food

from THE DOLPHIN MAGAZINE VOL.59 NO.1 OCTOBER 2019

by The Dolphin

kultura

fEATURE | FOOD

Scrumptiously ilonggo

wriTTen by MDPWN. FRANZESCA MARI B. BAUTISTA PHOTOS by MDPN. MARK JOSEPH D. ALOVERA

“The taste of batchoy is the taste of home,” says Mrs. Bautista, an Ilongga who now lives in Tarlac.

The famous Ilonggo specialty originated in La Paz. There are currently 3 stores that are well-known for serving the “original” La Paz batchoy-- Deco’s, Ted’s and Netong’s-- all of which claim to be the inventor of the recipe.

The Original

Deco’s, which was established by Federico Guillergan Sr. in 1938, is regarded as the origin and father of all batchoy. Although Netong’s started in 1948, 3 years later than Ted’s and 10 years later than Deco’s, they still claim that Leonito “Netong” Guillergan innovated the recipe for batchoy. In fact, it is popularly believed by the Ilonggos that batchoy was created by the Guillergan brothers. Whether it be by Netong or Deco is still unverifi ed. Ted’s, on the other hand, is responsible for the widespread popularity of La Paz batchoy. It established branches in the whole Philippines, making batchoy a well-known Ilonggo cuisine. According to an interview with Kusina Master, Adelfa Lepura Borro said that her father, Teoderico “Ted” Lepura, started his business using 10 pesos as capital. Being an errand boy for a Chinese restaurant, Ted created his version of batchoy through observation.

Uncelebrated Founder

However, this claim was contradicted by Reynold Guillergan, the current owner of Inggo’s batchoy. Mr. Guillergan said that Ted was an errand boy of Domingo Lozada, the founder of Inggo’s. Furthermore, he says that Inggo’s was established in 1921, beating Deco’s by 17 years. Contrary to popular belief, Tatay Inggo was not related to Netong and Deco. He was the father-in-law of their brother. This was later on verifi ed by Reynold, the grandson of Inggo, and Remy Guillergan, the son and current owner of Deco’s. According to Reynold, the idea of batchoy sparked from “bas-oy” or meatballs dipped in homemade sauce. Twenty-one-year-old Domingo started selling his batchoy on the sidewalk of Luna Street in La Paz, then later on moved to La Paz Market. This story earned them the outstanding pioneer award for food products given by the Iloilo Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Real Estate Builders and Subdivision Owners Association in 1984

Test of Time

“I started eating here when I was 12. I’m now 72,” says Mr. Jamora, a loyal customer of Deco’s. The story of batchoy’s origins has many variants. Depending on the source, it may be derived from the word “bac qui” (shredded meat), or “bas oy”.

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VOL.59 nO.1 | The DOLPHIN

In most stories, the infl uence of the Chinese are very apparent, hence miki noodles were used. However, other sources state that the dish was only a Filipino variant of Chinese noodle soup. Nonetheless, batchoy survived the test of time because it was catered to Filipinos’ tastes — it’s umami fl avor made customers crave for it endlessly. “Tikman niyo na lang. Kahit bago lang yan kung di naman masarap, wala rin. Basta sakin, pag may nagsabi na masarap batchoy ko, proud ako.” (Just taste it. Even if it’s newly established if it’s not tasty then it won’t succeed. As long as people fi nd my batchoy tasty, then that would make me proud) Remy Guillergan said. Although there is no defi nite story as to how La Paz batchoy was invented, it remains as a trademark for Ilonggo cuisine. The aforementioned dish is now available in the form of instant noodles. Other food concoctions include the Buko batchoy in Mandurriao, Japanese-style Miso batchoy, and Batchoy Tagalog from Luzon. The original La Paz batchoy is also available in various parts of the Philippines, with franchises of Deco’s and Ted’s reaching Manila, Bacolod, Cebu, etc.

Taste of Home

A heaping bowl of miki noodles submerged in hot broth, topped with chives, fried garlic, chicharon, pork, pork liver and intestines would be the perfect comfort food on a rainy afternoon. However, batchoy is not only a dish. It is a refl ection of Ilonggo culture — perseverance, creativity and resiliency. Any native who grew up eating it in the market, craved for it as a meryienda, and had asked for 3 heaping bowls of unlimited caldo (soup) would be reminded of his/her childhood. Besides fi lling the stomach with its scrumptious fl avor, this Ilonggo gem also fulfi lls the heart with memories of home.

HOW TO COOK BATCHOY

INSTRUCTIONS

• Boil water in a cooking pot. • Put-in salt, sugar, onion powder, ground black pepper, and shrimp paste. Cook for a minute. • Add the pork and cook until tender (about 30 to 45 minutes) • Put-in the intestines and liver, and then cook for 6 to 10 minutes. • Remove the pork, liver, and intestine from the broth (caldo). Set aside. • Slice the pork into strips. • Arranged the cooked miki noodles in a single serving bowl. • Place the strips of pork, liver, and intestine on top of the miki noodles. • Pour the broth in the bowl, and then garnish with spring onions and toasted garlic. • Serve hot. Share and enjoy!

Source: https://panlasangpinoy.com/batchoy/