brought from Mexico to the Philippines. It is sold in packets or bottles in Asian or Latin American grocery stores. Mixing paprika with ground turmeric powder is a good substitute. Red food coloring may also be used, or you can simply omit the coloring agent altogether.
Bananas Among many varieties, saba bananas are widely cultivated in the Philippines. They are shorter in length but stouter than regular bananas. The skins are thick and green when unripe, yellow when ripe. In a typical Filipino dish, unripe or semi-ripe saba bananas are used. Semi-ripe or ripe saba bananas are fried, grilled, and boiled for desserts and soups. Saba bananas are usually cut into four pieces when used in soups. Thinner slices are called for in desserts such as Sweet Coconut Milk Delight (page 98) and Mixed Fruits and Shaved Ice Parfait (Halo-halo, page 104). Frozen saba bananas are available in Asian grocery stores. Plantains or unripe regular bananas may be substituted (use about half of a plantain for every saba banana.)
Banana Blossom Also known as banana flower or banana heart (puso ng saging is the term commonly used in the Philippines, puso is Filipino for heart), this vegetable is an edible bud from the banana plant and is actually several layers of reddish fibrous skins. Fresh, bottled, or canned banana blossoms are sold in Asian grocery stores. When using a fresh blossom, remove several layers of the hard outer sheets to reveal the lighter-colored inner layers, cut into thin circles or quarters, and soak them in salted water before cooking. Artichoke hearts or zucchini flowers may be used as substitutes.
Banana Ketchup looks just like regular ketchup and is made from bananas, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and spices. It has a sweet-and-sour taste and doesn’t taste like bananas at all. The red coloring is added so it looks like tomato ketchup. Banana ketchup is cheaper than tomato ketchup in the Philippines, and is also commonly found in Hawaii and the West Indies. It is often used as a dip for fried chicken, hotdogs, and other fried dishes. It is readily available in Asian grocery stores. Tomato ketchup is a good substitute.
Banana Leaves are sold either as large sheets folded up, or pre-cut to smaller sizes. These versatile leaves can be baked, grilled, used as a cooking sheet, a plate, or a wrapper for steamed dishes. The banana leaf gives the food a nice texture, color, and taste. Leaves should be rinsed, cut, and held over an open flame for a few seconds or scalded with boiling water to “wilt” them and make them easy to fold without cracking. The leaves can also make a beautiful and exotic background when used as serving plates and party platters. Frozen leaves are often sold in large sizes and can be sut down to smaller sizes. Leftover leaves can be simply wrapped in plastic and stored in the freezer. They are available either fresh or frozen in Asian or Latin American grocery stores. Aluminum foil can be used as a substitute.
Bitter Gourd, or bitter melon, is a very nutritious vegetable—it controls blood sugar levels—but has a warty exterior and bitter taste that can be off-putting to some. To remove the bitter taste, slice the gourd in small pieces and then soak them in warm salted water, or lightly boil in salted water before cooking. The skin is edible but you need to discard the spongy interior and seeds. When it is ripe, it becomes more bitter; the skin turns yellowish and the seeds become red. With its distinct taste, it is difficult to find a substitute. Fresh, frozen, canned, and bottled bitter gourd is available in Asian and Latin American grocery stores. Canned or bottled bitter gourd is widely available at online grocery stores (see Resources, page 112).
Calamansi Limes are smaller than regular limes. They are round and grow on small bushes all over the Philippines. The juice has a milder and more fragrant taste than regular lime juice. Calamansi limes are halved and usually squeezed over noodles or just about any dish, and are used in marinades or in dipping sauces mixed with soy sauce and chili. Bottled calamansi concentrate can be found in Asian grocery stores, but it is normally sweetened and used mainly for drinks. If fresh calamansi is not available, substiture lime or lemon.
Cane Vinegar (suka) is a very important ingredient of Filipino cooking. Along with salt, vinegar was used to keep food from spoiling without refrigeration in hot and humid Philippines so most, if not all, dishes are salted and use vinegar. Throughout this cookbook, mild cane vinegar is used. It is often labeled sukang maasim or “sour vinegar.” Any Philippine-made palm vinegar (sukang paombong) or coconut vinegar (sukang niyog) can be substituted. Filipino vinegar is less acidic than most vinegars used in the West. The best substitutes are white vinegar, white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar. However, if you use these vinegars they should be diluted with water (use 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water).
Chayote is a light green pear-shaped vegetable that comes from Mexico. It belongs to the squash family and the taste is like zucchini or summer squash. It should be peeled and deseeded. When buying, try to find chayotes that are firm and without spots. It is often a substitute for green papaya in dishes such as Chicken Soup with Green Papaya (page 42).
Chili Peppers Bird’s-eye chilies, or siling labuyo, refer to the small, hot peppers that are usually finely chopped and mixed with vinegar and soy sauce to make dipping sauces. Finger-length green chilies, or siling mahaba, are long, thin and flat and are commonly used in stews and soups. Siling bilog refers to bell peppers.
Chinese Cabbage (Napa cabbage) is also known as snow cabbage, pak choi, or Peking cabbage. Unlike European cabbage, it has an elongated head with white stalks and green leaves. It is rich in Vitamin C, fiber, and folic acid, and widely available in supermarkets.
Chorizo de Bilbao are dried sausages that originally came from the Basque province of Spain. The Philippine version of chorizo is more like a Chinese sausage—spicy, firm, and dry-cured. It is similar to salami with a salty-and-sweet flavor. It is more popular than fresh sausages because it stores well for a longer period at room temperature. It is available in vacuum packs in the unrefrigerated sections of Asian or Latin American grocery stores. A good substitute is any dried, sweet sausage or Chinese lap cheong sausages, which are found in vacuum packs in the frozen section. Chorizo de Bilbao should be refrigerated after opening.
Coconut Sport Strings are the sliced meat of a variety of coconut palm fruit called macapuno that does not contain water inside the shell. It looks exactly the same as a regular coconut, but the meat is softer, making it ideal for desserts. It can be used as toppings for Sweet Purple Yam Pudding (page 99) or Mixed Fruits and Shaved Ice Parfait (Halo-halo, page 104). Jars and cans of it are sold in Asian grocery stores.
Grated Coconut is sold fresh in markets in Asia, and you can buy bags of it frozen in some Asian grocery stores. You can also buy brown husked coconuts, crack them open, remove the flesh and grate it in a blender although it’s a lot of work. Another solution is to use unsweetened dried grated coconut and add water to reconstitute it.
Coconut Milk comes in two types: thick and thin. To obtain thick coconut milk, place about 3 cups (600 g) of fresh grated coconut (the amount that one coconut yields) and 1/2
