A humba tale

Ever since I could remember, “hoong bah” (stewed pork hock in soy sauce) – Filipinized as “humba” -- was a staple dish at our dinner table, like the “adobo seco” (braised pork cubes with soy sauce and garlic) and crispy fried chicken. My mother had to learn the authentic Chinese technique of making “hoong bah” from my father’s lotus-footed aunties. My Filipina mother picked up some Chinese terms from those old ladies who taught her the proper way to cook “hoong bah” in broken Cebuano, mixed with Chinese.

When I got married into a pure Chinese family, my late mother-in-law Mama Diu Eng introduced me into her culinary world of secret recipes and techniques that only she knew how to do. Well, my sisters-in-law learned from Mama but her dishes remained her signature creations. I can boldly claim that my sisters-in-law – and their children -- would agree with me on this.

My mother Liza’s “hoong bah” was super delicious, dark and sticky. She used only the tenderest of pork front “pata” with strips of belly or what the Chinese call “sam chan bah” (meat with marbled fat). It was sought-after during parties at home. But when I tasted Mama Diu Eng’s version, I was enamored forever! She used yam cubes as thickener, with slices of dried squid and dried, fat black mushrooms for distinct flavoring. Caramelized unrefined brown sugar was what she used for braising the meat before the slow stewing over a low fire. That’s all that I could recall from the times I stayed with her in her kitchen as she was puttering around for our family dinners. Many friends and relatives looked forward to receiving a potful of Mama Diu Eng’s “hoong bah.” Having it was a treat that would last for weeks – as “hoong bah” becomes more appetizing the more times you reheat it. I could still taste it…

Since I have not taken down the recipe of Mama Diu Eng, let me share with you the recipe that I have handy: