Yesterday’s journal entry is about eating close to the source. We recently took a road trip back to my father’s hometown to pay our respects to our recently departed aunt. It was a strange feeling to be in a place that is both familiar and unfamiliar, since we last went there as a family over two decades ago.
We were fortunate enough to be invited to the home of a family friend for early dinner and it was such a treat. We had pancit bato, caldereta, an assortment of local pastries, and this wonderful dish of fried pompano with soy sauce-based broth and some veggies. It was my husband’s first time in Bicol and despite our short and hectic visit, I really wanted him to enjoy local food, and I’m a huge fan of a good home cooked meal. No restaurant can hold a candle to a home cooked meal that is lovingly, thoughtfully prepared.
Everything was really good but our favorite was the fish. There’s really a big difference when your fish isn’t frozen and transported hundreds of kilometers to your table. Aside from the fact that it’s really cheap compared to prices in the city, it also tastes different. The flesh is softer and somewhat a bit sweeter, more flavorful. Fresh veggies, fruits, fish and meat are in abundance in the province and they just do not taste the same as what we have in Metro Manila. Eating locally and close to the source is always better.
We arrived in Bicol on a Friday and had to drive back to Manila on Sunday, so we barely had time to explore but I’m very thankful that we were able to drive to Camalig and buy pinangat na laing. I think that itself merits a separate journal entry, it’s one of my favorite things in Bicol.
The Serial Doodler 