The Edible Landmarks of ILOCOS NORTE

PINAKBET From the province of Ilocos Norte, Marcos is a fourth class municipality often called by its inhabitants as the “Promise Land” because of its rich vegetation and vast fertile land. Located midway between the municipalities of Dringas and Banna, Marcos is 26 kilometers away from Laoag City, the provincial capital, having many heritage sites in and around the vicinity. The municipality of MARCOS is set to celebrate its first Pinakbet festival, taking pride of this town’s favorite Ilokano dish locally known as pinakbet, a mix of indigenous vegetables steamed in fish sauce. Pinakbet came from the contracted Ilokano word ‘pinakebbet’ which means “shrunk” or “shriveled.”Set on March 12-15, the first Pinakbet festival is a repository of the town’s Ani (harvest) festival being celebrated every month of March. Pinakbet is the Ilocano word for " shriveled or shrunk." The word has been applied to the dish because the vegetables, after simmering in the diluted fish

S unshine City of Laoag  -  "THE NORTHERN GATEWAY OF THE NORTH ' is undoubtedly one of the cleanest and greenest component city in the Philippines but does not only have this to be proud of. The city's successful OTOP (One Town, One Product) Program implementation is of course widely attributable to the local sugarcane farmers producing the purest , naturally fermented and organic Sukang Iloko(vinegar) and Basi(sugarcane wine). With the help of DTI'S OTOP Programs , local farmers undergo massive training and seminars to further improve the quality of products, packaging/labeling and marketing of the product. Within the period of 3 years, OTOP-Laoag won the the Provincial Best OTOP SME  category.       With the OTOP Program, the only limit to what Laoag City can offer is your imagination. So come and enjoy the true SUNSHINE where good things start!

Solsona is a far and mountaneous town where taro is really abundant and it serves as the product base of Solsona and most of the Ilocano populace prefer salty food. As we are a pride of bagoong the solsonians create a menu where the taro turns to dish with bagoong.Now the young taro shoot bagoongan is the dish product where people from different countries miss these. -Bareng

The chosen OTOP project of this municipality is Duhat Wine to make use of duhat fruits that are left rotting under the trees during the season. This wine is reddish color packed in frosted 350-ml bottles. The Duhat contains components that needed to make a good quality of wines. In iloco duhat is called "lomboy" it is very known in the rural places, especially places near the mountains. It is like a grapes, their difference is that duhat have bigger seed compare to grapes. It is seasonal because it only bear fruits during summer. I interviewed one of the residence named Ms. Nerizza Gudayan, about the information cited above, but the store that sell this wine is close that's why i don't have the chance to take a picture of it. and their tribe is far from the stores.                                                

Sapin-Sapin The municipality of Sarrat, Ilocos Norte is popularly known to their native delicacies or “kakanin”, especially the “Sapin-Sapin”. This product is one of the best products of their town though it is not an original product of Sarrat, and it is only imitated and adapted from other places but improved and made it famous. This is a rice cake which is made up of glutinous rice and coconut milk, and it is usually composed of layers which are different in color, usually pink and white. It also composed of other ingredients which improves its flavor and enhanced its appealing appearance that make the product special and unique from other products of different places. We can say that it is a very delicious food because of its savory flavor and soft texture. -Guzon, Ramos, Rivera

Adams, the one-barangay town high in the sylvan mountains, close by Pagudpud, knows its wines. Adams, curiously, is a melting pot of tribal cultures. It has mastered the Cordilleran (Kankanaey) way of fermenting rice into a wine called tapuey. About 4 or 5 years ago, the local community introduced more wines, giving rise to a thriving wine industry. Its wine made from bugnay ( Antidesma bunius ) fruit has become notoriously in demand. Touted to be the next wonder fruit, bugnay or bignay fruit is known to contain phytochemicals with potent antioxidants, which function to protect  the body from free radical damage. Celebrate the season with ADAMS smooth bugnay wine. Also ideal as WEDDING GIVEAWAYS. Now available in small bottles. A quality product of Ilocos wine producers. The pride of Adams, Ilocos Norte

