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Food adventurers, be ready with the must-taste Vigan cuisine.

Once you reach the heart of the city, you don't have to go far to find
the famous comfort food of Vigan. Right at the Plaza Burgos, food
stalls are lined along to offer a great culinary experience.

Vigan Empanada. It is a Spanish influenced food, a stuffed bread or
pastry that may be fried or baked. What makes the Vigan Empanada
different is that it has a very thin crust and it is fried rather than
baked making it crispy, it's more similar to Batac empanada. The
filling is a mix of meat and vegetables. It consist of mung bean
sprout, shredded green papaya,  skinless longganisa and an egg.
Sometimes they add shredded carrots and the last time I got a taste of
it, it has cabbage. Vigan empanada cost at about 35 pesos. Other sizes
are available and extra filling to choose from like hotdog.

Okoy. Fried shrimps, in flour and egg mixture.

Miki noodle soup. The noodles are made from rice flour. It's actually
the chicken noodle soup of the Ilocanos.


Other foods available in carinderias and food stalls in the city's
public market.

Sinanglao. It is an  iconic food of Vigan.  It's  a beef soup made up
of beef innards.

Pinapaitan. It's a beef or goat soup made up of innards and is
flavored with bile.

Poqui-poqui. The eggplant is boiled then mashed. It's stir-fried with
tomatoes, onion and garlic. Chili flakes can be added as well.

Lumo. A soup made up of pork tenderloin with shallot and flavored with
pork blood.


Other must-taste cuisine.

Vigan Longganisa. Its a native sausage, it's said to be a Mexican
salami version. Its garlic flavored.

Vigan Bagnet. A sun-dried pork belly then deep-fried. It's actually
one of the most famous Ilocano cuisine. It's a great garnish for
pinakbet.


Vigan Delicacies or the locals call kankanen.

Royal Bibingka or Rice Cake. It is the most famous delicacy from
Vigan. Especially made with glutinous rice, egg, cheese, sugar, milk
and margarine.

Tinupig or Tupig. Rice cake wrapped with banana leaves. It's roasted.

Tinubong. Rice cake cooked in bamboo tubes. It's really delicious.

Kalamay. It's made up of sticky-rice flavored with coconut and sugar.


So when you visit Vigan, don't worry about getting tired and hungry
after roaming around the city. There are a lot of food that will
surely comfort you.

Kuditdit is more commonly called tree ear fungus or bracket fungus. It
is only available during the rainy reasons.  Its abundance is expected
early in the morning after a late-afternoon or early-evening
thunderstorm.


The most preferred Kuditdit are the  native  or wild ones growing on
rotting trees. There are some commercially grown Kuditdit, such as
abalone or oyster mushrooms.


Nowadays, wild Kuditdit has become rare thus it has become pricey in
the market. But there is still a great demand for it during rainy
reasons because it truly is savory and tasty once added to an Ilocano
green leafy soup dish.


My grandma and my Mom used to prepare soup called dinengdeng, which
consists of moringga leaves, squash flowers, or string beans stalks
and shoots and other vegetables. And kuditdit add a sweet savory taste
to it.


Kuditdit needs to be washed thoroughly to remove the dirt. But not too
much, to preserve its natural flavor.


Here's my Mom's Dinengdeng with Kuditdit recipe:

Kuditdit, sliced thinly
sponge gourd (patola/kabatiti), sliced thinly
moringga leaves


Add Kuditdit on boiling water and flavor with fish sauce. Use one
teaspoon fish sauce for every cup of water. Boil until the Kuditdit
become tender then add the sponge gourd. Cook  for about two minutes.
Add broth granules if you like. Then add the moringga leaves, cook
for another two or three minutes. Serve hot.


A simple  Ilocano dish yet very tasty and healthy.

The Empanada Festival is celebrated along with the City Charter Day of
Batac which is every 23rd of June. The festival features the process
of making Empanada which is the most popular product of the City.

Batac Empanada characterizes the locals ingenuity, industry,
resourcefulness and creativity. The Empanada Festival promotes the
agricultural products of the City which is the main source of income
by the people.

The colorful empanada is reflected on how the festivities are
celebrated. Activities on this event are mainly the parade of floats
and the Street Dance Drama Showdown. The Dance Showdown is held in a
kilometer stretch on the City proper. The Ilocano culture and
tradition are expressed on the costumes and dance routines.

Empanada Festival is one big event not just in the City of Batac but
in the province of Ilocos Norte. Join the City in their next
celebration, and taste the goodness of the Empanada and witness the
colourful event.

