Puto-Pao, Pinoy pie & Other Delights

In the heart of the Philippine archipelago is a cluster of islands replete with history, culture and nature’s bounty; where rustic houses stand witness to a rich past, clear blue waters meet fine white sand, and faces light up with smiles.

Nature has blessed Western Visayas with fertile wildlife, verdant hills and picturesque beaches that exude natural charm, making Region 6–comprising the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Panay, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, Iloilo and Capiz–one of the most favored vacation destinations in the Philippines. The Region is also famous for its fresh produce and seafood, gastronomic delights and other delectable treats that complement its quaint charm.

Who isn’t seduced by luscious mangoes from scenic Guimaras or the tenderness of chicken inasal from Bacolod? Or delight in the subtle sweetness of muscovado-filled piaya and the original guapple pie from Negros Occidental? And the famous La Paz Batchoy and molo soup from Iloilo which have warmed the souls and stomachs of Filipinos through generations.

A visit to the region is like taking a historical and culinary journey. For Region 6 is a place where food and history are intertwined and, unknown to many, some of its famous foods are the happy result of historical events.

Historical records reveal that the oldest churches in the country were made of stone slabs cemented together by egg whites. One of them is the tall and majestic Molo Church, built by French priests in the 1860s, one of the oldest and finest Neo-Renaissance churches in the Visayas region. It is also known as the feminist church because of its collection of 16 images of female saints.

Thousands of egg whites were used for its construction. The Jason sisters noted the egg yolks being thrown away and used them in making baked products, giving birth to Panaderia de Molo, a now famous bakery that sells such treats as hojaldres (layered biscuits), galletas (paper-thin crackers), rosquetas (sugar-coated biscuits made of rice flour) and broas (ladyfingers), among many others.

The popular and oft-copied puto pao is a famous Bacolod delicacy. A variant of siopao, puto pao is made with rice flour (like the native puto), "because wheat flour became scarce," recounts Agnes Cuenca, the resourceful creator of puto pao. The result is a soft, almost cake-like consistency with delicious filling. Puto pao makes for a delicious merienda on its own or can be a complement to a hot bowl of molo soup.

Forget American Pie; the Pinoy Pie is better. Trust the Filipinos to come up with something really inventive, like guapple pie, the Filipino version of apple pie.

This sweet sensation was first concocted in the 1980s by the Sanchez Family, owners of the El Ideal Bakery in Negros Occidental, from the new bred of guava they cultivated called, what else, guapple.

"Doreen Fernandez helped promote our guapple pie, which is how people found out about it," says Maritess Sanchez, whose mother created this delicious dessert. Maritess now runs El Ideal and is proud to say that "many have tried to copy our guapple pie but have failed. Today, we are the only ones who continue to make them."

Even Madhur Jaffrey–celebrity chef, actor, TV host and cookery writer–featured the celebrated guapple pie in her television show on BBC and in one of her bestselling cookbooks.

Sulay bagyo is not a name of a storm but a delicious snack–fish with most of the skin peeled off (the meat is cured and turned into tapa) then dried and fried, making it crunchy and tasty, much like chicharon, without the unwanted fat and cholesterol. Although the exact origin of sulay bagyo is unknown, it is said that this delicacy was invented by a Japanese lady who went into the fish tapa business in Cebu’s Bantayan island.

The abundant supply of fresh fish in some of the rich coastal towns of Roxas in Aklan and Estancia and Concepcion in Iloilo make it easy for people to prepare this scrumptious snack.

All these and other specialties from Region 6 will be featured at the Asian Ethnic Food Fest (AEFF), an annual trade and consumer fair organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), on November 22 to 24 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Region 6 is this year’s Partner Region.

The Partner Region Program was launched in 1999 to assist food manufacturers from different regions to come up with new and innovative products and help develop entrepreneurs for export-readiness.

The program pools together the efforts of selected government agencies like the Packaging Research and Development Center of the Department of Science and Technology (PRDC-DOST), the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) and regional and provincial offices of DTI and DOST with funding support from the DTI-DOST Processed Food Development Program under the Bureau of Export Trade Promotions (BETP) and the cooperation of San Miguel Packaging Products.

A special setting on Region 6 will feature other products native to Western Visayas: salsa bacalao, pinasugbo, batuan jam, sinamak, cashew nuts, squid flakes, kalamay-hati, lubid-lubid and a banquet of other delicacies that are sure to whet the appetite.

More than being a trade and consumer fair, AEFF aims to develop responsible food makers who practice a "culture of quality", an environment where strict adherence to standards is given importance to enable the country to compete with foreign products.

Aside from the Partner Region Program, other AEFF highlights include the Brand Development Program, the Kape Isla Pavilion, Tamales and Fresh Fruit Festivals, Lambanog Creative Flairtending Competition and the Best Philippine Food Ideas Cooking Contest. A noteworthy event is the Apprentice for a Day where students will have the opportunity to work with top hotel and restaurant chefs and learn more about food presentation, culinary techniques and recipe development.

AEFF will be held back-to-back with the Garden and Pets Show where an assortment of garden equipment, supplies and other related services as well as the latest findings on ornamental horticulture research and seminars on floriculture crafts and landscape designs will be featured.

Respected breeders will present show-worthy dogs, as well as colorful aquarium fish. Suppliers of pet accessories will be on hand to offer items that can spruce up the appearance of pets and enrich their habitats. See how your beloved canine friends live up to the adage that a dog is a man’s best friend as they take center stage in a display of obedience and trust in a special dog show.

Patio, The Garden Restaurant gives the public another reason to visit this two-in-one event. Designed by the Federation of Cutflowers and Ornamental Plant Growers of the Philippines, it is the perfect place to dine, relax and marvel at the beauty of nature after all the chaos of shopping.

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AEFF and GPS will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is P30 for students and senior citizens and P40 for the general public. For more information, call CITEM Agrimarine Division at tel. 831-1282.