Food is one of the many things I am always proud of my Kapampangan heritage.
This was already discussed here. But to illustrate more, let me tell you about this not so ordinary weekend. Let me introduce you to the 'out of the box' Cabalen food that we grew up with.
Menu for Sunday lunch: Kamaru and tugak. That would be cricket and frog for you.
Crickets cooking in vinegar and salt at your left, frogs frying at your right
Oh yes, those are crickets and frog heating up in our kitchen.
Early this morning, my Dad was invited over at his friend's place to catch kamaru. Up to this time, I am still amazed to see my Dad, an architect, whenever he displays his 'farming' abilities. He grew up in the farm. So he knows how to plant, grow and harvest rice, catch fish, kamaru and tugak, among other things. He simply chose another path in college that's why he ended up with a white collar job.
Going back to the food, kamaru and tugak are delicacies in this province. Kamaru are usually simmered first in vinegar and salt, fried until crispy, then sauteed in tomato. FYI, one serving of this costs a whooping PhP 250.00 in a famous Kapampangan restaurant chain.
Can you recognize the insects?Frog, on the other hand, are cooked either as batute (their tummy stuffed with ground pork then fried), in tinola (soup with green papaya), or fried, like in this pictures. It tastes so much like chicken. No kidding.
That's Mr. Frog, skinned, fried, ready to eat. I just hope he's not THE frog prince.
That's Mr. Frog, skinned, fried, ready to eat. I just hope he's not THE frog prince.This was not an ordinary weekend because of these extra ordinary food. If by any chance you drop by Pampanga, try any of these. It would make your day. I guarantee that.
Let's eat.
10 comments:
uhmm...ulk...khakha... ewan ko lang, merry cherry, baka hindi ko kaya! hihihi
the cooking instructions for the crickets sounds the same as cooking shrimps. i can imagine pareho siguro ng taste, ano?
ikaw, you like the crickets?
Hi Doc Ness.
Hahaha NO! They don't taste the same. Crickets taste cricket-y. As in parang crispy na ewan. Hehe. I like it. I guess, used to it na siguro. I grew up with it kasi. Lam mo ung lumaki ka na di na iniisip na kadiri pala then when you tell other people, kakaiba ka pala.
Try mo Doc. :)
ang alam ko masarap talaga ang palaka o "tugak" pero parang indi ko yata kaya ang kamaru. hehe
Hahaha and I think the pic in this post didn't help at all Linapuhan. It's an acquired taste. But you have to try it at least once in you life. Come on. :)rrich
Do you really eat those? I feel squeamish every time I see these pictures!
Ling Xiaoyu, I do. Really. Hehe. As I said in my previous comment, grew up eating these kaya I thought it was normal. It's only now that I realized, kadiri pala sa iba. Hahaha :)
oo nga.
one time sa cabalen feel ko na i-try ang mga exotic crickety and froggily foods. magkaharap na talaga kami ni jimminy at ni prince charming. naglock ang aming mga paningin. ito na. i will dare eat these strange food. para masabi ko sa buong mundo na kaya kong kainin ang mga yan.
alas, sa bandang huli, nag-chicken out ako. ginataang manok ang kinain ko. sobrang benign. coward!
the end.
Doc Ness, the eye contact did it! You are not suppose to look them in the eye! Just go and eat. Hahaha ;)
i would eat them rather than do what doc ness once did: wade thru flooded streets where the rats swim by.hehehehe.
Meloinks, I think I missed that post of Doc Ness. Sabagay, mahirap na magka Lepto. Hehe. Hey the crickets and frogs are harmless. They won't even give you AGE basta magaling ang naglinis at nagluto, like my Dad.Hehe.
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