Aired (October 20, 2024): Join Biyaero Drew as he explores the diverse flavors of Tarlac, the “Melting Pot” of Central Luzon!
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00This is the melting pot, where the different cultures of the provinces come together.
00:13Mango, coconut, and cassava.
00:17That's why the foods here are all different.
00:20Some are sour, some are sweet, but most of them are nutritious.
00:27All of that is present in the foods of the province of Tarlac.
00:31Delicious! I'm craving for Tarlac.
00:33So, what are you waiting for?
00:34Let's go, viewers! Join me in tasting the flavors of Tarlac.
00:41Different cultures and beliefs.
00:43There's one thing that we can all agree on.
00:46Our love for food.
00:49But what if the food is still alive?
00:52What?
00:53In Tarlac, there's a dish that we eat even when we're still moving.
00:59You'll get dizzy when you eat a jumping salad.
01:04The main character are these small shrimps.
01:08But before we taste them, let's have a hard time catching them.
01:12This is my first time experiencing this style.
01:16Tarlac is a landlocked province.
01:18That means it's far from the ocean.
01:21That's why the fish are caught in rivers and bays.
01:25Where the crocs are also caught.
01:29Here in San Jose, it's still traditional to catch crocs.
01:33What they use is a rod and a hook that is left under the water.
01:39For the shrimps, they swim there.
01:42Why do they swim there?
01:44That's what they do at home.
01:47How long do you have to wait?
01:49How long do you have to wait for them to swim?
01:52Sometimes, we have to wait for 3 weeks.
01:56So we can catch a lot of fish.
01:59I helped the locals to remove the fish from the water.
02:03We need to tie up the ropes.
02:05Because this is where the fish and crocs live.
02:08In Colombo, aside from the crocs,
02:11there are also other fish like tilapia and hito.
02:14Here.
02:16It's a hit.
02:17It's a hit.
02:18It's a hit.
02:19I really don't know what's the normal way to catch shrimps.
02:22Especially if it's not a cultured shrimp.
02:26Oh, that's great.
02:27This is the first way to catch shrimps.
02:31This is the first time.
02:33This is the first time.
02:34Yes, this is the first time.
02:3819,000 years ago, it was discovered that crocs can be eaten raw.
02:43Our forefathers tried it.
02:46The indigenous people.
02:48Our natives.
02:49They let the chickens taste it.
02:51If nothing happens,
02:53they can also taste it.
02:56To make the jumping salad,
02:58wash it well until the water is clear.
03:02Then season it to make a salad.
03:07We're here by the river.
03:10Where people swim.
03:12And where their shrimps come from.
03:16These shrimps are very fresh.
03:18Actually, some of them are still moving.
03:20They don't cook this.
03:23They mix it with onions.
03:27There's garlic.
03:29They have shiitake.
03:31Cucumber.
03:32But their seasoning is green mango.
03:38They mix it like that
03:40so that the juice or the strips will go here.
03:45So, let's get some shrimps.
03:48They're still moving.
03:50You can't eat the head.
03:53So,
03:54I'm sorry, shrimps.
03:59This one,
04:00of course, there's still some salt.
04:02There's a little bit of salt
04:03because we added a little more salt,
04:05which is the green mango.
04:07But if this is what they're used to,
04:09I'm sure,
04:11if you're here,
04:12you'll find this.
04:19The reason why green mangoes are used
04:21to make a sour jumping salad.
04:23Tarlac is rich in mango trees.
04:27Almost all the houses here have mango trees.
04:30We just give away the mangoes
04:32instead of the rotten ones.
04:34I've never bought green mangoes
04:36because we have some.
04:39The mango trees are also very fond of fruits.
04:42But how do you get mango fruits?
04:47Do you climb the tree?
04:50Does it have a long stem?
04:52Is it crushed?
04:57Or maybe you're just mistaken
04:58about the taste of the mangoes.
05:01In the house of Anao in Tarlac,
05:03sometimes, the mangoes fall.
05:06That's why the women here,
05:08instead of grinding under the mango tree,
05:11they just help make mango vinegar.
05:14When we discovered this mango vinegar,
05:18we called them to make it.
05:22This is the livelihood of our barangay.
05:26Their mango vinegar is all natural.
