Bicol express

Bicol express, known natively inBikolassinilihan(lit.'spiced with chili'), is a popularFilipino dishwhich was popularized in the district ofMalate, Manila, but made in traditionalBicolanostyle. It is astewmade fromlong chili peppers(siling habainTagalog)orsmall chili peppers(siling labuyoinTagalog),coconut milk/coconut cream(kakang gatainTagalog),shrimp paste(bagoong alamanginTagalog) orstockfish,onion,pork,gingerandgarlic. The dish was termed byLagunaresident,Cely Kalaw, during a cooking competition in the 1970s inMalate, Manila. The name of the dish was inspired by the Bicol Express railway train (Philippine National Railways) that operated from Tutuban, Manila toLegazpi, Albay(regional center of the Bicol region). The widely-known name for this dish in theBicol Regionof thePhilippineswas identified asgulay na may lada, which is currently one of the vegetarian variants of the Bicol express dish. As time progressed, variants of the Bicol express dish expanded withseafood,beef,pescatarian,vegetarian,vegan, and other versions. The preparations for these dishes vary according to the meat present within the dish. In terms of nutritional value, the original version of the Bicol express dish is beneficial inproteinbut unhealthy in regards to its high levels ofsaturated fatsand cholesterol. The dish has moved intofood processingand commercial production so that it can be sold conveniently and stored for a longer period of time.
SeeBicolfor fulletymology. The name derives originally from the spelling systems ofSpanishand then integrated with the spelling systems ofEnglish. There were three types ofSpanishderivatives of Bicol; 'Vicor', 'Vicol', and 'Bico', because theSpanishdid not distinguish /b/ and /v/ in their pronunciation.
The Bicol express dish had been formally termed byLagunanative, Cely Kalaw, as a result of her cooking competition experience in the 1970s atMalate, Manila.She created this new dish derived fromrendangthat existed in the Philippines since theSulu Sultanateera in response to her customers' high interests for a spicy and sizzlingTarodish.While trying to determine a name for the dish, Kalaw's brother heard the sound of thePhilippines National Railwaytraveling across Kalaw's restaurant to arriveManila.This event inspired Kalaw to name the dishBicol expressafter thePNRtrain that is programmed to undergo the Manila-Legazpi route.
Prior to Kalaw's formalterminologyof the Bicol express dish, a similarIlocanomeal to this dish was recognised as 'gulay na may lada' in the regions ofBicol,Philippines.Gulay na may ladais avegetarianvariant of the dish that consists of exactly the sameingredientsas the Bicol express dish, except it lacks themeatcomponents of the meal (porkchunks andshrimp paste).There is aBicolanoinfluence in the creation of the Bicol express as Kalaw's upbringing is situated in the regions ofBicol.This upbringing provided her with theknowledgeabout creatingBicolanocuisinesand lead to the inspiration and construction of her Bicol express dish inMalate, Manila.
During the 1960s, the Bicol express dish was created and sold by people in theBicol Regiondespite a lack of name for the dish.Bicolanoswould wait at theSipocot station,Camarines Sur, for atrainto make a temporary stop and they would start selling the dish to thepassengers.The dish was stored in aplastic bagand thericewas wrapped in a bundle oftaro leaves.The dish's convenient set up allowed it to be easily sold and spread across the region ofBicol. However, food selling on trains became prohibited on thePNRtrain lines and so the dish'srelevancediminished over time until Kalaw was able to reintroduce and popularise the dish in herrestaurantatMalate, Manila.
The ingredients ofcoconutandchili peppersare predominant in dishes originating from theBicol community.Both of theseingredientsareendemicacross the provinces ofBicol.There are over 50 millioncoconutbearing trees inBicol.This makes theBicol Regionthe most prosperous region in thePhilippinesto contain this enormous amount ofcoconutbearing trees.The region also meets the criteria for highly suitable wet conditions forcoconutgrowing zones.
Siling Labuyo(small chili pepper) is commonly used in manyBicolano cuisines.Under theScoville scale, theScoville Heat Unitof thesiling labuyois 100,000SHUandsiling habais 50,000SHUbut each of thesechili pepperscan vary depending on the conditions of their growing environments.Thesiling labuyoinBicolis much spicier than thesiling labuyoinManila, which makes it one of the spiciestchili peppersin the Philippines.TheSiling Labuyopeppers were introduced bySpanish settlersduring their exploration of the New World.
Theingredientsfor the main preparation of making the original Bicol express dish are oil,ginger,garlic,onion,porkchunks,coconut cream/milk,siling haba(long chili peppers),bagoong alamang(shrimp paste) and a side ofrice.