EMPANADA As the Spaniards came and conquered the Philippines particularly in the Ilocos Region, they have left their culture specially the culture of food and cooking. they introduced to us Empanada, which also embodies the city of Batac. this is a turnover pastry that contains shredded papaya, mung beans, cabbage, egg and longganisa. The Pinais or the outer cover is orange and crisp, the fillings' combination suits the crispiness of the pinais and supplements each other creating a very delicious food, and the pride of the Bataceneos. -

Goby fish or talimusak in tagalog and locally known as the “bukto”,are fresh water forms of fish which are abundant in Bacarra because that place is neary riverside area .Bukto cooked in a variety of ways but according to lola menciang,a residence from this municipalty for more than 80 years the best way to cooked bukto is to steam together with the ingredientslike ilocos vinegar,ginger,salt, and garlic and she said that it should be medium dry as it cook to  preserve it’s taste and as we expected it was really good in taste .

Ginataang Gabi This dish was cooked out of experimentation. It was believed that there was a man who lives in the mountain. One time, he didn’t get any animal to serve as his food. So what he did as he spotted this plant near his house, he cooked it and combined with coconut. And he was then glad as he tasted it because it was delicious. It taste so creamy and until such time that some people also discovered that shrimps are good to combine with this dish. This gathered information was taken when we interviewed the private secretary of the mayor, she was Mrs. Glenda Doquez -Echave and Layson

According to municipal nutritionist of Bangui Mrs. Elizabeth Saguiguit and municipal social worker and development officer Mrs. Rhealou De la Cruz, Bangui is known for large production of garlic since the elders learned to plant different crops. Garlic is known for its natural aroma that gives aromatic flavor to dishes and known for its ability to reduce high blood pressure. According to the elders since they have much garlic production and they learned how to make preserved young garlic by adding vinegar which they called this product as inartem.This preserved garlic is used for accompaniment of fatty dishes to reduce high cholesterol and so that you are not easily get sick to the fatty dishes. Although this is not much as popular to other product of different towns,but if you asked to people of Bangui,this product is the oldest and common accompaniment of fatty dishes like sinigang na baboy. And if you like spicy dishes, this product is suited for your mild, spicy

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

BIBINGKA Bibingka, otherwise known as tubong cake is one of the well-known products of Vintar. It is traditionally made with rice flour. It is the main ingredient because rice is cheap and it is widely available in Vintar. It is also full of carbohydrates. Other ingredients are sweetened mollasses (or tagapulot in local dialect), coconut milk, and margarine, topped with grated cheese. Bibingka is usually served in a trimmed banana leaves but people nowadays also served it using a foil. the traditional preparation is very time-consuming because there is no use of electrical machines. It is cooked using pre-heated coals. Bibingka is best served hot. It has a soft spongy texture similar to rice pudding. The top and bottom surface is usually charred which adds flavor to the product. -Calaramo, Gamiao

BISCOCHO Biscocho is known as the famous baked product of Pasuquin. It is owned by Mrs. E speranza Alvarez It was inherited from her parents since she was their only daughter. This business is already famous since the business was built. Not to mention that this business was built during the world war II . They have two kind of biscocho, the soft and the hard. The soft costs 70 pesos and the the hard is 75 pesos. It maybe expensive for others but you wont regret of buying such because it has its own aroma and a different taste that you will love until the last bite. -Calpito, Pascua, L., Sumaoang

BASI Basi is alcoholic liquor made from fermented sugar cane and regarded as the native wine of  Ilocanos. According to the people in Piddig, basi has a bitter yet sweet flavor which is very like of the people in there. It was a staple among their lives due to its integral part in many Ilocano rituals.  Source for the bitter taste comes from the papait or apdo (bile). It is on of the well known product of Piddig Ilocos Norte. -Pascua, Joyce

KILAWEN A SUSAY First time I went to Badoc to visit my uncle's new build house during their house blessing, we tasted more than 6 kinds of dishes but this “kilawen a susay “ made me satisfied a lot I like the way it is presented, and the palatability of this dish. After the party I asked my uncle about this dish and I said can I asked anything uncle about the history of this dish so that I can showcase it in our food blog then he said this -“kilawen a susay “ one of the most awaited dishes of Badocuenios is served as an appetizer and even a main dish to us . Since our house is near the ocean we are fond of eating fishes and to have a twist and a substitute to a goat meat we made our own version of kilawin but the main ingredients is susay flavoured by salt, pepper, garlic, chili, vinegar and calamansi. “TASTE GOOD” good for people who are prone to hypertension.  -Duldulao, Ramirez