05:28After chopping the small ones
05:30and washing the mangoes,
05:31they'll soak it in water
05:33and mix it with muscovado sugar.
05:36It'll be strained in a drum
05:38for the fermentation process.
05:40After a month,
05:41they'll sell it for 30 pesos per liter.
05:48It's sweet with a bit of sourness,
05:50but it's delicious.
05:51Food is generally dictated
05:54by the geographical condition of the place.
05:58The mangoes are very suitable
06:00for high altitudes.
06:01The climate, the humidity,
06:04the type of soil,
06:06and all the other characteristics I mentioned.
06:10Tarlac has those.
06:13Because of the beautiful soil here,
06:15Tarlac is rich in agriculture.
06:17And we'll see that now, Bierros.
06:21Because I'll be flying,
06:23with the licensed paramotor pilot,
06:25Captain Harley,
06:26I'll be flying in a paratrike.
06:29This is what's called a paramotor.
06:31Paramotor in general,
06:33including the single,
06:34the backpack at the back,
06:35and this.
06:36But to distinguish it,
06:37we call it a paratrike.
06:41Here in the paratrike,
06:42you just need a small runway
06:44to take off.
06:52You don't even need to climb a mountain
06:54like what's done in paragliding.
06:56A few hundred feet,
06:57you can already see,
06:58oh wow!
06:59You see a different perspective,
07:01and you appreciate that perspective,
07:04especially where,
07:06what we can see on that side of Tarlac.
07:09We saw, you know, fishponds.
07:12Then we went down to the river.
07:14It's like you're in Tom Cruise's movie,
07:16Top Gun,
07:17but it's so slow.
07:18It doesn't move.
07:19It's just perfect because it's a sunrise,
07:22and normally,
07:23I think that's the best time
07:24to ride on a paramotor or paratrike.
07:38I mean, honestly speaking,
07:40it's the most pleasant,
07:43I guess,
07:44type of flying that I've experienced.
07:48Because you have the control.
07:50Yes, exactly.
07:51You have the control of different elements.
07:53Exactly.
07:54Our low-flying is pretty.
07:56Yes.
07:57Enjoy.
08:00From the top,
08:01I saw a sugarcane plantation.
08:03Oh, they plant sugarcane here in Tarlac.
08:06One of the first sugar mills
08:09established in the Philippines
08:11is here in Tarlac.
08:13Our land here has sand,
08:17has sandy loam,
08:18and that's the kind of soil requirement
08:21that the tubo likes.
08:30Here in Girona,
08:31there are products made from tubo.
08:33Their bestseller,
08:35Inuyat,
08:36and Panocha.
08:38To make these,
08:39the first step is to extract the juice from the tubo.
08:43In the past,
08:44these were rotated
08:46or the so-called
08:49But because the process has become modern,
08:51there's a juicer for it.
08:58After the sugarcane juice is filtered,
09:00it will boil for half an hour
09:02to become Inuyat.
09:04If you want to make it club,
09:06just add 10 minutes
09:08to boil
09:09to change its consistency.
09:12We are assisted by DTI.
09:14Yes.
09:15D-U-S-T for FDA.
09:17This is the...
09:19This is the club, sir.
09:20This is the club.
09:21There.
09:22Actually, there's one more.
09:24This one.
09:25This one, ma'am?
09:26This is what we call cubes.
09:28Panocha cubes.
09:29Inuyat can be eaten
09:31and can also be filled with bread.
09:37How is it, sir?
09:38It's sweet.
09:39It's perfect with bread.
09:40Perfect combination.
09:42How about you?
09:43I don't know if you're used to it.
09:45Normally,
09:46when you consume Inuyat,
09:49do you eat it with bread?
09:51We use it with coffee.
09:56Here in the market of Tarlac City,
09:58you can also buy Inuyat.
10:04It's sweet.
10:06It's very sweet.
10:08How much is this?
10:0950 pesos.
10:1050 pesos.
10:11Aside from Inuyat,
10:12other vegetables and fruits
10:14are also present in the market of Tarlac.
10:16Food is generally dictated by geography.
10:20In northern Tarlac,
10:22they are more fond of vegetables.
10:24Here in our southern portion,
10:27they are more fond of meat
10:30because the grazing land here
10:33is very green.
10:35Very green.