The first step to creating this dish is to pour oil into the pan at a medium level of heat. All of thegarlic,onionandgingerneeds to be diced up into sizes of 1-cm cubes. The use of garlic and onion inFilipino cuisinehave been influenced by theSpaniardswhosautéedtheseingredientsto enrich the flavors of their meals.These three ingredients are then placed into the pan and cooked for three minutes. Next, theporkchunks are added into the pan and cooked until it darkens to brown. Theporkis the mainingredientthat establishes the basis of the Bicol express dish and differentiates it from other variations.After the pork has turned brown, thecoconut cream/milkis poured into the pan andsimmeredfor a couple minutes under low levels of heat. Next, after 30 minutes of saturating thesiling habaundersalted water, drain thewaterand cut up thesiling habainto 1-inch slices and add into the pan.Siling habais used instead ofsiling labuyoas theSHUlevels of thesiling habais only 50,000SHU,which will allow thespicinessto be more manageable for the customers.However,siling labuyois still used in creating the Bicol express within theBicol Peninsulaas thenativesare more accustomed to thespiciness.The lastingredientadded into the pan is thebagoong alamang(shrimp paste).Bicolano residentsretrievealamang(shrimp) naturally throughcast nettingand thenfermenttheshrimpto createbagoong alamang.Despite the traditional use ofbagoongforseasoningpurposes in otherFilipino cuisines, freshlyfermentedbagoong alamangenhances the flavors of the Bicol express by being the "base of the sauce for the dish".The Bicol express dish is served hot with a bowl ofriceon the side.Riceis fundamental in thedietofFilipino cuisinesand the Bicol express dish would be incomplete without this importantingredient.
There are numerousseafoodvariations of the Bicol express dish. Themeatof the dish can be replaced withfish(tilapia),crab,manta rays,shark,shrimp, etc, to alter the taste and texture of the dish. All of these dishes continue to be served with a hot bowl ofrice.
Ginataang TilapiaorGinataang Isdais one of these variations. Thetilapiais boiled under thekatang gata(coconut cream)andvinegar, and mixed withsiling labuyo,onionandgarlic. The dish differentiates from the Bicol expressTilapiaas there isvinegaradded into theGinataangto provide it a more sour flavour.
A more unique example is theKinunot na Pating, orKinunotfor short. This dish is similar to the Bicol express meal except that theporkchunks are replaced with pieces of shark bitsormanta ray meat.This changes the texture of the meal and gives the person eating the dish a more exotic experience.
Inulukanis another variant of the Bicol express dish (SeeInulukanfor more) that usesriver crabsas themeatbasis of thedelicacyinstead ofporkchunks.All of theingredientsare then stored into ataro leave bundleand thensimmeredunder thekakanggata(coconut cream).
Beefis anothermeat replacementthat can be cooked with in the creation of a Bicol express meal. The dish uses the same preparation process as the original Bicol express method. However, thebeefis not as tender as theporkchunks, though it can be prepared and cooked faster in the pan than thepork.
Pinakbetis apescatarianalternative for the Bicol express dish. This dish originates from theIlocano communityand they useVegetablesto replace theporkchunk component of the meal.TheseVegetablesarebok choy(pechayinTagalog) and theshootsofsweet potatoes(camote topsinFilipino lingo).Theseafoodcomponent of this dish is the incorporation ofalamang(shrimp) into thesauceto elevate the flavors of the meal.
Gulay na may ladais the oldest knownvegetarianvariant of the Bicol express dish that is created using the traditional-ways of cooking within theBicol Peninsula.
The Bicol Express dish have been transformed into aveganform using variousingredientreplacements. Theporkis substituted withtofuandshiitake mushroomsare added to restore the texture of the dish.Vegetable paste andgluten freesoy sauceare used to replace thebagoong alamangthat bases the rich flavors of the dish'sbroth.
Another type of Bicol express variants is one of Bicol's other signature dishes,Pinangat(orLaing) which is exactly the same as the Bicol express's original recipe, except it does not containonions.All theingredientsof thePinangatdish is then wrapped withtaroleaves and cooked underkatang gata(coconut cream).
The nutritional value of the Bicol express dish observes a range of benefits and a couple of poor effects on the body. The negative impacts of this dish is its high levels ofsaturated fatsandcholesterolthat makes it an incompatibledietfor weight loss.Thesiling labuyoused in the Bicol express provides the dish with its rich levels ofvitamin C,ironandmagnesium.In Filipino practices,siling labuyohave been utilized as a form oftraditional home remedyfor treatingtooth pains.The Bicol express dish is also a rich source forproteinand it will have plenty of health benefits for the body.The dish estimates around having 308caloriesper 246gramsof serving, which approximately fiftypercentof thecaloriescome from thefats.
Unlike the historical versions of selling Bicol express inplastic bagsandriceintaro leaves,advanced technologies have allowed the dish to be stocked in a more convenient set-up. In 2012, thefood processingof Bicol express intoglassjars was considered by theLlagunofamily.ThePhilippines' Department of Science and Technologyaided in extending the shelf life of these processed dishes for another year and the commercial production of processed Bicol express meals began to proliferate.