The Pinoy Palate

@eileenleyva (27567)
Philippines
February 23, 2018 10:06pm CST
It happens more often than not, when work is full and food is secondary in the business of the day, the stomach grumbles, the sound inside prompts one to hasten to swallow any filler deemed edible and satisfying. In cases such as these moments, the Filipino is basically dependable to come up with viands eatable with the staple rice, Such thing happened to me today. I was resolved to finish all my tasks, including checking the notifications on mylot, and while doing that, my stomach sounded SOS. I abandoned mylot and immediately steamed rice with four tomatoes on top. In a pan, some ten okra boiled, while I spliced six calamansi and mixed the juice with bagoong. That's shrimp paste in the picture/ I wish I could define the food with an appropriate description, for the Filipino palate is uniquely tasteful. It is perhaps like an amalgamation of umami, spicy, salty, sweet, and if there is bitter, perhaps that would come from ampalaya, or bitter gourd. In my hunger, I forgot to steam a small one. I had a satisfying lunch. And sarap! That means yum yum.
7 people like this
5 responses
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
25 Feb 18
Not a fan of fish or shrimp paste except if it is with lots of calamansi and chili!
2 people like this
@eileenleyva (27567)
• Philippines
25 Feb 18
Don't you eat karekare with bagoong? But I love calamansi, too. The chili, however, is too hot. I still wonder how the Thai, the Bicolanos and the Cebuanos candy chili. Sigh.
2 people like this
@allen0187 (58447)
• Philippines
25 Feb 18
@eileenleyva I eat karekare without fish/shrimp paste. Weird but yeah, I do that. i actually love spicy food so I'm definitely down to eat candied chili.
2 people like this
@eileenleyva (27567)
• Philippines
26 Feb 18
@allen0187 Warning. Warning. Dialysis centers are fixtures now. Do not overeat the chili candy. Strange taste. And yet, you are right, it is a state of mind, because karekare can be enjoyed without paste. The seafood kare-kare at Kamayan is good. Have you tried It?
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72317)
• Philippines
24 Feb 18
That shrimp paste photo of yours makes me want to get a green mango....
2 people like this
@eileenleyva (27567)
• Philippines
24 Feb 18
I wanted mango, too. Ha ha. Do buy one. I love mango with rice also. Peculiar combination but I grew up eating that on our beach outings. Happy eating.
2 people like this
@eileenleyva (27567)
• Philippines
26 Feb 18
@toniganzon Now, that is mouthwatering. I suddenly have to urge to search for green mango and binagoongan.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72317)
• Philippines
24 Feb 18
@eileenleyva When I eat binagoongan rice in a restaurant they serve it with green mango but never really eat green mango with rice.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323662)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Feb 18
There is an English saying that hunger is a good sauce. Do you have something similar in the Philipinnes?
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27567)
• Philippines
25 Feb 18
Wow, That is a brilliant line. No Philippine proverb comes to mind, though. The best that I can think of is "Magdildil ng asin," which literally means "Eat rice with salt." as "pampalipas gutom", meaning, to appease hunger.
2 people like this
@renicemae (4873)
• Philippines
25 Feb 18
Yum Yum! I am not a fan of eating with shrimp paste, mostly those sold in the market. But one time when my colleague brought one in the office for sale and shared it to us during lunch, it changes my view in that kind of food. It looks clean, without foul smell and it's yummy
2 people like this
@eileenleyva (27567)
• Philippines
25 Feb 18
janice, I love your tale. Ha ha, It is like an awakening, I have not gone to the market a long time now. Our market was burned for a food chain establishment. Sigh. That means I have to buy my stuff at the more convenient grocery outlets. A walk away from my home. I miss the real market, though. It was a way of life then.
2 people like this
@renicemae (4873)
• Philippines
26 Feb 18
@eileenleyva Thanks.
2 people like this
@Icydoll (36725)
• India
24 Feb 18
Glad you had a good lunch dear.shrimp paste looking interesting..I have to try :)
2 people like this
@eileenleyva (27567)
• Philippines
25 Feb 18
Please do try, If there is a Filipino store there, please ask for bagoong. Oh, Indian cuisine has good spices. You might find our bagoong pale in comparison. I hope not, though.
2 people like this