pampanga: mangan keni!

driving to pampanga, we used to pass this big billboard advertising a local restaurant, with the giant caption "mangan keni!", which is kapampangan for "eat here!" pretty apropos, considering all we ever seem to do when we go back to the province is eat, eat, eat.

farming and fishing are still economic mainstays of the pampangan economy. while the region is almost completely landlocked, there is an extensive river system providing the area. although kapampangans are known for their culinary knowledge and skills, everyday dishes are simply prepared, with humble ingredients that often quite literally nature's bounty: while the crops provide vegetables, fruits, and rice, they also provide a variety of insects, reptiles, and other creatures. depending on how you look at things, these could be pests or pulutan (small snack). back in the day, people ate what was available to them, in times of feast or famine; what you might consider deep-end dining (sorry, eddie!) passed for abundant, nutritious fare.



of course, we're not in the 'olden' times, but in the modern world of krispy kremes (or the local equivalent) and beard papas, so even in the province, everyone's on a diet. i never used to see steamed vegetables or (gasp) a green salad, although i suspect that had partially to do with a cultural belief that a table laden with meat was a sign of prosperity. no one was thinking of clogged arteries at the time.



the square, green packets pictured above are rice-filled banana leaves, which are steamed in a big pot. the banana leaf imparts a lovely aroma to the rice, which is a perfect accompaniment to fried, fat, yellow-fleshed river caught hito (catfish) and hipon (freshwater prawns), simply steamed with local bay leaves.



the beginning of rainy season is the best time for frog catching around the riverbanks and rice paddies. i'm told it's a fairly simple thing: tie a piece of black cloth to a fish rod and string, then wave it around like a mosquito buzzing overhead. the frog catches it, you catch the frog, and dinner is just around the corner.



in this case the tugac was cooked in a tinola-style soup, with chunks of green papaya, loads of chili pepper leaves, and ginger. tastes like chicken, really. a really amphibious sort of chicken.



personally, i prefer snails (susû if you are interested; don't forget that circumflex or you'd really be askin' for it whilst asking for it), cooked simply with lots of ginger and onion. the snails are so tiny that you need a toothpick to pick them out, or possess impressive dyson-like suction abilities.



desserts are as simple and as satisfying as the rest of the meal, usually whatever fruit is at the peak of ripeness; in this case, a bumpercrop of atis, and sweet, golden, succulent mangoes.