Tunay ngang malaking bahagi ang pagkain sa ating culture dito sa Pilipinas. A lot of our kababayans abroad, or even Filipinos simply away from their hometowns miss the food and the memories that come with it. Food is one of the things that brings us together. Dahil dito, tinanong namin kay Malou, Joelyn, Monica at Francis kung ano ang mga namimiss nilang mga ulam at delicacy sa kani-kanilang mga hometown.
Para sa mga ingredients ng mga paborito mong ulam (at iba pa), nandito ang ating mga partner supermarkets, Beamer!
Magpadala na sa iyong mga mahal sa buhay ng mga Supermarket GCs:
Malou, Ilocos Sur
“Ang puso ko ay nasa Ilocos talaga kasi nandoon ang mga mahal ko sa buhay,” Malou tells us. Her mom is from Davao, where she spent 3 years to study. Lagi siyang nasa Manila, but her heart is in Vigan, where her papa is from. Kaya as soon as she had a chance, she bought a small property in Ilocos Sur. Sabi niya, isa sa mga paborito niyang memory ay ang pagluto ng kanyang papa para sa kanilang pamilya:
“Namimiss ko talaga yung sariling recipe ng father ko, ginisang tahong. Pwedeng ma-preserve ito, kaso matrabaho ang pagluluto. After he passed away, ‘yung brother-in-law ko na ang laging nagluluto. As in sobrang sarap niya magluto! Specialty niya ang sinigang na bagnet at lomo-lomo (soup made with pork and other internal organs). ‘Pag nauwi ako sa Vigan, gusto kong matikman agad yung Vigan longganisa. Halos araw-araw kong almusal yun!”
Aside from these, madami pang food and delicacies ang mahahanap mo sa Ilocos. Malou also loves to eat what they call jumping salad, fresh live shrimp with tomatoes and salt. “Bubuksan mo nang maigi, tapos kakainin mo ng buhay pa!” Naliligo pa nga sila Malou sa Carayan river, where you can catch the shrimp. Their other delicacies include sinigang na bagnet, puki-puki, and the famous Vigan empanada. You can find delicacies in public markets, roadside stores, and even supermarkets in Ilocos, like Johnson’s Supermart.
Kung taga-Ilocos Sur ka, sign up na sa BeamAndGo! We’ll be offering Supermarket GCs for establishments near you soon.
Since Malou lives alone in Manila, what she misses the most is her family. “Mas masaya ang kainan, ‘pag kasama ko ang pamilya ko.” Whenever she misses Vigan, she can always cook Vigan longganisa to remind her of her hometown.
Related: Balik-Pilipinas: What Makes You Miss Home?
Joelyn, Pampanga
- Joelyn at Sandbox, Porac, Pampanga
Si Joelyn naman, taga-San Fernando, Pampanga. Tumira din ang kaniyang pamilya sa Middle East dahil doon nagtrabaho ang kanilang ama. Pero hindi nila matiis at bumalik din sila, lalong-lalo na when they remember her mother’s cooking. Joelyn’s mom usually cooks adobo or sinigang. “Sa amin, we add gabi (taro) and tamarind seeds as part of the ingredients. The soup is more gooey and it tastes better. My mom is a Bisaya so she doesn’t really cook Kapampangan food that much. My dad is the real Kapampangan rockstar.” We asked Joelyn how it’s like to live in the culinary capital of the Philippines. Hinding-hindi ka raw magugutom doon! Madaming restaurants, turista ka man o local. Kahit nga sa kapit-bahay ka lang pumunta, siguradong masarap ang nakahain!
“Nothing beats the original sisig of Pampanga! This recipe is made from pig ears, cheeks, snout, and liver. Whenever we have guests to tour around, we bring them at Aling Lucing located in Angeles City. You can taste the best ever tasting sisig served in a sizzling plate. This delicious dish which was traced as early as 1732.
You can also try eating frogs here! It’s called Batute Tugak, and it tastes just like fried chicken. Another exotic dish, Camaru or cricket is also a must try! It’s a crunchy delicacy like chicharon. And who wouldn’t miss the chance to eat bringhe—a savory rice dish comparable to paella. Pampanga is also widely known for having the best tocino because of Pampanga’s best.”
Joelyn’s family loves to eat. Lagi itong kasama sa kanilang bonding experience. They visit restaurants that offer familiar dishes, like Susie’s palabok and kakanin. She tells us that most of her favorites are just simple, but it reminds them of a lot of memories they have together. The moments with family are what matters — whether at home, at a restaurant, or shopping for ingredients at Jumbo Jenra. Sabi pa nga niya, “what will always make me miss home is the peace of mind I get when I’m with my family in a place that binds us together. The delicious food is just a bonus.”
