Seafood for the Holy Week

CEBU, Philippines – Holy Week in the Philippines is an important religious event for Roman Catholics and many Protestant groups. There are many historic traditions that Catholics observe such as the "Bendita sa Lukay" or Palm Sunday, "Visitas Iglesias," Way of the Cross, "Siete Palabras," "Santo Entierro" procession, "Sugat Kabanhawan" and the "Domingo de Gloria" or Easter Sunday.

The Catholic Church recommends the discipline of fasting (reduction of food intake) and abstinence (refraining from meat) and these rules are found in the Code of Canon Law. Canon 1251 states that abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Abstinence is mandatory for ages 14 and above while fasting is compulsory for ages 14 to 60 years (Canon 1252).

Fish and seafood are the main characters during abstinence. I featuring here some of the memorable dishes I have tasted the last 50 years.

Lapu-Lapu called "Lo Chi Pan." I was able to eat this tasty fish during a wedding dinner in Zamboanga City. The fish called "plantsa" with it hexagon-shaped scale was caught in Daanbantayan, Cebu and it was cooked by charcoal broiling. The fresh-water fishes shown here are a rarity in Cebu because we have very few rivers and some of these rivers are so polluted even mosquitoes cannot live in it!

Many Cebuanos like to eat "Ginamos Bolinao" with boiled bananas. In the house we always have a bottle or two of homemade salted anchovy aging for at least six months. Fried "danggit" is the preference among visitors from Manila, while travellers to Northern Cebu just love the charcoal broiled "tulingan" in Danao City. Beautifully decorated Lapu-Lapu was a common presentation for fishes served at households in the early 60s but rare today because of limited house help for the preparation. Chinese Chefs recommend that steaming whole Lapu-Lapu is the best method of cooking live fish.

You will value your fishes and its affordability after travelling to Europe, because ordering seafood there can be ridiculously expensive. In Paris, after eating meats for days, we were longing for fish. The fish fillet cost 15 Euros, and the waiter suggested Baked Whole Sea Bass at the price of 80 Euros (excluding the tip, he whispered) and we ordered. That meal cost 6,000 pesos and it was only then I realized that, there, fish is only for rich people while the working class eat meat.

That was in 2010 and now here in Cebu, seafood has become more expensive than meat. Fresh Tangigue is P399 a kilo, Pusit Lomo is P295 a kilo; while T-Bone Steak is P299 a kilo and Chicken Breast P199 a kilo. For the poor, I mean underprivileged, well, instant noodles is good enough!

The Sushi Platter, the Steamed Hairy Crab (served in Cebu) and the Braised Abalone and Sea Cucumber (the main dish during the birthday party of a one year-old boy in Manila) are some of the tastiest seafood dishes I have tried while working as your favourite food writer. Plane tickets were provided including Sofitel accommodations for us out-of-town guests.

 Indeed some are born, excuse me, rich and many are just born… Happy Easter to everyone!