Comments on: Airy Tortas from Osang’s, Baclayon, Bohol

By: Mandy

Mandy — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 15:44:08 +0000

It’s hard to compete with childhood memories. :) Food you grew up with will always seem to be a better version of the something you have today.

@Footloose: Re: sacher torte–I had the same feeling! My mom & I were so looking forward to having a slice at the Hotel Sacher. Not only did it not taste great, service was pretty bad too.

By: Belle

Belle — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:21:37 +0000

My Lola made the best tortas I’ve ever tasted. I heard that lard’s the best for it. The runner ups would also happen to be from her hometown, siquijor. I didn’t see any magic when I went there, unless you include the food!

By: Nina

Nina — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 01:26:28 +0000

Hi MM, are you still in Bohol? If so, you could make a short trip down the main road of Tagbilaran and try Edelwiess. They make tortas in their home somewhat behind/ beside DBP, across the Coca-cola plant. I remember their tortas to be really good. Let me know how find their tortas. :)

By: Footloose

Footloose — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 11:09:54 +0000

@ comment #4. Not by any means exclusive to SE Asia. There was a lively exchange about this topic here, https://www.marketmanila.com/archives/sugar-cane, particularly an amazingly learned comment, number 10, from AN.

The tubâ may bring with it the whiff of fermentation but it is added primarily as a leavening agent. Anise flavouring is usually added to sweet and savoury Filipino recipes in the form of anisado (anise schnapps simply anís in Spanish) as in the banlê recipe in Jean Gonzales’s Cosina Sulipeña and Jamon en Dulce of Enriqueta David Perez. The quantity of egg yolks guarantees a quick and stable emulsification of the lard so I suspect that that is not a crucial step either.

By: Khew

Khew — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 07:54:00 +0000

Here’s a recipe for a chocolate lard cake. You could easily adapt this. https://stresscake.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/praise-the-lard-again-chocolate-lard-bourbon-cake/

By: Khew

Khew — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 07:51:03 +0000

Actually, now that I think of it, the ingredients for torta are akin to lapis legit – the Indonesian spiced multi layered cake which is a refined adaptation of the Dutch spekoek. I’ve tried using anise in the spice mixture and it certainly smells a lot more sophisticated than just using cinnamon and nutmeg. The trick apparently to a good emulsification and therefore fluffiness is to cream the butter with the condensed milk and flavourings in one bowl. In another, the egg yolks and sugar. Perhaps you could make some adjustments:
– replace butter with lard
– boil coconut water with several star anise to infuse
– use half infused coconut water and half beer to replace tuba/toddy

Because lard is so much more stable than butter in our climate, the batter can sit there for an hour or more for the yeasts in the beer to multiply and do its thing, before baking.

By: Khew

Khew — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 06:28:53 +0000

I’ve always wondered what the hell happened to all the egg whites when most recipes of cakes and sweets of SE Asia call for only egg yolks. Then I realised that many of the old buildings were made with egg whites in their mortar!

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 04:58:22 +0000

looking forward to your own version MM!

By: Footloose

Footloose — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 01:37:42 +0000

Sometimes one’s quest for the authentic turns out to be a big let down. In my case, I blame Time-Life’s Cooking of Viena’s Empire that primed my taste buds for years before I finally sat down for a slice of the eckte wiener Sacher Torte. Turned out it was dry, seemed stale and not all that impressive and which I later found out, was supposed to be that way.

The flavour of any yeast raised cake benefits from a pre-ferment (levadura) prepared overnight. This is probably the tubâ yeast generated flavour that has been evading your torta attempts. Do not expect the cake itself to be sweet either, any amount of sugar added to the batter will be devoured by the yeast. That’s why they are topped with a casting of sugar just like ensaimadas.

By: Natie

Natie — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 00:19:56 +0000

Ohhhh, I was hoping and praying for a happy ending… I hope that day will come, MM…