Summary
Highlights
Lasa Explorations, meaning 'taste' in Filipino, sets out to discover Filipino culture and history through food. The team begins its first journey to the Cordilleras, highlighting how meals bring people together and reveal hidden culinary gems through those who prepare and enjoy them daily. A local chef, half Ibaloi and half from Mountain Province, shares her upbringing in Baguio, where her grandmother taught her to cook and her grandfather to butcher. She owns 'Farmer’s Daughter,' a restaurant serving comfort food that reflects her grandmother's teachings, aiming to share Cordilleran culture with a wider audience.
A significant part of the journey involves participating in a ritual where a pig is offered for safe travels and good vibrations with the universe. This solemn ceremony, accompanied by chanting, is performed for the host and the explorers. During the prayer, participants must remain within the compound, respecting the tradition and ensuring the prayers' efficacy. This ritual underscores the deep cultural and spiritual connection to food and travel in the Cordilleras.
Following the ritual, the pig is prepared not by boiling, but by smoking it with wood in an open fire, or more quickly with a blowtorch, which imparts a distinctive smoky flavor. This preparation leads to 'Ang-er,' a straightforward method of boiling large chunks of meat with salt. Cordilleran cuisine, especially due to the cold climate, favors dishes with soup and typically includes only three main preparations: boiled, grilled, and sometimes smoked. The simplicity of this cooking, seasoned primarily with salt, yields profoundly juicy and flavorful meat that deeply impresses the explorers.
The Cordilleran tradition emphasizes zero waste, a philosophy demonstrated by using all parts of the pig. Any parts not immediately consumed are used for 'pinuneg.' This principle of not leaving 'a man or a meat behind' is central to their culture. The chef also showcases innovation with traditional ingredients, like fermented beans with mushrooms and tomatoes, emphasizing that nothing goes to waste and creating dishes that visitors find exceptionally delicious and restaurant-worthy.
The explorers reflect on the term 'cuisine,' noting that for the Cordillerans, it's often simply 'cooking'—meat and rice, prepared in the 'ang-er' style (boiled with salt). The experience culminates in a communal meal, where prayers are offered for strength and health, followed by a traditional song and shared food. The gathering highlights the strong community bonds and the authentic joy derived from simple, well-prepared food, reinforcing the idea of an 'unbound journey' through taste and culture.