DINGRAS
THE UNEXPECTED : SWEET SINGKAMAS AND SWEET KUNDOL
My
partner and I went to Dingras, Ilocos Norte with barely anything. We went there
not knowing what will happen to us. When we arrived at their municipal hall, we
thought that their main food products were dishes made with carabeef because
there are two carabao statues in front of their municipal hall. That was
misleading! Then, we went in to inquire for the “real” food product, we asked
then we heard the strangest and alienest
answer… SWEET SINGKAMAS AND SWEET KUNDOL. Then we asked directions on how to
get to the local producer of these said products, anyway it was just a few
blocks away from the hall.
We
went there and bought one pack of Sweet Singkamas and one pack of Sweet Kundol
of 25 pesos each pack. Sweet Singkamas refers to candied turnips and Sweet Kundol refers to candied wintermelons. Sweet Singkamas is golden
brown in color, tender and sweet. They have the same flavor as of that Sweet
Kundol but what makes it apart is its color which is bright white.
The
old woman who sold us the products (which refused to take picture with us,
hehe) was the actual producer. She is Lilia Oalog, 68 years old and a breast
cancer survivor. We asked about the history about this product…
She
had been making these products for 35 years, as recreation and later on, it
became her living. She learned making these from a Home Economics teacher. At
first, she had been failing making these because it requires complex processes
especially in the candying process, but as cliché as it may sound, practice
makes perfect so she has produced the perfect product representing their
respected municipality.
Hands
down to this strong woman, it really inspires us that even she had experienced
the worst, she still manages to bring out the best in her and is able to
produce wonderful products worth to share!
-Rivera, Ramos, Guzon
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