What happened to garlic?

All of sudden the native (Ilocos) garlic has disappeared from the markets. The price of imported Taiwanese garlic then jumped to an incredible high. What is the homemaker to do? Filipino cooking is very much into garlic – what with our adobo and sinangag (fried rice) needing a lot of this bulb to have that really pungent taste. Data gathered from wet market vendors show that from P350 a kilo, the native variety now costs P550, while that from Taiwan jumped from P199 last December to P300 a kilo. What gives? There are reports of hoarders and decreased garlic farming. Hopefully the government’s campaign to weed out nasty sellers and improve production will help bring down the cost.

Garlic may have its origin in Eqypt where it was fed to slaves who were working to build the pyramids, to increase their strength and endurance. It is supposed to be medicinal. We remember the years when our elders would put crushed garlic under the armpits of those running a fever, because it would take away the heat from the body. But most of all, especially in our modern times, garlic is one of the best elements with which to enhance food. We use a lot of garlic in various dishes we lay out on our table and it is a perfect ingredient to mix with either vinegar or soy sauce to make a dip. Thankfully, we found some native garlic a few days ago in a neighborhood supermarket – but we had to pay the price. Hopefully soon, its cost will be controlled. Same goes for rice and sugar, both of which have also seen a hike in prices.

While on the search for garlic at the Muntinlupa (Alabang) Public Market, we sought out our meat suki, Nestor and Lily. We caught the lady at the time that she was preparing to close shop, it being late morning already. We have been wanting to do kare-kare, but the price of ox tail in the supermarket has been prohibitive. Here at Lily’s, it cost us P260 a kilo, nearly half the price. Our family will be pleased to have kare-kare on our table soon.

We delighted in the fact that indeed it is very much cheaper to shop in wet markets, not only for meat but for fish, fruits (mangosteen was at P150 a kilo against P370 in supermarkets) and vegetables. But wear shorts and your oldest bakya (wooden shoes) or rubber slippers as the floor is very wet and sticky.

Speaking of Filipino food, we missed our friend Myrna when we dined at the Peninsula Hotel’s Escolta where she was the guest chef. We suspect she comes from the province of Laguna, as her display included authentic dishes we, as a Biñanense, grew up with – the sweetish estofado made with fried bananas, the pochero and caldereta, to mention a few. Plus the desserts of ginataan and sapin-sapin. The elegant old world ambiance at the venue, the décor, tables lend very much to the flavor of the provinces. Thus the Pen should be encouraged to do more regional food promotions at the Escolta.

Ah…the Mandarin, a few meters away, is having a lot of their regular patrons trekking to their outlets, the better to sample, perhaps for the last time, the delicious food that always comes out from its kitchens and the gracious efficiency of its staff. There is a series of “good-byes” planned by the hotel. The Chinese resto Tin Hau has closed its doors and soon Tivoli and Paseo will be no more. Even the Deli and Lobby food service will soon be gone. If you loved their L’Hirondelle cake, hurry up and get it, for it will soon be no more.

Have a happy, if nostalgic, Sunday.

E-mail me at [email protected].