MANILA, Philippines — Whenever the concept of Filipino merienda comes to mind, skewered sweet banana cue and "kakanin" (glutinous rice cakes) are on top of the mind. They are undoubtedly staples, but somewhere in the south of Mindanao, there are a whole new slew of glutinous rice cakes and deep-fried treats perfect for afternoon merienda.
The Tausugs call them "Bang Bang" or crackers and cakes that are normally baked or deep-fried. As a people who love celebrations that could last the whole day, the Tausugs make sure that their guests are fed well with bite-size servings of mostly sweet treats.
"Tausugs enjoy eating something sweet first before the real meal or the savory dishes," said Miguel Cabel Moreno to a select group of guests who were recently invited to Palm Grill.
Miguel's family hails from Jolo, Sulu and Zamboanga. They are proud Tausugs who are making it their mission to introduce their culture to the capital through food.
Inspired by their mother's entrepreneurial spirit and love for good food, the brothers are currently managing their family's two restaurants in the metro.
Spreading culture through food
Miguel heads Palm Grill, a restaurant in Tomas Morato, Quezon City that serves dishes from Southern Mindanao. His older brother King oversees Cabel Filipino Heritage Restaurant, which occupies the former Casa Roces in front of Malacanang in Manila.
"Most Tausug occasions, especially weddings, are whole-day affairs. So if guests come in before noon, these (snacks) are served while waiting for lunch," chimed in their mother Melissa.
The Cabels think that these little deep-fried and baked treats can be served as afternoon treats, just like how they remembered them from their childhood.
"These native cakes have always been part of our childhood. I remember how Babu (older member of the household staff) would start making the different batter at 2 p.m. at start of the cooking process in time for 'merienda.' I always looked forward to this because I enjoyed eating them while watching my favorite Disney movie," Miguel said.
Babu, Miguel said, has been their cook since they were little. They flew her in so she could instruct the chefs at Cabel and Palm Grill on how to properly prepare the cakes.
He added: "I definitely want to share this beautiful memory of our childhood. Aside from sharing the beautiful culture of the Tausug people through food."
For their initial offering, both Cabel and Palm Grill are introducing eight native Tausug cakes, all of them are their family's favorites.
Putli Mandi comes from the Tausug words, "putli" meaning "princess,: and "mandi," "to bathe." Palikambing, meanwhile, looks like a goat that has a scar. Tabid-tabid is another recognizable treat because of its braided form. Most people from Zamboanga also call it Chikalang.
They also have their own take of crepe called Daral, which has toasted coconut meat with sugar. They also have Pangi-pangi, which is like donut or churros, made of flour, sugar, yeast and glutinous rice.
One item that might be familiar for many in other parts of the country is Pastil. It is the only savory dish in their Bang Bang Sug selection. It comes in the familiar Empanada form, but with fresh togue and dried shrimp filling.
Miguel said the snacks are best enjoyed how they used to enjoy it — a piece of Pastil in a bowl drenched or bathed in spiced vinegar. They recommend to have these with a cup of Sulu coffee or tea.
"This is a full circle moment for us since we feel that our offerings is finally complete, from savory to sweet endings," Miguel ended.
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