Biñan pospas and puto

One day recently we had a friend who said that while passing through Biñan, Laguna, she and her companions wanted a  snack of Tony’s Pospas. They went to its old location near the public market but did not find it. Frustrated, they drove on. Indeed this favorite stop is no longer in the space it used to occupy, under the massive stone wall of a heritage house in the town plaza. Luckily, a Biñanense who we presume  is a foodie, Larry, sent us an email about where to find it, plus information about a Puto Latik Festival.

Because of some re-development going on in the city, Tony’s Pospas, after being in the same, original space for more than 50 years, has transferred  to a new location – near the second Mercury drugstore, a few steps away from Jollibee, still in the town square. Tony’s pospas is often imitated but never equaled. Its recipe is tightly guarded by Tony’s heirs. It is cooked with chicken and innards, served with toasted garlic, spring onions and pork crackling. One might lace it with calamansi juice and patis (fish sauce), depending on individual taste. 

It is perhaps a shame that we have not heard about puto latik made in Biñan. We hazard the guess that it is actually what we used to call putong walang alsa, meaning the mix did not result in a sponge-y consistency but is solid and firm like a pudding. This is really our favourite puto (rice cake). It was usually topped with sesame seeds and latik (burned grated coconut).

The Puto Latik Festival is held every February to commemorate the city’s liberation from Japanese occupation. It is marked by a band parade, a beauty contest and a puto competition. Surprisingly, this year’s culinary joust was won by sinukmane, another Biñan kakanin that resembles the more popular biko. As we are now nearing the New Year, maybe we can make our way to Biñan and watch the celebration, and also enjoy once more the puto latik.  

Puto is the legendary rice cake from Biñan which started when a young housewife, Petronila Samaniego, decided to do something to pass the time. In those days, women were not allowed to work outside their homes. So the puto was born, a concoction of flour, sugar and lye. When it became her business, it flourished and was handed down from generation to generation. After 90 years, it is still a much-sought after snack, carrying the brand Nila.

Many followed, among which are Aling Manay and Aling Juling. It is not strange that motorists will stop to get a hulog (bilao-size) or a small pack of puto from any of the stores around the city to bring home.

We were received sometime back at the house of the Endrigas (the heirs of Nila) and witnessed how they mixed the dough, put it in the lansungan (mold) lined with katsa (muslin cloth) then steamed in an oven powered by ipa (rice husks). They have mechanized the grinding of the rice, but we are not aware if they have maintained their old system of making puto.

Larry also asked us if the morcon (meat roll) originated in Biñan. Our research has not produced any results, even from our Spanish cookbook. Our own recipe came from our late Inay and it could be an original Biñan recipe. The filling consists of  strips of pork fat, unlike today’s version which has a mix of various elements. The pork fat slices are rolled into the thinly sliced (like a mat) beef, then tied to secure it. It is tenderized in a casserole with a mixture of soy sauce, tomatoes, onions and ground black pepper, simmered for a few minutes.  Add enough water to make the beef tender. Lovely, when sliced. The sauce can be poured onto the morcon. This dish can be served as one of the main courses during Christmas meals. Have a pleasant Sunday with family!

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