10:38Some people sell vegetables here.
10:40Vegetables are harvested from Baguio
10:42which is less than 3 hours away from them.
10:45They get it cheaper
10:47and even fresher.
10:50What vegetables are from Baguio?
10:52All of them.
10:53Vegetables from Baguio.
10:55One head of broccoli
10:56can be bought here from 60 pesos to 90 pesos.
10:59It's only 10 to 20 pesos more expensive
11:01if you buy it from Baguio.
11:04In Manila,
11:05it's around 130 to 150 pesos.
11:09Something like that.
11:11If there are fruits and vegetables,
11:12of course, there should be fish.
11:15Because Tarlac is far from the sea,
11:17the fish caught here
11:18are usually made into burro
11:20to be eaten for a long time.
11:22My mom is fond of burro.
11:24But when I grew up,
11:26I wasn't used to eating burro.
11:28Where do you mix the burro?
11:30It's like a condiment.
11:34No, it's like a side dish.
11:37I dip it in vegetables.
11:42Oh, so it's like a sauce.
11:44Yes, it's like an eggplant or okra sauce.
11:48The difference between burro from Tarlac
11:50and burro from other provinces
11:51is that it's stir-fried with tomatoes and chili.
11:56To be honest,
11:57I still have no idea
11:59what burro tastes like.
12:00For me,
12:02I'm not used to
12:05eating burro,
12:08like bagoong.
12:10Little by little,
12:11because of the show,
12:13I become more adventurous
12:15and I taste things like okra.
12:18I remember a few years ago,
12:19I couldn't eat okra.
12:20But now, okra is my favorite.
12:22Anyway,
12:24case in point.
12:25So,
12:26I became open-minded.
12:28Burro,
12:29hello,
12:30how are you?
12:31The locals' tip for me,
12:33it's best to eat it with fish
12:35and vegetables like mustard.
12:39Is this wrapped?
12:40It's also wrapped.
12:41Oh, like that.
12:42My God.
12:43Sorry, I'm a beginner.
12:45Is it good?
12:46Yes.
12:47Okay.
12:54Burro is salty.
12:57Salty.
12:58It's not so bad after all.
13:00It's actually pretty good.
13:03Okay,
13:04because I'm such a fan of kimchi,
13:05not because of just the taste,
13:07but because of the health benefits,
13:09anything low-sugar,
13:10fermented type of food
13:12is apparently good for the gut.
13:19In this restaurant,
13:20their bestseller partner
13:22is the yellow overload.
13:26Their customers' favorite
13:28is their burro
13:29which is samgyupsal,
13:31but Filipino style.
13:34The taste is just right,
13:36it's not too salty,
13:39it's not too salty,
13:41and then the vegetables compliment
13:43the burro.
13:46The secret of their burro here
13:48is in the hands of the burro expert,
13:50Nanay Vilma.
13:51When we were small,
13:53our mothers used to fish
13:56in a small fishing village.
13:58And if they caught a small fish,
14:01they made a burro out of it.
14:03That's why we love burro.
14:05Nanay Vilma's revelation is that
14:07not everyone can make a burro.
14:09If you don't know how to make a burro,
14:11it will smell bad
14:12or it will get in your mouth.
14:15The daughter of Nanay Vilma,
14:16Pam,
14:17decided to build a food stall
14:18called Barrio Fields
14:19and also sell her mother's burro.
14:21I told them that
14:23burro is for the masses.
14:25Everyone can eat it,
14:26rich or poor,
14:28they can eat burro.
14:30Nanay Vilma's love for burro
14:32is for forever.
14:34I'm not tired of cooking it.
14:42Forever staple food
14:43of the Tarlaqueños
14:44is their official dish,
14:46Baguiz.
14:47It's the meat of the calabaw
14:49that's cooked in charcoal.
14:50Even in restaurants and restaurants,
14:52Baguiz is present.
14:55Historically,
14:56Tarlac is noted for being
14:58a thickly forested area.
15:02It is noted for its venison.
15:05Venison is the meat of the calabaw.
15:08History tells us that
15:10the first Tarlaqueños
15:13sold this meat.
15:17But as the number of people in Tarlac increased,
15:19the calabaw gradually disappeared
15:21and the number of goats increased.
