INADOBO SA TUBA on WHAT'S COOKING WITH AHA

Here's an earlier webisode produced by Inquirer.net's video duo Cathy Miranda and Izah Morales.  The winsome Chef Sarah of AHA, who gave me my first toque and apron ever,  worked with me. The audio of her intro, though seems problematic.

I heard this video has had high viewership and it makes me giddy that something has come out of my blogging efforts. So, forgive me this shameless series of What's Cooking in AHA webisode plugs.

The recipe is flashed during the video but you can also check it out here.

As for finding vinegar made from tuba, the only commercially available brand I know is Sler's from Cagayan de Oro. They makes one of the fattest, saltiest, crispiest chicharon (pork rinds) on the face of the earth. My good friends Ross and Ge introduced me to it (Bless them!). I am drooling writing about it now.

Let me just wipe the drool off and get back to the sukang tuba.

On one of my last business trips to Cagayan de Oro, while doing the requisite market checks (that's malling in pedestrian parlance), I chanced upon a Sler's booth in the Gaisano mall and bought me  a boxful of the chicharon and several of the 500 ml and 1 liter bottles.  I packed those in my check-in suitcase on the way back to Manila and did not get into any kind of trouble at the airport.

I made adobo with it the first chance I got, using the only chicken parts that were available at that time, chicken lollipops. It was a hit with A.! When I tried to do it with other chicken parts, the inasal-like taste of the tuba did not seep through the poultry meat.

As my sukang tuba stock dwindled to a rop and a half, I tried to find it in many of Manila's supermarkets, wet markets and weekend markets. So far I have been unsuccessful.

So if you know anyone coming in from down south (and I don't mean Australia) have them buy you a gallon from the local wet market.

Do keep in mind that the tuba in the wet market is not commercially produced, the level of acidity may vary unless you keep getting from the same maker. This may affect how long you can  reduce the adobo sauce.

Enough of me writing, let's get cooking!

Inadobo sa Tuba

I had a string of yayas (nannies) before I was old enough to go to school but none was more memorable than Nanay Juaning. She was only four feet tall, wore a patadyong (locally woven checkered wrap around skirt) , chewed nganga (betel nut) and cursed like a sailor.

I guess I remember her best because she was the only one who did not shoo me away from the kitchen when I wanted to watch her cook. 

She would patiently demonstrate how to clean rice grains before cooking. The process, called pagtatahip, was to place the rice on a shallow, rounded woven basket and to flip it around letting the wind gently blow away the husk and powdered bits. Her stubby fingers would then trace a wavy pattern on the  rice grains and pick out small stones and pieces of dirt (this was way before hypermarkets). Before cooking the rice she would squat beside the  kitchen door and chew on her nganga, spitting out red saliva every minute or so. Once she finished her chewing habit, she would quietly  proceed to the kitchen and cook the rice.

She would let me taste the food that she liked, including fried tiyan ng bangus, pajo (small mango) and tuba (sweet palm wine). I would stop playing pretend Wonder Woman everytime she calls me to the kitchen. Time in the kitchen with her was always spent discovering new tastes and textures.

When we left Iloilo for Manila, she went with us but only stayed a while before returning to her hometown. I can't recall whatever happened to her but I will always remember her for being one of the first people who made me appreciate working in the kitchen.

I rediscovered tuba a few years back on a trip to Cagayan de Oro when I came across a commercially produced vinegar made out of tuba. I brought home a bottle and used it for adobo. The recipe eventually transformed into the one that I am sharing with you now.

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 pcs. Chicken lollipop
• 1 cup sukang tuba (vinegar made from coconut wine)
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1 garlic cloe
• 1 tbsp pepper corn
• 2 tsp honey

PROCEDURE:

Place the chicken wings in a wok or round pan. Peel and crush the garlic. Place on top of chicken together with peppercorn. Pour in the vinegar and the soy sauce. Turn the fire on to medium heat. When the sauce boils, mix the honey in and lower the heat. Let it simmer until it reaches a thick consistency.