The CALABARZON region is smacked right in a location comprising rolling hills, thick carpets of greens, and lofty views that make you feel like you are at the edge of the world. And because it is close to Metro Manila, reaching the southern region on the weekends won’t be a hassle.
Of course, a trip to anywhere in the Philippines won’t be complete without any food trip. And if your next getaway from your Idesia Dasmariñas residence will be in the south, here are five soup dishes you should try:
This dish’s name may sound like a beauty queen and rightfully so! Mutya ng Cavite is a milky soup dish with shrimps, crabs, mussels, and fish fillets. Not only does it taste delicious, but its various colors also create an aesthetically pleasing bowl of soup. Think of it as seafood chowder, only with the local flavors of Cavite.
Mutya ng Cavite isn’t just perfect as a soup; pour some of the slightly thick, creamy broth on top of hot rice and eat a spoonful. Add some peppers and other condiments to suit your taste to spice it up.
Also known as Gotong Batangas, kulawo is a soup dish primarily composed of ox tripe, beef tendons, entrails, and beef heart. While it may be a goto dish, kulawo doesn’t have glutinous rice in it. It is also more popular as pulutan (food eaten with alcoholic drinks) and a viand rather than a breakfast porridge.
Kulawo has a reddish-colored soup, although it has a mild spicy taste. The soup’s flavor is amplified by toasted garlic bits and spring onions. Best eat it with rice while you enjoy the rural scenery outside Batangas’ eateries!
Kilawin, or kinilaw, refers to any dish with raw slices of fish or meat marinated in a mix of vinegar, calamansi, onions, and ginger. But in Batangas, kilawin, locally known as taghilaw, refers to a pork liver sour stew.
It may seem scary and concerning to eat raw pork liver bits, but the acidity of the vinegar and lemon juice “cooks” and sterilizes the meat, making it safer for consumption. The sour soup also provides a tangy yet savory taste that complements the slight bitters of the liver.
Another sour pork soup to energize your days is Tanay, Rizal’s kalinawan. It is also a kinilaw soup dish, only it is made with small and large pork intestines and banana blossoms. And while it is a sour soup, kalinawan isn’t pungent and tastes delicious, especially when eaten with hot rice.
Kalinawan may also be a derivative of other Asian-style noodle soup dishes with entrails. Some recommend adding minced ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, and star anise. You’ll have an aromatic pork intestine soup dish that may remind you of your food trips in the Philippines and abroad.
If you’re craving for something with less meat after all of the bulalo and entrails you’ve eaten, bulanglang na kabute, or wild mushroom soup. This hearty vegetable soup meal from Lipa, Batangas is a popular meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Bulanglang na kabute may seem simple and bland, but it is healthy and delicious. It is also the perfect meal to feed your kids who aren’t accustomed to eating vegetables. And if you’re planning on a pilgrimage to Batangas, bulalang na kabute is a meatless dish you should have in your meal plan.
Soups are flavorful meals that provide warmth, comfort, and perhaps unique experiences. Explore the eateries on your stops in CALABARZON and try these five soup dishes to get to know more about southern flavors.
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