Savoring the Sapin –sapin

What makes people so passionate about food? There are so many components comprised of a complexity of ingredients such as poultry, meats, seafood, vegetables and spices in making a single dish. Depending on which part of the world we come from, because of the type of soil and climate, each country produces their own unique cuisine. This eventually contributes in defining a people’s culture. Having the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with other country’s delicacies is the most practical way to learn about a country and its people and also get to enjoy the various tastes and smells of the food which gives us a broader understanding of how we live through how we eat.

Eating brings families and friends closer together and in a broader sense brings the many cultures together. It makes the world seem not as big and scary, but rather a familiar place we call home.

The Filipinos take pride in the multi-faceted inheritance of their culture from various foreign settlers who introduced to the country during the spice trade many ways to prepare and preserve food. We adapted these different techniques, added distinct qualities and made it our own. Thinking about the history and evolution on Philippine cuisine, this reminds me of a particular dessert called sapin-sapin. The sapin-sapin originated from the northern part of the country, the province of Abra. It is a mountainous region with rugged terrains ideal for trekkers who delight in the thought of roughing it. The people of Abra are mostly descended from Ilokanos from the Tingguran tribe who are famous for their woven baskets and blankets and, of course, the sapin-sapin.

Sapin-sapin is made with glutinous rice and coconut. It is usually served as a dessert, but because it has a tendency to be filling, it’s often eaten for brunch or merienda (afternoon snack). It’s a simple dish comprised of rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, water and coloring. To add texture to the dish, coconut flakes are sprinkled on top. This is painstakingly made by soaking rice flour overnight in water and then ground into a paste with coconut milk, sugar and sometimes yams or yam four. What makes it intriguing and special is how it’s prepared. The glutinous rice is colored and layered making it a festive dessert. The first layer is colored in purple (usually the bottom), the middle is a golden yellow resembling egg yolks and the top is white. Each layer is steamed before another layer is added. Delicious and beautiful.

The sapin-sapin is a perfect example to cite the facets of a particular culture. However complex it is, it still has that basic end result, it satisfies the hunger and allows us to get a glimpse of the kind of people the Filipinos are.

Lola Ding’s Maja Blanca

I have always known myself to be lucky to have two lolas (grandmothers) in my father’s side of the family. My father’s mother, Lola Nena, was widowed when my dad was only 6 months old. My grandmother’s parents asked her to go back to their home in Pampanga with her three children in tow instead of her being on her own with her in-laws in Iloilo. My grandmother’s sister Lola Ding, was already widowed by then without any children and had already moved back with their parents. They were the only two girls in a brood of 6 and this made them very close. I loved them both equally and never differentiated between the two. They were always known to me as Lola Nena and Lola Ding.

They both enjoyed the many flavors of our local fare, and both of them marrying men from Negros only added to the enrichment of their palates to the Ilonggo taste and way of preparing food. I was blessed to have been brought up in a household that valued home cooked and balanced meals that were healthy and delicious. It’s very important for a family to be able to sit down to a hearty meal that has been lovingly prepared.

My Lola Ding was the better cook, and she has passed on many of her secret recipes to the few of us willing to learn. One of my favorites that she used to prepare was the maja blanca.

Maja blanca is known as Filipino white pudding. This is made from coconut milk and corn starch with latik which is coconut milk that you heat up until it curdles and turns brown. The usual maja blanca sold commercially are yellow with corn kernel bits. My Lola Ding’s maja blanca was white and was made with carabao’s (water buffalo) milk. It’s so simple and pure to look at but it tastes so rich and creamy and it melts in the mouth.

As with all great chefs and cooks, there are no precise measurements to follow when preparing a particular dish or dessert. Everything is measured by taste. As much as I would like to share exact measurements for my grandmother’s maja blanca, I have none, but it’s unbelievably simple I can make it with my eyes closed. Just mix cornstarch with water (set aside), mix carabao’s milk with sugar and coconut milk, heat (medium heat) in a pot till sugar dissolves, add water with cornstarch. There should be enough cornstarch to turn the milk mixture to pudding consistency in room temperature. Pour everything into a round mold. You can use a glass pie pan. Next is to make your latik by cooking coconut milk till it turns brown and flaky. When latik is cool, top your maja blanca with it. This is a really delicious dessert that’s a cinch to make, yet sinfully good.

Whenever I make maja blanca, it takes me back to fond memories when my lola was still alive and we would have Sunday lunches with them. Each bite is savoring the taste of the past.

The Unforgettable Estrel’s Caramel Cake

My birthday is coming up. It’s tomorrow actually. In the Philippines, abirthday wouldn’t be complete without a birthday cake. This gives me a perfect excuse to indulge my sweet tooth and get any cake I want for my special day.

Birthday cakes are usually done by Goldilocks or Red Ribbon. These are really popular bakeshops that specialize in cakes. The past two years I’ve been getting my birthday cake from Goldilocks, butter cake with sugar icing. The butter cake is sort of like a pound cake. It’s rich, heavy and delicious. This year however, I’m craving for an old time favorite, Estrel’s Caramel Cake. My mother remembers when she was a child, having her birthday cake made by Estrel’s bakeshop. It was long forgotten until a few years back when she heard about it again by word of mouth (it’s how some of the best foods are discovered). Their specialty is of course the caramel cake, and what adds to its deliciousness is the perfect flowers that border the cake. It’s made with real butter and provides that hint of richness that isn’t overwhelming.

This year has been particularly hot and the weather makes you want to eat light and refreshing desserts. Estrel’s caramel cake is made from chiffon cake which is light and fluffy. The caramel icing is not too sweet or rich, the beautiful flowers are made of creamy butter.

Estrel’s bakeshop was established in 1947 and is located at 54 Scout Tobias corner Scout. Limbaga Sts., Barangay. Laging Handa in Quezon City, still within Metro Manila. They only have just one branch and all the cakes are made to order. You have to place your order at least two days in advance because they can only make a limited amount of cakes in a day. Estrel’s pays particular attention to the quality of their cakes. That is one of the reasons they want to keep the business centralized and not mass produced. With the traffic in the city it makes it an ordeal to drive all the way to Quezon City. It takes about 2 hours to get there from where I live, and it really takes a special occasion for me to brave the trip there. This adds to the enormity of my craving for the cake. Also for my special day, I paid extra to add caramel filling in the middle of the cake. I’m not counting calories on my birthday.