It's all in the mix

MANILA, Philippines - It is one of those dishes you’d rather order at a restaurant than prepare at home. Besides the hassle in preparation, there is often the uncertainty that you may or may not get the taste right. Sisig, which had its beginnings in Pampanga, the province well-known for its rich culinary heritage, was originally made from chopped parts of a pig’s head, including the snout, cheeks, ears, and brain.

Sizzling sisig, a simplified version of minced meat served on a sizzling platter, has become popular restaurant fare and a beer drinker’s favorite pulutan. It may be made of pork, chicken, bangus, tuna, or even tofu. Raw egg may be added while it’s hot to add to the rich flavor. Now it’s possible to prepare and enjoy this Capampangan innovation right in your own home, with Mama Sita’s Sisig citrus-pepper spice mix.

Mama Sita, the country’s leading producer of Filipino food mixes and sauces, recently launched three new flavors. Together with the Sisig, Mama Sita also launched Ilocano Pinapaitan, a bitter stew mix, and Pansit Bihon, a rice noodle stir-fry mix, with the tagline “Minanang Sarap, Natural na Sangkap.”

“These are homegrown, all-natural flavors,” says Frank Aguba, Mama Sita’s director for sales and marketing. “We drew from the different regions of the country and different influences, brought the recipes into the Mama Sita fold, and gave it our best interpretation. These are home-style Filipino recipes. We’d like to think that if Mama Sita were alive today, this is how she would do it.”

The woman behind the brand, Teresita “Mama Sita” Reyes, belonged to the family that pioneered the popular Filipino restaurant, The Aristocrat. Her mother, Doña Engracia “Aling Asiang” Cruz-Reyes, is acknowledged as the “Mother of Filipino Cooking.”

Mama Sita herself was well known for her “countless recipes and innovative ways of preparing food, experimenting with different ingredients,” Frank says. “She shared her family’s culinary heritage of making people happy through food.”

The classic Ilocano dish, Pinapaitan, is made with either beef or goat meat with liver in bile soup. The bile, or apdo, gives it its distinct bitter (pait) taste. For many, it is an acquired taste. Some are squeamish about the bile itself, which is the yellowish-brown fluid produced by the liver in most vertebrates to aid digestion.

“The Mama Sita Ilocano Pinapaitan bitter stew mix has no bile or apdo,” Frank says. “The bitter taste is derived from a plant-based ingredient.” For many, this piece of information may be reassuring. Still, you get that distinct taste that makes it Pinapaitan.

The Pansit Bihon rice noodle stir-fry mix brings that well-loved, Chinese-influenced dish to the dining table. It is also a mainstay in the typical fiesta spread.

The new packaging of Mama Sita features bigger product names for easier recognition below the familiar Mama Sita brand. Besides the usual ingredients and nutrition facts, a step-by-step how-to-prepare guide and recipe are also included in the packaging. “The Mama Sita mixes appeal to mothers and homemakers for their convenience, cost, and consistency of taste,” Frank says. The product was first marketed in the US, mostly in areas where there are many Filipinos homesick for Filipino comfort foods.

“We like to reach as many Filipinos as we can,” Frank remarked, “and contribute to the promotion of Filipino cuisine.”

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Mama Sita mixes and sauces are available in Monterey shops and supermarkets nationwide.