia!

To those who already did, which is the best empanada in all of Ilocandia for you?

*******
some photos sourced from here, here, and here

Happy New Year!

It's been a great wonderful year for me in terms of travel milestones and professional life milestones but, since I am blogging here in my travel blog, let me talk about my travel experiences!

I know, I know I've been barely to a few local places in the country BUT! i truly cherish everyone of them because they have enriched me. Plus, that's exactly my plan - to somehow explore different places in the country which are not too touristy, so as to have the right to call these places my own. hahaha. Right.
Also, I traveled alone for the very first time this year! Iloilo and Guimaras will always be very special to me because of that!
I ain't a hardcore traveler yet but I am proud of visiting places which I traveled for the very first time - Marinduque, Iloilo, Guimaras, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte!

You must be perfectly aware that my personal travel style is DIY. I have had chance passenger experiences in  Marinduque on a car ferry no less, rode the jeepney to beautiful churches in Iloilo. I've missed ferries, and even rode outrigger boats for the first time! But these experiences are so funny as they are stressful haha.

Second, I visit places with so many places of interest like churches, world famous heritage sites like what I saw and experienced in Ilocandia and Iloilo. I think I'm a history and culture nut like that.

Third, this year, I've completed my pilgrimage to the 4 UNESCO World Heritage Churches in the Philippines! San Agustin Church (Manila), Miag-Ao (Ilo-Ilo), Paoay (Ilocos Norte) and Sta. Maria (Ilocos Sur)! What a feat!

And lastly,  I've experienced the food no less!!! And I know I will always be on a hunt for local food whenever I touch down a new destination!  I always sample the local food, because to me, the best way to get to know the culture of the place is through the palate!

This year, I shall experience life more with more travel opportunities and adventures! Happy 2011 to all!!!

The Taste Traveler

By Bridgette Ann Rebuca

Quickly Kuala Lumpur
Unlike my previous Hong Kong vacation on a package tour complete with itineraries and a tour guide, this trip is stripped off of such luxuries. As I wandered along at the Puduraya Bus Terminal, waiting for the bus ride to Singapore, I can’t help but grab my tattered map, brace myself, because this time, I was on my own.

Malaysia is a melting pot of races, with Chinese, Malays, Indians and Muslims coexisting peacefully. And owing to such a multi-cultural heritage, is the multi-faceted food.

I sampled my first authentic Malaysian meal in a kopi tiam or coffee shop—the roti. Similar to pita bread, roti is a flatbread traditionally served with curry. I had mine with condensed milk and nutella that I guzzled with the traditional teh tarik or pulled tea.

As I marvel at my meal, all my initial nervousness of traveling backpacker style quickly vanished. Because I knew then, that the trip was going to be one great adventure.

Lured by Little India
 Little India in Singapore became my ‘home’ during my three-day stay in Singapore. It is an ethnic hub of Indian living and trading. And here, the vibrant energy of merchants selling authentic Indian fabrics, genuine silver, bronze jewelries and bindi, the striking sights of Tamil and Indian Moslem temples, the smell of turmeric and curry being sold at the market, and the sound of thumping beats of Indian rap were all an overwhelming attack in the senses.

Singapore and Malaysia, which were at the crossroads of ancient trade routes, definitely had Indian influences in the culture, especially in the cuisine. A great example? Curry. And what better way to start a stroll in Little India than by taking a sampling and eating a good curry dish!

Together with a fellow backpacker, a Canadian named George, our escapade landed us in an eatery called Bangles Tandoor Eatery.

The chicken curry and rice I was served looked rather unassuming with its standard yellowish sauce with red undertones. Sati, the daughter of the owner, told us that they use red curry instead of the usual, more common yellow and green varieties which made the dish spicier and creamier in consistency.

Other dishes we ordered were equally savory—stir-fried sweet-chili shrimps with vegetables, barbecued lamb cuts with shallots, whole stewed squids, curried vegetables, fish fillet in oyster sauce and tofu soup. And to douse the spicy fare, we gorged on luscious tropical fruits such as mangoes, chico, young papaya and durian.

Indeed, Little India’s culture is mesmerizing and the food was already a heady cultural experience in itself.


Tummy-Filling Food Courts
 The next day, my backpacking buddy George already left for Thailand. See, backpackers bond with fellow travelers and off they go to their next destination without a word. It’s kind of sad for the sentimental. But backpackers come and go. So off I went to Sentosa with newfound backpacker friends, English girls Pam and Amy.

Sentosa is a very wholesome theme park, highlighted by its clean albeit man-made beaches, Siloso, Palawan, and Tanjong. Site-seeing, and festive circus shows are some of the main attractions. One should also see the Orchard Road, Esplanade and Clark Quey where parks and malls offer the stereotypical urban Singapore lifestyle.

Famished, our stomachs guided us to one of the packed and lively food courts inside the mall called Food Republic. These food courts, I’ve been told, were installed to prevent the clutter of hawker stalls in the city streets. How efficient!

Inside the food court, one would feel like being in a world food convention. An array of food choices – Chinese noodles, succulent dimsums, Indian curry and beryani (rice-based food with meat), Malaysian roti, kaya (made of eggs, sugar, coconut milk and pandan essence) toasts, even Western food abound as if the stalls are representing every race!

What stood out in my book is the famous Singapore National Dish, the Hainanese Chicken Rice (steamed chicken and rice that’s so tasty and packed with natural oils and chicken flavor) and the Singapore laksa (a rich, sour, coconut-flavored noodle soup of Peranakan or Chinese-Malaysian origin, made extra delectable with prawns, tofu, scallions, garlic, vegetables, and chili).

We didn’t leave out Singapore’s legendary Chili Crab of course. The crabs were crazy big, with juicy and flavorful meat, tasty but not overpowered by the chili. Capped with the refreshing Ais Kacang,( shaved ice, beans, corn, jelly and colored syrup, their version of our halo-halo), there’s no other way to describe the meal but perfect.

Hungry for Hawker Food 
 The next day I went back to Kuala Lumpur and explored the famous Petronas towers—truly a handsome, photogenic structure and the Hindu pilgrimage, the Batu Caves.

But what is even more exciting than site seeing is dining! My stomach took me to Restoran Waw in Jalan Alor, a hawker food street, a lively strip of grills and eateries which is widely popular in Kuala Lumpur.

And for my meal - chicken and lamb satays, grilled to perfection together with a curious concoction of peanut sauce and fish paste dip; yang-chow fried rice, and the traditional Bak-kut-teh, ( long-simmered pork in herbal soup, with the pork’s tender meat slipping easily from the bone). Downing the meal with Carlsberg beer, I thought there could be no better way to end my whirlwind of a five-day trip to Asia’s melting pot of Asian cuisine than this.

The Taste Traveler
In the end, I realized that I was too adventurous for a leisure traveler, but too soft to be a hardcore backpacker. Hence, this trip made me a taste-traveler - a foodie whose travel and adventure take me to where my taste buds lead me.


(this article was published last January in Yummy Magazine of Summit Publishing)