For your travel assistance in going to Ilocos Norte, you may want to
read our article, Ilocos Norte :  Travel Up North.

Ingredients for the base:

250g graham crackers, crumbled
100g butter, melted

Ingredients for the filling:

340g cream cheese
1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cup mango pulp
1 cup mango, chopped in bite size
10g gelatin
1/2 cup hot water
3 tbsp icing sugar
1/2 cup sugar

Ingredients for glaze topping:

1 cup mango pulp
1 tbsp gelatin
1/2 cup hot water


Procedure for the Base:

Combine the crumbled biscuits and melted butter. Press the mixture to
the dish you are using. Refrigerate it while you make the rest of the
cheesecake.

Procedure for the filling:

Dissolve gelatine in hot water. Whip the whipping cream with 2-3 tbsp
icing sugar, till soft-medium peaks form. Combine the cream cheese and
sugar, till it becomes smooth. Combine the mango puree and warm
gelatine mixture. Add this to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well. Add
the whipping cream to this in two batches and combine well. Add the
mango pieces (if using) and mix well. Pour this mixture over the
biscuit base and return it to the fridge. Make sure that this layer is
refrigerated for a minimum of 2 hours, before adding the glaze
topping.

Procedure for the glaze topping:

Dissolve the gelatin in hot water. Let it warm, add the mango puree
and mix well. Pour this over the cream layer. Let it set then
refrigerate for another 2 hours or till you serve. Garnish with
strawberry.

Keep at room temperature 10 mins before serving, so that the biscuit
layer softens a bit.

It can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Piddig is located 506 km north of Manila, 20 km east of Laoag. The
town spreads on rolling hills making it an excellent place for hiking.
It houses forest, fields and rivers.


Piddig and its Treasures


Basi or Sugarcane Wine. Piddig is famous in manufacturing the best
basi. The locally produced wine is made from sugarcane juice and is
fermented on earthen jars. Basi was once exported during the Galleon
Trade.

If you want to take a sip of this wine, it's not hard to find earthen
jars lined up on the yards of the residents.


Basi Revolt. The town is known for the famous Basi Revolt which took
place in 1807 that claimed many lives of Ilocanos as well as
Spaniards. The uprising ignited when the Spanish Government imposed
oppressive tax measures on basi production. The Wine Monopoly
prohibited the locals to manufacture basi. This meant suppression of
their rights leading to the loss of their livelihood. The revolt is
otherwise called Ambaristo Revolt because it was led by Pedro
Ambaristo.


Basi Revolt Shrine. It was erected in 2012 to commemorate the
importance of the revolt to the Philippine history and the bravery of
the men behind it. The shrine is located at the main entrance to the
town proper.

You won't surely miss it if your heading a tour around Ilocos.


St. Anne Parish Church. It is the only church in Ilocos Norte located
on top of the hill. There are minimal information about the
construction of the church, that might have been caused by the Basi
Revolt.


Crops. Piddig is an agricultural town. The people cultivates variety
of vegetables but its main crops are rice, garlic, tobacco and
sugarcane.


Weaving. The town is known for its blankets, bedsheets, pillow cases,
bathrobes and clothing. Weaving is a centuries-old industry, dates
back during the Spanish Era.


For your travel assistance in going to Ilocos Norte, you may want to
read our article, Ilocos Norte :  Travel Up North.

Cape Bojeador or Burgos Lighthouse

It's a cultural heritage, established under the Spanish government in
1892. The octagonal stone tower is located on top of a high hill. It
overlooks Cape Bojeador wherein galleons usually pass by during the
Spanish era.

The Cape Bojeador lighthouse is the highest elevated lighthouse in the
country. It is 65 feet (20m) high, making it the best location to
guide ships. It is continuously run by solar panels and is operated
with new lenses.

If you travelled on your own car, the lighthouse is not hard to find
since it is located on the north side of the Maharlika Highway, near a
bridge. There is a cemented road that winds up the hill. A caretaker
is there to assist the visitors. The lighthouse offers a scenic view
of the rocky coast of the town and the South China Sea. It can be seen
from the neighboring towns on a clear day.


Kapurpurawan or White Rock Formation

Kapurpurawan in Iloco, from its root word Puraw, means white. It's
like a giant white sphinx rising up the blue skies. It's one of the
most visited tourist destination in the country.

It has a smooth wavy patterns on the surface. This unique rock
formation is created through sedimentation and erosion. It's through
the surrounding forces in the area, the sea, the strong wind and the
land. With this reason as well, the landscape constantly changes.