Monica, Metro Manila
- Monica having dinner with her family
Growing up in the capital of the Philippines gave Monica a chance to try out different food. Since Metro Manila is the hub of the country, lahat ata ng ulam at pagkain mahahanap mo dito! Pero syempre, wala talagang tatalo sa masarap na home-cooked meal. Her family’s specialty is a dish cooked with red beans and pork or beef. We asked if there’s a secret ingredient and she laughingly said, “yes, but that’s a secret!”
Ingredients for Filipino dishes are easy to find! Wherever you go, may wet market o bilihan ng mga ito. Kung gusto mo ng isahang bilihan, dumiretso ka na sa Super 8. All branches offer a wide variety of offerings, from household items, to clothing, and groceries. Pero bago ka mamili ng groceries, basahin mo muna ang aming tips para siguradong kasya ang budget mo.
Manila offers a wide variety of delicacies, which are specialties of some provinces but can be widely found around the metro. Some of Malou’s favorites are suman, sapin-sapin, banana chips, and pancit malabon. Whenever she has relatives or friends who visit Manila, sinasamahan pa niya ang mga ito para bumili ng pasalubong.
Francis, Davao
Sikat ang Durian na galing sa Davao. Isa ito sa mga hinahanap-hanap na prutas ng mga turistang bumibisita. Francis shares with us how easy it is to find it in Davao, especially during Durian season.
“If its durian season, you don’t need to make an effort to find Durian. To be precise, you can smell it everywhere in Davao which actually what durian is famous for, aside from its heavenly taste. And even if it’s not Durian sason, you can still find a few at Magsaysay Park, one of the places in the city where it is always available.”
Durian, a must-try in Davao
NCCC, Davao is one of our partner Supermarkets at BeamAndGo. You can send Supermarket GCs to your family members in just a few clicks. Hindi ka na mahihirapang magpadala!
Kung wala ka pang BeamAndGo account, sign up na dito!
Francis’ dad usually cooks for their family. Ang paborito niyang ulam ay ang kinapasayan (whole chicken soup). Para siyang tinola, but with a twist — the secret ingredient: slices of bananas! “It adds a little sweet taste to the usual tinola. It completely changes the general taste of the dish.” Another tip from Francis, when cooking kinapasayan, you should use organic chicken.
Kinapasayan
“This is the core of the dish. If it’s not then, it will not taste as good as the organic chicken. I’m not sure if others will like it too, but what I’m sure of is that it’s worth trying!
I remember when I was young, my father and I went out of town just to get the organic chicken. By the time we got home, we prepared everything we needed for the dish. He asked me to slice the chicken’s neck but I said “I don’t want to do it because I pity the chicken” My father then said, “Son, this is the chicken’s purpose, to be eaten by mankind. If we eat it, it will achieve its purpose. Then the chicken will be happy, so I did it. As we ate our dinner, I surely knew that I liked the chicken alive but I realized I liked it even better on my plate.”
The food we have been accustomed to is a very significant part of our lives as Filipinos. Pero kung titignan mo, mahalaga ang pagkain natin because it brings us together. We love eating with the people close to our hearts. Kaya sa susunod mong kagat ng paborito mong ulam, remember the fond memories you have eating it with your loved ones. And remember how BeamAndGo is one of the ways you can show them how much you love them.
Hanggang sa uulitin, Beamers!
Like we said in one of our previous blog posts, 
Malaking bagay ang pagiging respectful sa mga Japanese. The best way to show respect is being polite to everyone. Maraming simple ways to show this. When meeting or saying goodbye to other people, bow politely. When addressing people, add –san after their names. When showing gratitude, offer simple tokens of appreciation. When giving something, offer it with two hands.
Isa sa big difference between the Philippines and Japan is the weather. Kung ikukumpara sa Pilipinas, napakalamig sa Japan, kaya kailangan mong mag-stock up ng mga damit na panglamig. Marami namang choices sa pag-shopping sa Japan, but things can be relatively expensive, so spend wisely!
“I-ta-da-ki-masu!” ito ang sinasabi bago kumain at “go-chi-so-sa-ma de-shi-ta!” naman pagkatapos kumain. Food is a big part of Japanese culture and the reason is obvious: masarap kasi! Healthy at tasty ang Japanese food, at marami ka pang options tulad ng sushi, ramen, okonomiyaki, fugu, at madami pang iba.
Simplicity and minimalism are some of the attributes of Japanese culture. Usually, maliit kasi ang living spaces sa Japan, kaya ang mga necessity lang ang karaniwang gamit dito. “Less is more,” ika nga. You can have more space and more time, if you own less material things, na hindi mo naman talaga kailangan – makakatipid ka pa, diba?
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