15:23And calabaw,
15:24the official dish of the province,
15:27is now being prepared
15:28with the meat of the calabaw.
15:31We know that
15:32Filipinos are very resourceful
15:34when it comes to cooking.
15:36So the Tarlaqueños
15:37are not slow in discovering dishes.
15:40What's around us,
15:42what's in our backyard,
15:44what we plant,
15:45that's what they use
15:46as the number one
15:48ingredient for our dishes.
15:52The traditional way of making Baguiz
15:54is not to cook it
15:56after frying the meat of the calabaw.
15:58It is soaked in vinegar and calamansi
16:00for the oil to come out.
16:02Then it is squeezed well
16:03to remove the impurities.
16:05Not just once, but twice.
16:10The process of Baguiz Calabaw
16:12is similar to the process of Kilawin.
16:16We know that
16:18most Filipinos are fond of Kilawin.
16:21What happens is
16:23the difference of the traditional Kilawin
16:26is the meat of the calabaw.
16:30But because we Filipinos
16:32are fond of giving new twists
16:33to different dishes,
16:35they were able to make
16:36different versions of Baguiz.
16:38This is Ginataang Baguiz.
16:40You just gotta taste this!
16:44Oh my!
16:45Try this Pasta Baguiz.
16:47Pasta Tinto,
16:48if you like this.
16:51For me,
16:53the traditional Baguiz is still the best.
16:56Let me be the judge of that, Piajeros.
16:59Let's start with the contestant number one,
17:02the traditional Baguiz.
17:04Okay.
17:05I got it.
17:06I got it.
17:07It tastes fresh,
17:09very citrusy,
17:10because of the calamansi.
17:12So if you've tasted Kilinaw,
17:15Kinilaw,
17:16that's how it tastes.
17:17But,
17:18use the Calabaw Beef.
17:20Contestant number two,
17:22Ginataang Baguiz.
17:27It's good.
17:29It's good to chew.
17:31It's good to smell.
17:32They still used the Calabaw Beef,
17:36which defines
17:39Baguiz.
17:41Last but not the least,
17:42Pasta Baguiz.
17:47Yup.
17:49How it's cooked,
17:52super good too.
17:54I'm not gonna lie,
17:55it's hard to choose the winner, Piajeros.
17:57Sometimes,
17:58you're looking for the sour,
18:00so you can eat it.
18:01Sometimes,
18:02you're looking for the different base,
18:05with a little salt.
18:07Sometimes,
18:08you want a very texturized,
18:12chewy type of meal,
18:14which comes from here.
18:15So,
18:16I think,
18:17all these are winners.
18:20This camping site and fountain farm is also a winner
18:22in the town of Bamban.
18:24Is it familiar?
18:25If you're thinking,
18:26we're suddenly in Batanes,
18:28calm down,
18:29because we're still in Tlaloc.
18:31In 2019,
18:32Bella Montana Farm opened.
18:35Good afternoon.
18:37How are you?
18:38Let's eat.
18:39Actually,
18:40I just gave them a knife.
18:42Maybe they need a knife.
18:44For the fish.
18:46Let's eat.
18:47I'm just looking for...
18:48Oh, my seat is here.
18:49It's ready.
18:51Let's eat.
18:52Okay.
18:55I'm not on a diet.
18:57It's okay.
19:00I'm just kidding.
19:04Andrew is a member of the Katukayo family.
19:06Not once,
19:07not twice,
19:08but almost every month,
19:09he visits the farm.
19:11Is that right?
19:12I'm still quite shocked that...
19:13I mean,
19:14of course,
19:15I've featured a lot of places
19:16in my lifetime
19:17with my crew
19:18and with the travel show stuff,
19:20but I'm surprised that,
19:21wow,
19:22this is something new again
19:23and in Tlaloc.
19:24Only in Tlaloc, yes.
19:25If you want to travel around Europe
19:27but you don't have a visa or passport,
19:28worry no more.
19:29Achieve the dream
19:30of being out of the country here.
19:31Pasyalan and accommodation in one,
19:33it's still here
19:34in the town of Bamban.
19:35The owner of Goshen Resort and Hotel
19:38is a traveler.
19:40He goes to different countries.
19:42Rome is his favorite.
19:44It was opened to the public in April 2017
19:47and since then,
19:48it has won many awards
19:49in the 4-hectare
19:50Roma-inspired resort
19:51and hotel.
