Pie in the Sky: Buko, Puto and Ocampo

       (The view from the pre-departure 
      area of the Bacolod-Silay Airport)


Having recovered from the traumatic meal of eating an impostor chicken inasal aboard the Cebu Pacific flight from Incheon Airport to Manila, it was time to bring my own in-flight meal. Again.

I have done this a few times already, and depending on my craving, it was either sapin-sapin and jamaican beef patties, or chicken empanadas and buko pie for flights back to Korea.

But on my flight to Manila from the postcard-perfect Bacolod-Silay Airport, I decided on the legendary Manapla puto and El Ideal's buko pie and bingka. I always thought that, just because one is up in the air doesn't mean one can no longer enjoy the goodies available on the ground. These goodies I paired with one of Professor Ambeth Ocampo's interesting books to remind me of Philippine's colorful history while flying over the islands where they actually happened.   

Professor Ambeth's book Prehistoric Philippines talks about the old maps of the Philippine archipelago, and so, as I was munching down the soft puto followed by a bite of buko pie full of chunky buko strips, I looked out of the plane's window and tried to identify the islands we were flying over. I wished I brought extra so I could have shared it with the salivating passenger seated next to me. An extra book, I mean. Ha-ha-ha!

And that while Professor Ambeth's fascinating stories occupied my attention, the taste and flavors of home occupied my palate. At 20,000 feet.

I was having my pie in the sky. :-)

Manapla Puto, The Best Puto In The Philippines

Yes, we are talking about puto with an 'o', although I think it should have been spelled 'puttu', as it must have had originated in India where it was spelled that way to mean 'portioned'. But it seems its Philippine spelling has another meaning in the Spanish language.😁

Puto is actually a Philippine rice cake cooked through steaming and is very popular as a snack.

And every time I come home to an island in the middle of the Philippine archipelago, I always make sure I have pack of the best puto in the Philippines - the Manapla puto. Manapla is the town next to my homecity (if there's a hometown, could there be a homecity, too?). And ever since I was small, all the best puto and pinasugbu come from Manapla. I wonder why? I have no idea how Manapla's puto tradition started, although I want to learn why.😋

And there were occasions when I even brought a pack or two with me here in Seoul (read blog here) and for my friends in Manila to enjoy (read blog here). Of course, puto is best eaten when it's fresh right from the steamer of those who make them, and perhaps, the family that makes the best Manapla puto is Capulso's, whose puto shop is right at the entrance of Manapla. 

(Capulso's is a well-known name for 

this popular rice cake)

Years ago, when we made trips to Manapla to visit my grandmother's grave, we'd always swing by Capulso's. And there were times when their putos were sold out! Yes, they're that popular! So, if you want a pack of puto from their store, you have to be there early in the morning as I think they only make a limited number of packs each day.

I also have tasted a few puto variations from a few provinces of Luzon, but for me, the best one is the puto of Manapla, whose texture is so very fine that a bite of warm puto (especially with melted butter) just melts in your mouth. And as a fellow Victoriahanon Paul describes it (he also grew up enjoying Manapla puto), Manapla puto is the 'mother of all putos'.😃

Capulso's make plain and cheese putos, and either flavor is just as good as the other. I will be going home again soon, and when I do, I will get both flavors.😎

        (Plain puto is white-colored; cheese is yellow.)

Philippine Travelblog: Silay City's El Ideal Restaurant and Native Delicacies

When I was a kid I remember reading a feature of Silay City (in Negros Occidental, Philippines) in Reader's Digest describing this city as the Paris of Negros because of its numerous artists and artisans. But what Reader's Digest failed to mention was that Silay City is also a haven of native Negrense delicacies which everyone loves until today. 

Well, I stopped reading Reader's Digest, but I haven't stopped craving for these delicacies. 

   (That's my favorite salab - the brown-colored                              delicacy wrapped in plastic.) 

         (Bitso-bitso is another favorite - cruller made of
         ground sticky rice and brown-sugar coating.)

Growing up in Negros Island in the Philippines, I remember an old lady vendor from Silay City, whom we called Tía Bodók (unfortunately, we didn't get to know her real name). 

During the week, she would travel from Silay City and roam around my hometown, Victorias City, selling native delicacies. 

My two favorites from her wide basket were salab and dulce gatas! Salab is a fried pancake made with coconut strips with a gravy-colored spread with garlicky and semi-sweet flavor, while dulce gatas (also known as dulce de leche) is a very sweet dessert made from fresh carabao's milk. 😊

She would sell the delicacies by walking around the town center throughout the morning, balancing her wide, winnowing basket full of yummy goodies on her head. The basket was covered by a white, muslin cloth that she opened only when someone wanted to buy. By noon, all her goodies would have been sold out and she would go back home to Silay City.😍

But now, Tia Bodok is no longer around, and I miss all the salab and dulce gatas. Luckily, there are some shops which still sell dulce gatas but I hardly had seen one selling salab, until I dropped by one time at El Ideal in Silay City!

              (Cassave cake and buko pie, too!)

It's not just a store where you can buy all those barquillos, puto, and other baked goodies to bring home.

And you can enjoy their yummy salab, fresh lumpia and bitso-bitso sitting down (read blog here)!

And whenever I was flying to Manila from Silay and I had time, I would always drop by El Ideal to get some salab. And one time, I happily finished one inside the pre-departure area of Bacolod-Silay Airport, and another one in the plane (read blog here)! It was the best domestic in-flight meal I ever had!😃

                           (Ube-flavored puto!)

But one late afternoon, I dropped by El Ideal to get some salab, but unfortunately, walâ na! Salab was all sold out for the day!😢

But I cried not! There will be salab tomorrow and the next day...and the next! And perhaps, when I drop by again this week, I would finally get some while I am home in Negros Occidental. 😀 

        (They also have my mom's favorite, fresh lumpia!                         And sandwiches!)

And when that moment comes, I will offer the first bite as a tribute to Tía Bodók, wherever she may be. So, thank you, El Ideal, for letting me enjoy all those memories again of Tía Bodók, her salab, and other native delicacies.😍

(El Ideal Restaurant)

El Ideal is just next to the Silay City plaza, near the intersection of the road going to the Silay-Bacolod Airport. 

So, if you happen to land at that airport, or if you're catching a flight, you can always swing by El Ideal. Those yummy snacks and delicacies are just a few minutes away! 😀

A Rainy Seoul Sunday Calls For Hot Tsokolate And Puto!

It's been a nasty summer so far. So, when I woke up today (almost noon actually!) and looked out my window, it was cloudy and drizzling!  

What a welcome change in the weather....and a drop in the temperatures, I hoped!

So, I hurried out in my gym gear and saw people in the neighborhood walking around with umbrellas. I never thought bringing an umbrella myself. For summer's sakes, it was just a drizzle!  And since I would be sweating in the neighborhood gym, I wouldn't mind getting wet in the rain anyway.

And after spending less than an hour in the gym (which was almost empty!), it was time for breakfast.

I usually have cereals, but today, with the rain cooling the neighborhood, I had to enjoy my tablea tsokolate and Manapla puto, which I brought with me from Manila!

                         (The tablea tsokolate from home)

And on a kettle with boiling soy milk, I melted one tablet of tsokolate, and steamed my Manapla puto!

(Cheese flavored Manapla puto)

I am not exactly sure how many Pinoys in Seoul are enjoying a cup of hot native Philippine tsokolate paired with the best Philippine puto on this rainy Seoul Sunday.

        (My hot tsokolate with plain flavor Manapla puto)

But rain or shine, at least there's one enjoying them right now. Kain po tayo! (Let's eat!)