The dust road going to the site is about 3 km. Then there is a
cemented trail in a wide open field. The short hike is worth it. The
area is surrounded by bonsai trees naturally dwarfed by the condition
in the area. And finally, the site of the rock formation up close is
really stunning.

The administrators of the area are now requesting visitors to register
and pay a minimal conservation fee. The only concern is, the daily
pack of tourists visiting the place can somewhat speed up the erosion
process that affects the formation. The management should as early as
now plan strategies to preserve the area.


Gamet, The Black Gold of Ilocos

Gamet is made from dried marine red alga called Porphyra. It's an
edible seaweed extensively cultivated in many Asian countries. In
Japan, it is used to wrap the rice and fish for the sushi. And
popularly used in the Korean food called gimbap. In the Philippines,
its used in Ilocos for salad, omelet and soup.

Gamet is abundant between November to December in the coastal waters
of Burgos. The weeds grows on rocks which are directly exposed to
where the waves crash. They live in the narrow openings of rock
formations.

In the municipality of Burgos, most families earn a living from
gathering and processing gamet. Collecting the weeds are not easy
since they are gathered slippery rocks. They need to be extra careful.
They need to be aware of the waves otherwise they might crash onto the
rocks.

In picking the weeds, they need to use gloves for protection. They
commonly use the thumb and forefinger in gathering the weeds stuck up
on the rocks crevices.

They use a fish net to wash the weeds in the sea water to reveal its
natural sheen. Then the weeds are spread out on bamboo mats and dried
under the sun for a few days.

Gamet is actually a high priced food. And the price is basically
dependent on the quality. The darker gamet has a higher price.

Gamet has a growing demand in the local market as well as in the
export market. The reason why the local government and concerned
agencies continuously assisted the residents with the proper training.
The agencies provided the necessary technology to preserve the quality
of the product, for them to be more competitive in the market.

Gamet is now being sold in the local market nationwide. You may try
tasting these black seaweeds and find it out yourself that it's worth
the golden price.


If you want to check out all these fun stuff in Burgos, it's only
located 538 km north of Manila. And it's 49 km away from Laoag.

For your travel assistance in going to Ilocos Norte, you may want to
read our article, Ilocos Norte :  Travel Up North.

San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte is famous for its Damili or Pottery
industry. But if you are planning for a trip up north you'd probably
want to drop by the town and take home some of its tasty and mouth
watering food products.

Bagnet and ilocos longganisa are famous in the entire provinces of
Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. It is available in almost every market in
these  provinces.


Bagnet is a classic way of cooking pork, wherein large pork chops are
deep fried until it turns deep brown in color and becomes crispy. Then
chopped into bite size and served along with different sauces. It can
be chopped tomatoes and shallot(sibuyas) with fish paste(bagoong na
isda), chili flavored vinegar (sukang iloko na may sili), soy sauce
with lemon(calamansi) chili and vinegar, or simply ketchup.

Ilocos Longganisa is the garlic flavored sausage. The pork intestines
are stuffed with ground pork, seasoned with garlic, salt, vinegar and
pepper. It is an old way of preserving meat. The secret to a better
longganisa is that it is sun dried for a few hours, letting the extra
fat drip out.


San Nicolas meat vendors are proud of their bagnet and longganisa
because it is known to be real tasty. They are available in the town's
public market everyday. And along with them are araet, adobo and
dinardaraan.


Araet is more commonly known as igado. It is made from pork tenderloin
and innards like liver, kidney and heart. It is sauteed with soy sauce
and vinegar, garlic and onions, seasoned with pepper. Other igado
recipes includes bell pepper, peas and others add carrots. But this
araet doesn't include any other vegetable but it provides delicious
and tasty flavor better than those with vegetables.

The best igado in town is found at the Dawang's Place, an eatery
located just about 500 meters away from the Robinson's Department
Store. And some of its specialties are: chocolate meat (dinuguan or
dinardaraan) which has deep fried meat bits; grilled pork (tinuno)
served with fresh tomatoes; kilawen or raw beef slices dressed with
bile(papait); and paksiw or beef soup.

Adobo is a very popular Filipino dish. But the adobo being sold in the
San Nicolas public market is different. It is made of pork innards
such as intestines, liver, kidney and interestingly the ears and
tongue. And they cook it as a whole part not chopped into smaller
pieces. The reason why is, for customers to choose which part are they
going to buy. And then you may slice it into bite size. It's very
delicious especially the ears and the innards. Season it with a little
chili flavored vinegar and there you go. You won't really expect those
parts to be yummy but they sure will ruin your diet.


So if you have plans in visiting Ilocos Norte, drop by San Nicolas
with an empty tummy and you will give a big burp as a thank you.

