More Than Talaba and Tahong

Where we used to live, there is a place called Talaba (oysters). That’s mainly because this little barrio (now barangay) is in Cavite and its main source of livelihood is raising and selling this precious product of the sea. Then we have a friend who is a Caviteña by choice of residence and she would often bring us pails of tahong (mussels) whenever we felt like cooking pasta with pesto sauce. Cavite to us–and we are sure to a lot of others people–is talaba and tahong country.

Well, we just found out there is more to Cavite cuisine than these two well-known delicacies. For one it may now rival Batangas in producing the best local coffee blend. There is the Cavite "brew", recently introduced at a Coffee Festival in Amadeo, where coffee farmers, while still needing government help in hitting the international scene, have successfully raised a Premium and Supreme blend, the former made of 50% Robusta and 50% Excelsa while the latter is 100% Excelsa. Coffee connoisseurs have given their stamp of approval and on average they sell at P300 for the latter and a little less for the former.

At the recent Cavite Food Festival held at the Island Cove Resort and Leisure Park in Binakayan, Kawit, we encountered a cuisine that is akin to what we grew up with–Laguna cookery–given a unique treatment and using what the province produces from its waters and farms. The native chefs, a duo of Cavite’s best, produced a table with varied tastes and textures such as sitao (string beans) enhanced with coconut milk and the juice of tahong; Bulaklak sa Sarsa ng Talaba, broccoli and cauliflower florets with mushrooms simmered in fresh oyster sauce (super!!); a beef dish they call Calandracas from the Chabacano term that means an assortment of ingredients; Pancit de Choca, again the Chabacano word for squid ink. This is like Paella Negra but instead uses noodles. The Pochero must be a sister of our La Hoya Beef, considering it is served with a thick mousse-type sauce made from boiled sweet potatoes and bananas. From the dessert table, we harkened to days gone by because one of the desserts they call Totong is our Ginataang Munggo. Regretably we missed the Bibingkang Samala and the famous Bibingkoy of Aling Ika. This is like hopia (in size), made of rice flour with red mongo filling and thick coconut milk sauce with langka and sago balls–yummy!!! This is sold at the Cavite market on Sundays (three for P20), but they go very fast.

Island Cove Resort and Leisure Park is one place that Manilans can hie off to for a quiet weekend. It is near enough and has facilities for both young and old. There is the Fishing Village where the visitor can catch the fish (bangus, lapu-lapu or even seabass) he wants to eat. There are cottages for families and a hotel with 30 rooms. They have a big swimming pool and a bar and disco. If you’re into domestic tourism and looking for a hide-away, this is the place.

We have been told before of the tambakan market in Cavite, where the catch of the day goes to the buyer who can make the best "bulong" to the fisherfolk. This is referred to by the Cavitenos as the Pandawan, which means beach front. There is one such market in Rosario and another in Tanza. Believe it or not, one can get mussels between P20 and P30 a kilo. Among the seafood one will find here are tanguingue and the rare apahap (seabass). We will have to explore this in the very near future.

Those with a sweet tooth will remember Digman Halo-halo and its bounty of 12 matamis components–bananas, ube, leche flan, kaong, etc. It is still being served and if we only had the time, we would have motored to where the original Digman in Cavite is to savor, once more, this favorite of ours. We are told it still sells for between P20 and P30.

We mourn deeply the recent demise of Doreen Gamboa-Fernandez, a true lady in her lifetime. Her culinary writings definitely encouraged aspiring cooks (including us) to strive for the best. There will be no other like her.