Comments on: This Morning at the Markets…

By: Marketman

Marketman — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 13:39:42 +0000

Marilou, I did some research. The siling mahaba or pangsigang is a bit elusive. However, local and international material refers to it as a “hotshot” or “hotpot” chilli. Since there are over 150 varieties of chillies, it is hard to pin this down…but it does appear closed to say an anaheim chilli which are described as around 4 inches long, red or green and mild to medium in flavor… I suspect the locally grown ones have evolved and lost some of their heat. If you google “siling mahaba english translation” you find some pdf reports that sight the siling mahab though they don’t go far enough to identify a scientifc name. As for the siling labuyo, it is related to say the Thai bird’s eye chillies but over several hundred years it has evolved into a smaller hotter version. I have a post on siling labuyo in my archives, type it in and keep scrolling down until you find it. I suspect the best you will get in the West is the bird’s eye chilli relative… I hope that helps.

By: Marilou

Marilou — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 13:29:42 +0000

I was wondering if you can enlighten me. I have been looking for siling haba and labuyo seeds to plant here in Ohio, but I don’t know the equivalent name in the seed catalogues. I have tried so many that look similar but unfortunately it didn’t taste the same. Thanks!

By: anonymous paul

anonymous paul — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 03:21:59 +0000

pho sounds goooooood. i almost always end up overspending when i go to the weekend markets. but where else can you get gloriously fresh produce. for green chilies, i sometimes grill/char till black then peel the skins. the soft, sweet, spicy flesh can be used for mixing in salsas, salads or eaten as is with other grilled/fried stuff. or minced with garlic, ginger patis limes and coriander for a thai inspired seafood sauce

By: Mila

Mila — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 01:50:24 +0000

ooh, i see all those ingredients and the first thing that came to mind was a pho, just add a good stock and beef or chicken or seafood.

By: Marketman

Marketman — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 21:58:27 +0000

Apicio, I did a lemon squares tast test…coming up in the days ahead. Maddie, yes the misono tables, a great memory from 10 years old or so…

By: maddie

maddie — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 17:22:57 +0000

mmmmm. I was just eating squid sisig last night and those chilies would be really good on them. and Kimpura. our vacations in manila wouldn’t be complete without eating misono style at kimpura (would the original spot be at Glorietta 3 or 4?) ah basta I remember pa how it looks. i also learned to love sprouts there, among many other things!

By: Apicio

Apicio — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 17:02:17 +0000

The Cake Bible has a recipe for banana cake where you can put to good good use your lakatan that are turning brown too quickly and the rind of some of your lemons. According to the perfumers of Grasse, combining banana and lemon scents gives you the fragrance of jasmine.

By: Marketman

Marketman — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 10:23:44 +0000

Maria, you are reading my mind…or my cookbooks! ENYA, that idea sound stupendously good. Though I would leave the seeds in and have a burning spicy pickle! In Singapore, they have these pickled green chillies that they serve with just about anything… I used to mix them with soy sauce and make sawsaw my roast pork in the mixture and eat lots of rice! Gonzo, Moroccan food is excellent. I have a photo of a couscous salad somewhere in my files as well as the Jalapenos… And it’s healthier than rice…

By: gonzo

gonzo — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 08:40:27 +0000

enya, nice move. pickled chillies, mmm.

apicio you seem quite the lemon aficionado. ever try making the north african dish, tagine of chicken with preserved lemons? Not bad, not bad at all. That’s another relatively unexplored cuisine that i think is worth a look; Moroccan food is delish. Tunisian as well (as a hot food fan i do enjoy their harissa). Maybe Marketman will post a couscous recipe or something? I love couscous. parang kanin. yes it takes a while to get used to but once you’re in, you’re in. light, fluffy, slightly buttery, comforting. a great alternative to rice.

By: ENYA

ENYA — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 08:18:09 +0000

Those are indeed beautiful green chillies, Mr. MM.

Just want to share with you an experiment I did about three weeks ago. I passed by Quaiapo market one Sunday and spotted bountiful, beautiful green chillies (well, maybe not as beautiful and fresh as the ones you got) and a vendor was selling them for P5.00 per tumpok. They were so good-looking and cheap, I could not resist. So I bought two tumpoks for P10 (which easily could have been 3/4 kilo at least). When I got home, I didn’t know what to do with them. (I don’t know how to cook Bicol Express.) For some reason I thought, “Hmmm… maybe I can make some kind of Chillies Atchara out of these.” Washed em, made a slit and took the seeds out of each of ’em which took me over an hour(stupid me didn’t even bother to wear plastic gloves, so my hands were “burning” from the heat for at least two days!). Cut ’em cut in small pieces like the size of your Bicol Express. Boiled some sugar cane vinegar and sugar with slivers of garlic and onions. Put a dash of salt and ground pepper.

The result was fantastic! Well worth the hour of “deseeding” and “burned” hands. I have it with my rice and fried fish or grilled pork chop. Yum! I still have a jar of it in my fridge.