Singkamas for Labanos in Sinigang

CEBU, Philippines - Supply of labanos (radish) is hard to come by nowadays in our place. It is ironic because we are on a mountain barangay. But our farmers are not keen anymore on production since too few people use labanos in their dishes.

There was a time, for example, when I had to hop from stall to stall around the two public markets in our place looking for labanos. It raised the curiosity of a woman, who later asked why the vegetable seemed so important to me. I explained that my mother refuses to prepare her sinigang without labanos. To which the woman quipped, “Ay, Tagalog diay imong mama? Ingna siya wala mauso sa Bisaya ang sinigang.”

She was right, sinigang is not a Visayan original that anyone craving for the sour soup must be from the other regions, particularly Tagalog. My mother, who used to cook for a small canteen, would often have to explain the unique taste of what diners think to be her version of “tinola,” that it was not tinola but sinigang. Although not at all a Tagalog, she had learned how to prepare the dish and has since liked the taste and brought it to our dining table at home.

While in Manila lately for an assignment, the chef of Ayala Museum Café rendered a very colorful rendition of the Fish-Prawn-Scallop Sinigang sa Bayabas, a very tasty meal that had singkamas (turnip) instead of the usual radish. I realized that even in Manila labanos is an issue too.

There’s no point insisting on an ingredient that’s hard to find. Especially when a good alternative is available. Here’s how to prepare a no-labanos Fish-Prawn-Scallop Sinigang sa Bayabas:

Ingredients:

3 slices of Fresh Fish (it should be fresh, of else the taste of the stew won’t be as good)

3 pcs Prawn

3 pcs Scallops (medium size) include

3 pcs Clams (optional)

1 pc Pink guava (halved, ripe enough)

1 pc Singakamas, cut in thick, long rectangles

1 pc Eggplant, may be cut inro squares or bars

2 pcs String beans, cut into 2-3-inch length

2 pcs Tomatoes

1 pc Onion, medium-sized, sliced

3 pcs Kangkong (preferably of the Chinese or upland variety because it grows on soil not water, to avoid parasites)

Chili oil, vinegar, salt to taste

Procedure:

 1. Combine fish, prawns, scallops and guavas, tomatoes and sliced onions in a pot with enough water. Put a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil.

 2. Add in turnips and string beans. Season with vinegar, and more salt if needed. Make sure to adjust heat to retain crunchiness of vegetables.

 3. Add eggplants.

 4. Place kangkong last.

 5. Season with a dash of chili oil before serving hot. Best for the rainy days. Siling espada may be added if preferred.

Serves 3 persons.

The origin of the special: Bread

Yasunari Ramon Suarez Taguchi

CEBU, Philippines - As one of the world’s most popular and oldest of prepared foods is the bread. Its “origin story” is quite diverse – with the earliest of bread variations attributed to date back to the Neolithic times.

From different archeological finds and published researches, historians deduce that Ancient Egyptians used yeast as a leavening agent in the making of certain breads, which says something about just how old bread really is in the context of historical records and archives.

Prepared by different cultures based in different parts of the globe, bread’s variegated “origin stories” are often entwined with different socio-cultural histories, with the formal making and evolution of bread linked to economic conditions, technological advances and socio-cultural interactions and influences.

As a prepared food, bread’s role in history is more than just about being a form of sustenance and a source of nutrition, given how it has become part of different religious rituals, cultural rites and constantly evolving tastes – leading to the creation of different types of breads in different parts of the world over the years, decades and centuries.

Pita

Described to be one of the world’s oldest flatbreads, pita is characterized by a round shape that is variable in terms of size.

Popularly found in the Balkans, North Africa, Iran, Cyprus and Greece, the slightly leavened flatbread is often found in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Cuisine, and is often paired with different types of dips and sauces – with the association between pita and hummus (a Middle Eastern dip generally made with mashed chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, sesame seeds, garlic and salt) quite well known to gourmets and gourmands.

Apart from being paired with dips and sauces, pita is also used as wraps for certain types of kebabs, along with its use in the making of certain rolled or filled pocket sandwiches.

Its name is believed to have ties with the Classical Greek “peptos,” which loosely translates to “cooked.”

Focaccia

The focaccia is an oven-baked flatbread widely viewed as the early prototype of the modern day pizza.

Essentially a flatbread made with spices, olive oil and a diverse variety of toppings, the focaccia’s “origin story” is often linked with the culinary creations of the Ancient Greeks.

Also known as fougasse, the classic antiquity of the focaccia flatbread is also tied with the use of various herbs, spices and flavorings, including rosemary, garlic, onions, and sage – with some variations of the flatbread known to include anise and honey.

In the context of focaccia’s regional variations, there’s the stiacciata of Tuscany, the schiacciata of Emelia, and the fitascetta of Lombardy.

Bagel

Also known as “beigel,” the bagel is a ring-shaped type of bread that is made from a yeasted-type of wheat-based dough. Traditionally, bagels are boiled for a short time before they are baked, leading to a bagel’s soft chewy interior and crisp exterior.

In terms of its “origin story,” the specific origin of the bagel is still argued and debated about by historians, with most contemporary historians believing that the bagel is Polish in origin and attributed to have been around since the 17th Century.

Other historians say that the bagel has been around much longer, noting that bagel-type breads have been around since Medieval Italy.

But regardless of its specific “origin story,” the bagel remains to be one of the popular bread products in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. (FREEMAN)