Nowadays, coffee shops cater to indulgent coffee lovers, from espresso
shot to frappe. Coffee mixes are as well available in sachets for
people on-the-go. Coffee drinking has now become habitual.

But have you ever heard of rice coffee? How about soybean coffee? They
are not just cheaper than coffee but it is a healthier alternative.
Rice is known to combat stomach disorders. The anticancer properties
of soybean is one of the reasons why some people believed that it is a
miracle food.

In Banna, Ilocos Norte, farmers had the initiative to start selling
rice coffee to generate extra income. Rice is one of the main crops in
the province and rice coffee has started during the early years of
World War I.

The farmers struggled in finding the right market. But through the
help of government agencies, a cooperative was created and rice coffee
was introduced in the local market.

Simple Method of Making Rice Coffee:

Hybrid rice grains are sorted out and roasted until golden brown. Then
it is powdered to enjoy an instant cup.

Half a teaspoon may be enough for a cup of hot water, just add
sweetener and cream, then you may enjoy the sweet aroma of rice
coffee.


Ilocos Norte grows legumes like mungbean, peanuts and soybean.  The
first entrepreneur who ventured in the production of rice coffee,
started business with soya and peanut products. There are varieties of
soya products aside from soybean coffee like milk, burger and steamed
cake(puto).

The business needed a better technology for efficient production and
improved packaging. They received assistance package funded by the
government agencies which included equipments like roaster and grinder
as well as stainless preparation table, basins and containers, heat
gun and display cabinet.


The government assistance has played a great role in the improvement
and marketing of the rice coffee industry. The new packaging which
included nutrition analysis and barcode has provided a better image
and appeal to customers.

Rice coffee and soybean coffee are now available in big establishments
and online markets. Remember that both are better alternative to
coffee because it contains no preservatives and is caffeine free.

An Ilocos Norte trip won't be complete without stopping by Batac City
which is tagged as Home of Great Leaders. Gen. Artemio Ricarte (El
Vibora) of the Revolutionary Government;Gregorio Aglipay, the
religious reformist; and the famous President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
They are just a few of the people who played a great role in the
Philippine history and politics.

The Marcos Museum and Mausoleum is open for public. Aside from this,
Batac City is known for its famous Empanada and Miki. These street
foods will sure give your tummy a delight.

Batac Empanada

Actually, the city is already celebrating Empanada Festival every 23rd
of June, along with the City Chartered Day of Batac. A Dance Drama
Showdown is held, as well as other activities like cooking and eating
empanada and a fireworks display. The empanada is said to be a
reflection of the creativity and resourcefulness of the people.

Empanada is an Spanish influenced food, a stuffed bread or pastry that
maybe baked or fried.

Batac empanada's crust or shell is orange in color. The atchuete used
in colouring is natural. The dough made of rice flour is crispy once
its fried. The size is bigger than the other empanadas available in
Manila.

The filling is a mix of meat and vegetables.  The vegetable makes up
more than half of the total filling, which are shredded green papaya
and boiled monggo beans or bean sprouts, seasoned with pepper, salt
and the seasoning granules.

Empanada is usually served with half-cooked egg but you may request
the vendor to cook it a bit longer if you want. I can still imagine
how other people loved their empanada with the egg yolk almost
dripping out of the crust. I always requested mine to be well-cooked.

But what makes this empanada filling special is the garlic flavored
sausage which is called Ilocos Longganisa. This tiny garlic-flavored
salty  sausage gives the empanada a kick.

The empanada is best served hot with chili flavored sukang Iloko. If
you prefer sweet sauce then a ketchup would do.


Miki Batac

Miki is the chicken noodle soup of Ilocos Norte. The aroma itself
makes someone's mouth water and someone's tummy  crave to hunger.

The secret to a perfect bowl of miki is the texture of the noodles.
The miki noodles are made from rice flour. Once cooked there should
still be that firm texture, al dente as they say.

It is cooked with chicken broth making it savory. The crispy pork
belly or Bagnet slices makes it insanely delicious. It is actually
served with a hard boiled egg.

Season it with chili flavored sukang iloko, and for me a dash of
pepper, would complete the miki espesyal!


Where to find Batac, miki and empanada?

Batac is located about 472km from Manila. And is 16km away from Laoag
City proper.

You can find food stalls at the Riverside Empanadahan in Batac.
Located just a few meters away from the Marcos Museum, in front of the
Immaculate Conception Academy.


If you're on Ilocos Norte tour, don't miss to taste these delectable
Ilocano food.