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In the recent Salone del Gusto, one of the world’s most important food fairs held last September in Turin, Italy, chef and restaurateur Margarita Forés cooked traditional Pinoy dishes using some of the local ingredients listed under the Ark of Taste, a list of food items facing extinction. By using them in traditional Pinoy dishes, not only did she get to present our cuisine, but she got to champion the food items as well, giving them the attention they deserve.
 
She cooked a lot of dishes using these food items like beef kaldereta, pancit guisado, pakbet, kansi, and champorado. But it was her Kadyos, Baboy at Langka that got guests absolutely excited. “Kadyos and batwan were among the ingredients featured in the Ark of Taste. To make the dish, we used Italian pork. Since we didn’t have langka in the venue, we added celery root to supply that earthy taste and lovely texture.”
 

Among those who got to sample the dish was acclaimed American chef, restaurateur and activist Alice Waters who dropped by the booth, took a whiff of the dish which was then nestled in a huge clay pot, then proceeded to taste it. “The people loved the earthiness of the beans. I told them that it’s very similar to lentils, which is something they’re already familiar with. They were impressed with the uniqueness of the flavor. Alice Waters tried it and said that she liked it.”
 

Kadyos, Baboy at Langka

Serves 4-6
 
Ingredients:
1 pork hock or pata, sliced
2 bundles lemongrass or tanglad
12 cups water, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 piece pork bouillon
1 cup pigeon peas or kadyos, soaked in water overnight
15 pieces large batwan
¼ kilo unripe jackfruit, cut into cubes
3 long green chili or siling pangsigang
salt and pepper, to taste
 
Make
1. In a pot, place pork hock, lemongrass and salt. Pour over 6 cups water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Place pork and lemongrass back in the pot, along with onions. Pour remaining water. Let boil. Lower heat. 3. Add pork bouillon and simmer for 40-45 minutes, or until pork is tender.
4. Drain the pigeon peas and add to the pot. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
5. Add batwan, jackfruit and chili. Cover pot and cook for 15 minutes or until jackfruit is cooked.
Season to taste. Serve. 

Thanks to Berna Romulo-Puyat of the Department of Agriculture and Etihad for bringing Margarita Fores and her team to Italy.
 

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