Exotic “Tuslob Buwa”

CEBU, Philippines -  In a typical Philippine community setting, it’s normal and part of the tradition to see households setting up small businesses which mainly cater to residents in an area.

In a residential neighborhood, there are a number of stores that sell and offer various kinds of products and services.

People who go to public markets and villages can learn about the many Filipino street food stalls and any other businesses that are very uniquely “Pinoy”.

Filipinos are undeniably creative and unique – especially in popularizing a “pang-masa” enterprise.

One proof of that is the success of this exotic street food that has attracted a lot of curious minds and those who want to discover what people call as “Tuslob Buwa” in Cebuano. But when translated in English, it literally means “to dip into bubbles”.

But what exactly does “Tuslob Buwa” really mean? How is it being prepared? Enterprising individuals now consider it already as a source of income. So, how much do these people earn in a day from this business? And why many community residents continue to patronize this kind of Cebuano food treat?

To feed the minds of the curios, The FREEMAN visited Cebu City’s Barangay Ermita where 33-year-old Diolita Tuan has been selling “Tuslob Buwa” for 15 years already.

“Dugay na gyod kaayo mi aning negosyoha oy hangtod karon mao gihapon among gisaligan,” the woman said in an interview inside her small house at the crowded village of Barangay Ermita. “Sa tinuod lang, motuo ka o sa di, mao ni nagbuhi sa akong mga anak bisan wala akong bana.”

Tuan has to fend for her five young children by herself as her husband is cuurently serving a sentence at the provincial jail for having committed a crime.

She said she really has to strive hard, and her “Tuslob Buwa” business has helped her make ends meet for years.

“Tungod kay wa man koy trabaho, nagdepende na lang gyod mi ani ug unya kay pwerteng halina gyod ani ilabi na sa mga residente dinhi,” she said, adding that the business was actually started by her mother, 58-year-old Estela, in the 90s.

It was eventually passed on to her when her mother decided to put up other ventures in front of their house selling cooked noodles and egg, hot coffee, bread, etc. 

Tuan only had P300 as her capital to readily start serving the food outside her house. It did not cost so much because she only had to spend for the cheap ingredients of the exotic food, pieces of “puso” (cooked rice wrapped in coconut leaves) and some cooking materials.

The ingredients include pig brain, pork liver or intestines (this may be optional), onions, oil, soy sauce or fish sauce and other various seasonings. “Tuslob Buwa” is basically a local dip made of the mentioned elements.

In the interview, the 33-year-old mother briefly explained to The FREEMAN how the dip is being prepared and served to the consumers.

She cited the first simple step is just to mix and stir fry all ingredients and wait until cooked (For the pig brain or liver, it is advisable to boil it first before mixing it with other elements). Afterward, the whole cooked mix is transferred into an empty bowl.

In her “Tuslob Buwa” stall along the busy street in Ermita, Tuan is always ready with her heated wok -- with it a little oil -- and as soon as her customers arrive she just simply put an estimated amount of the ‘mix’ into the wok. And wait until it produces bubbles or “buwa”. 

The unique thing about it is that “Tuslob Buwa” is served straight from the frying pan where eaters from different ages and positions in life can dip their “puso”, also called hanging rice.

In Tuan’s case and in most situations actually, the “buwa” is served for free by the vendors and that the eaters only pay for the “puso” which is bought at P3 each.

“Mao na nga sa puso ra mi makakuha og ganansiya kay libre ra man ang buwa,” she added. “Paninguha-on gyod namo nga mahurot ang among puso kada adlaw para naa mi dako nga income.”

Every day, Tuan family’s street food business orders 200 pieces of  hanging rice for P1.50 each from a maker in their barangay or in Carbon Public Market. She spends P300 for it. In addition, she spends not more than P100 for the ingredients of the buwa.

“So kung mahurot na ang 200 kabuok puso, kaluoy sa Ginoo hurot-hurot man gyod pirme, makahalin gud ko og P600,” she smiled. “Ang ganansiya mao nay gisaligan namo sa gastohan adlaw-adlaw ug sa pag-eskuyla sa akong mga anak.”

The proliferation of “buwa” business in several areas in Cebu has also pushed up the demand for pork brain which is the main ingredient of the food.

Luckily, Tuan said she already has a regular supplier of brain in the Carbon Market but at times when the product is scarce, she opts to buy liver instead.

While the “buwa” vending may sound new to some, it has actually been existing for years now. Many people say it started in the city’s Barangay Pasil, just a walk away from Ermita and Carbon area.

Like any other food businesses, serving “buwa” has been adopted by other Cebu barangays and some food and convenience shops in the urban area -- the liquor shop Azul in Gorordo Avenue is just one.

Tuan also noted that most of her customers are barangay residents and students from nearby schools.

“Kahibawo ka mao gyod intawon ni kan-on sa mga pobre ilabi na kung way igong kwarta. Mabuhi na mi ani oy,” she added, claiming though that she has already received reports from several people who say that sanitation in this business is still ‘questionable’.

However, many residents in the barangay also expressed that eating “buwa” is something that helps them at times when they have less money and so left with only one choice – to eat “buwa” to ease hungriness.

This is exactly one real situation that suggests the Filipinos will never run out of surprises and can live a life very differently.  (FREEMAN)