Aling Kulot's Chin Chao

Chin Chao is made of glutinous rice flour and rice flour then steamed. It is sold in combo of brown unsweetened kutsinta/tikoy like sliced cubes called kalamay and white pancit like thick noodles called chinchao.

It is served as a cold drink together with sago, gulaman, shaved ice and arnibal made of panotcha like in San Roque area. 

 Others add coconut milk and pinipig like in Bagong Pook and Caridad.

During olden days, Chin Chao drinks is typically sold around neighborhoods in Cavite City with sago and gulaman. As years passed since it easily gets staled unlike sago and gulaman plus more costly it ended up as a lenten tradition served only during Good Friday. It is also a traditional food to pa Caridad or feeding people after pabasa as one of the palamig before.

Chin Chao was brought by the Chinese. It is being bought and ordered in Binondo for reselling before. The original chinchoneros as how they are called are all chinese. There are authentic Chinese makers/sellers in Cavite City market before. Some Caviteños are saying there are already makers in Cavite City and Noveleta but this detail is yet to be confirmed since there is only one known and popular seller of Chin Chao over the years in Cavite City market - Aling Kulot.

Aling Kulot opts to remain low profile and do not even want to have a photo taken so only a snap of her head and hands slicing. Her stall is located at the center of Cavite City market in between the fish section and vegetable section. You can find her ONLY EVERY GOOD FRIDAY.  

Above are two of the yearly suki whom I encountered when I went to buy and see the mystery seller for the first time last Friday. They vouched she is the sole and authentic Chin Chao seller - nuong araw pa. 

This is how the tikoy like brown kalamay looks like before being sliced.

After cutting as selling pieces

White pancit like thick noodle chin chao. It really looks like pancit malabon rice noodles 

According to Mr. Ige Ramos the Chin Chao before is kulot kulot. My mother who buys it yearly before said it is indeed kulot kulot but I cannot remember it anymore.

There has been a slowly growing demand for Chin Chao over the years because of social media promotion. Like any typical business if there is a demand, more sellers starts selling. This year as early as Maundy Thursday there is another seller. Sadly the quality is different both in texture and taste compared to the one of Aling Kulot. The brown tikoy like kalamay of Aling Kulot is more softer and chewable while the pancit noodle like chin chao is more smooth and yummier in taste. Also do not forget to smell it before buying on other sellers especially the white noodles which easily gets stale.  

If you want to try authentic quality Chin Chao then visit Aling Kulot's stall every Good Friday as early as 6:00 am or 7:00 am since the supply is only good til it last or next year na ulit.

Was not able to get any detailed information from Aling Kulot since she is just selling it. It was her mother who calls and orders and according to her she doesn't know the process of making it either. One of the popular maker and seller before was a certain man named Nestor who resides in Padre Pio. He and the family migrated abroad already and nobody continued the business.

Sold at P50 each pack or P100 for pair of Aling Kulot's Chin Chao at Kalamay serving. 

If a city household is an authentic Caviteño, Chin Chao and Bacalao paired with either burong mangga or labanos is surely present on a Good Friday. Cumi Ya Niso !

Information Credits to : Mr.Ige Ramos and Mrs. Remedios Ordoñez