ADOBO A BALOT TI PINILI Look what and be amazed by this dish of Pinili . I am a pure Ilokana and  I know balot is known  for street merienda only  as we went to their town for a home visit we found out this kind of  dish  is very popular in their town  it is commonly eaten by Pinilenios since duck is abundant in their town aside from bawang . They cooked the balot in an “adobo style”. Mind you guys this is somewhat amazing we so loved the taste delicious we tried eating twice. -Duldulao, Ramirez

Steamed Goby It is a popular dish in Vintar, it is one of the kind of fresh water fish that usually found or catch in our town expecially in Surong valley.it is popularly known as "bukto" in Ilokano and it is very expensive because it is seasonal and it is difficult to find. It has a glorious taste and is surely delicious! -Calaramo, Gamiao

Paoay, Ilocos Norte is known for its church built in the year of 1710. But that is not only the pride of the Paoayenios but also their Chichacorn. Unlike the other kornik it has a distinct taste like it is crunchier but easy to chew. A bigger kernel and there is a secret ingredient that they don’t want to share. According to Michelle Inocensia, the owner of one of the famous store of pasalubong in Paoay, corn is abundant in the place so they create their own OTOP. She said that almost all the tourist that are visiting the church is also coming in her store to buy the famous chichacorn. It has a different flavor that you can chose like garlic- the original flavor, cheese, barbecue, spicy and many more.  So if you visit the church next time, make sure to stop by beside the church to buy a lots of chichacorn for your pasalubong. -Morales

ABUOS            Back when I was in elementary i often watch dance parade at Banna, Ilocos Norte. I enjoy watching my fellow students dancing gracefully as they dance with the ant custom.        This dish is one of the famous dishes known in Banna, Ilocos Norte. This is made from the egg of ants, dried ants, tomatoes, garlic, onion and pepper. An exotic food yet delicious. It is commonly hatch at the trees, they make fire below the nest of ants then the ants will be suffocated, and some will stay alive. I've tried getting some to, its hard but I enjoy it so much. I t is also one of our dishes during our family reunion held at Nueva Era.            Come and try this famous dish at Banna. It is also good to our health, and some balikbayans really love eating this, especially the egg even if it is still uncooked. the taste is sweet and sour combination. It is very known in our province and every year they are celebrating this PINAG-ABUOS FESTIVAL. Naimas detoy geyyem,

         A two hours trip is on my way, looking at the windows, I saw this beautiful spot. it's been a month since i haven't visit my mother's home town.  Nueva Era  is a third class and second largest  municipality  (in terms of land area) in the  province  of  Ilocos Norte ,  Philippines . According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 7,837 people.  Nueva Era is politically subdivided into 11   barangays , and my mother was from Cabittauran.            I interviewed my uncle who is the late secretary of the mayor, Mayor. Aldrin Garvida. Tito Edgar Bringas told me that one of their famous dishes is from the meat of wild boar "alingo" in iloco, it is found at their mountains. They hunt it for living, after slaughtering it, they slice the meat, then dry it for a few days, afterwards, the met is alredy done and dry. This is very expensive when it comes to cost, but it is delicious. It can be cook with sarsa or with soup. I tried the Alingo on soup, or

BAGNET          Chicharon/Bagnet is made through submerging a piece of  meat into hot fat. According to Richie Gielbys Cavinta, the tourism officer of San Nicolas, due to its high temperature at Ilocos Region before, particularly at San Nicolas, they fried a piece of meat in order to lengthen the life or preserve it. Though there was no written evidence that it was really originate from San Nicolas. But according to the old women I asked, chicharon/bagnet was from San Nicolas including longanisa, dinak-dakan, and araet. Even it is common now to other municipalities, people still tend to go to San Nicolas for its different flavor they experienced as they eat.           Its crispiness and juiciness you enjoy as you are eating with the perfect blend of saltiness from the mixture of "Kamatis, Bagoong, Lazona" or KBL. You can eat as it is or you can add it with another food that will enhance the flavor. -Soriano