Midnight Express: Soup dishes from the Aetas 

Saksi's Midnight Express has featured various dishes from all over the world before. But this time, host Mikael Daez went to Pampanga and tried recipes that originated from the Aeta people. 

 

Bule baluga, the sinigang with patani 
 

 

In Pampanga, patani or lima bean is called "bule." Although it can be used in many recipes, it's more commonly added to sinigang. 

 

For this version of the well-loved Filipino soup, kalibangbang leaves are used to achieve its sour taste. 

 

Chef Erwin Yturralde of the Matam-ih Authentic Kapampangan Restaurant, which serves bule bulaga, they followed the recipe of the Aetas for the dish. 

 

During his test taste, Daez said, "Gusto ko 'yung sabaw na malasa. Ito rin, ang dami mong nalalasahan, 'yung asim minsan may konting-konting tamis." 

 

Bamboo-cooked pangat na ulang

 

 

Aetas cooked in bamboo culms even before the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines. To this day, this is how pangat na ulang is cooked in Pampanga. 

 

"Pangat" is similar to sinigang, except it does not require a lot of water. Meanwhile, "ulang" is a term for freshwater shrimp. 

 

The dish also includes garlic, onion, tomatoes, lemongrass, and mustasa or mustard greens. The ingredients are cooked in a bamboo culm and placed over hot charcoal for 20 minutes.

 

According to Arwin Eslira of Binulo Restaurant, cooking pangat na ulang in bamboo culms makes the dish more flavorful and appetizing. 

 

"For some reason, inisip ko na maasim siya. Pero ngayon nalalasahan ko na hindi, not at all... Ang daming lasa. Parang giyera sa panlasa mo," Daez said. — Trisha Macas/VC, GMA News


Catch Midnight Express hosted by Mikael Daez on GMA 7's Saksi from Monday to Thursday.