19:52Now,
19:53they have 33 rooms
19:54that can accommodate up to 200 guests.
19:57In our food venture in Tlaloc,
19:59we have a special guest.
20:01You can't have a me-time here, guys.
20:05Because I'm all set for a doggy day.
20:10Oh, yum!
20:11You're crazy.
20:14Dude, I'm fresh.
20:21Do you want this?
20:22That's just a few of the things
20:24you can do as a volunteerist.
20:29That's what you call a visitor
20:30who wants to volunteer
20:31in feeding,
20:32bathing,
20:33playing with dogs
20:35and cats here.
20:36That's what you call
20:37being a tourist for a cause.
20:39Oh, no!
20:41No!
20:59When did this start?
21:00And I guess,
21:01when did your passion
21:03for animal welfare start?
21:05We established this in 2006
21:08because we were looking
21:10for a place
21:11where we can put our rescues
21:13from the dog meat trade.
21:14Because while we have
21:16arrangements before with the LGU
21:18to put our rescues there,
21:20we had a very limited time
21:22to find homes for them.
21:24When we were starting
21:25the dog meat trade rescue,
21:27we were rescuing 200,
21:28300 dogs in one truck,
21:30in one jeepney,
21:32in three, six rescues a month.
21:35Our founder is a British citizen.
21:38Okay.
21:39Charles was able to read
21:42in a newspaper back in the UK
21:44about dogs being slaughtered
21:46for commercial
21:47or human consumption.
21:48So we came here,
21:49investigated,
21:51he formed a group
21:52to look into it,
21:53and then,
21:54eventually,
21:55he formed Animal Kingdom Foundation.
21:57Because it's a passion.
21:58It's a portion.
21:59Yeah, something like that.
22:01Yeah.
22:03Now, there are 300 dogs and cats
22:05that are being cared for here,
22:06and everyone is looking
22:08for permanent homes
22:09or homes for them.
22:11Is there like a screening test?
22:13Yes.
22:14Hashtag adopt,
22:15don't shop,
22:16Vieros.
22:17Give these fur babies a chance
22:18to find their fur-ever home.
22:22The Sisid we know
22:23is just seed
22:24and doesn't need
22:25to put anything else.
22:27But in a place in San Clemente,
22:29their Sisid
22:30served with strawberry on top,
22:32the Kutyal.
22:34Why strawberry?
22:35Well, they have a lot of strawberries here.
22:37This is their
22:38sourness,
22:39like calamansi,
22:41and maybe sweetness.
22:43Now,
22:44let's check.
22:46To be honest,
22:47the added color is beautiful.
22:52Savory sweet.
22:53It's my first time
22:54experiencing this.
22:56Usually,
22:57Sisig is very savory.
22:59It's different
23:00when you want
23:01a sweet flavor.
23:04This might be for you.
23:05This Sisig dish
23:06will be tasty
23:07when you visit
23:08the strawberry farm
23:09in Sitio Dueg.
23:10Did you know
23:11that you can also
23:12do strawberry picking
23:13in Tarlac?
23:16In this farm,
23:17they were able to grow
23:18more than 30,000 seedlings
23:20of strawberries
23:21in just 4 years.
23:22Baguio feels!
23:25I noticed a lot of things.
23:27It's smaller
23:28maybe because of the weather.
23:30When it comes to
23:31the taste,
23:33the strawberries here
23:34are sweeter.
23:35Because it's smaller?
23:36Yes.
23:38And it's juicy.
23:39Juicy!
23:43That's right.
23:44Small,
23:45but sweet.
23:48In the upper part
23:49of Tarlac,
23:50the strawberry farm
23:51has a lot of tourists
23:52coming and going.
23:54It's unexplored,
23:55that's why
23:56it's a good place
23:57to visit
23:58and quiet.
24:04There's no doubt
24:05the influence
24:06of different provinces
24:07on the food here
24:08in Tarlac.
24:09But for you Tarlacans,
24:10who would still
24:11buy the expensive
24:12ingredients
24:13that are found
24:14in Tarlac?
24:16So whatever
24:17you're looking for,
24:18I'm sure
24:19there's something
24:20for you to taste
24:21here in Tarlac.