Buhay Palengke

It's not just heroes, nobles and luminaries that makes a city great and interesting. Ordinary folks that we normally take for granted everyday are actually equally important in keeping and making our city what it is. Let's start featuring local food and folks. 

All photos and article description c/o Mr. Ige Ramos who never gets tired of his passion in propagating Cavite food and culture.

Nyora Leleng

This is Nyora Leleng. She prepares little kakanin, burong itlog ng pugo, burong manga, atsara and sometimes little doughnuts (bicho-bicho), lumpia prito, and ukoy, practically everyday, to sell in her bilao at the palengke. She prepares these from her home at Plaridel Street in San Roque. Whenever I'm in Cavite City, I always buy from her, and most importantly, I don't make tawad. We need all the Nyora Leleng's to preserve our traditional food. We're lucky that she's still here. If you don't buy from her, the traditional food will vanish. You will find Nyora Leleng at the Cavite City Public Market, as early as 6:00 am until about 11:00 am.

Hilario

Ito si Hilario, master lumpia wrapper maker ng Cavite. Panoorin siya mula ala-sais hanggang alas-onse ng umaga, Lunes hanggang Linggo, kung papano siya gumawa ng pambalot ng lumpia. Matatagpuan lamang sa.

Mang Mon

Meet Mang Mon, wife of Aling Sony. He makes patis from alamang, ferments his own miso, mustasa and buro, and sells labahita for making Cavite bacalao.

Aling Leng

 Aling Leng from Rosario, Cavite makes her own tinapa, burong labanos and atchara.

Matet 

Orly

Matet and Orly of San Roque, Cavite City makes bagoong from alamang. They sell both raw and cooked. The cooked bagoong is prepared using garlic and paldo or raw sugar.

Weng & Totoy

Si Weng Pasillo ay gumagawa ng quesillo gabi-gabi mula sa kanilang tahanan sa Buenavista, Gen. Trias. Pagsapit ng madaling araw, hinahanda na niya ang mga ito upang iluwas sa palengke ng Cavite City at siya rin mismo ang nagtitinda. 

Quesillo or kesong puti in Tagalog is a regular choice for breakfast for most Caviteños, having been bought fresh from the market first thing in the morning. Similar to the Oaxaca quesillo of Mexico, this soft, raw cheese, made from pure carabao’s milk has a fresh, salty and sweet creamy taste. A small cottage industry made up of close-knit families from the towns of General Trias and Tanza satisfies the demands of the local market. Quesillo is available daily from 6:00 until 10:00 am, at the Cavite City public market. 

Si Totoy naman ay tindero ng calamansi na galing Mendez o Magallanes. 

Bibingkoy is a time-honored kakanin for Caviteños. The basis of this kakanin is the tang yuan, the same recipe used for making palitaw and bilo-bilo, where galapong (glutinous rice flour) is mixed with water and formed into small balls. Its roots can be traced back to Fujian, China, as tang yuan is the Hokkien word meaning “round balls in soup”. Bibingkoy is the classic Chabacano adaptation of the tang yuan. Patties of galapong are prepared and filled with sweetened red mongo bean paste. The patties are tightly arranged in a baking pan and cooked in the manner of bibingka. It is served with a thick soup made from gata (coconut cream), with added pieces of camote, langka, bilo-bilo, flavored with pandan and sweetened with panocha. Available only between 6:00 am until around 10:00 am. Must try: lumpia fresca, pancit puso and pancit luglog. Aling Ika’s Carinderia - Stall No. 9, Mercado del Ciudad de Cavite (Public Market) San Roque, Cavite City

Ikaw may suki ka ba sa kanila ???

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Photographs and article c/o Mr. Ige Ramos 

Posted with permission