Finally after a lot of picket fencing, a Filipino-themed class was held last December the 3rd!
One of the challenges of adapting a plant-based diet in this country is recreating more healthful versions of traditional familiar foods. Filipino cuisine is characterized by bold flavors — sour (sinigang), sweet (leche flan), bitter (ampalaya), salty (mangga’t bagoong), spicy (Bicol express). Local umami is almost always achieved by fish (smoked tinapa, bagoong, patis) or pork.
But going veg doesn’t have to mean turning your back on culture! In this class, we explored plant-based renditions of favorite popular dishes. Umami = definitely achieved without the meat.
I’d like to especially mention the vegan pancit palabok which took a lot of heartache and experimentation to get right. Unfortunately I’m not about to give the recipe away! Traditional pancit palabok is made with shrimp broth, smoked tinapa fish, egg, shrimp, and chicharon. We did a vegan version without those but with slightly unconventional ingredients — and yes, it was amazing.
