BATAC EMPANADA

The best places to try the Ilocos

Empanda is a stuffed bread or
pasty usually baked or fried,a fa-
mous snack in Ilocos norte and
norte.The process of making an
ilocos empanda starts with the
rice flour tortlilla added with a
ring of chopped vegetable and
ground ilocos longganisa .An egg
and cheese can be added inside
the ring of vegetable. The tortil-
la that will be Foldded carefully
and using a plastic,trims the edge
of the tortilla rhat will be deep
fried. It goes along with the
sukang iloko
empanada are in Dap-ayan in La-
oag, Ilocos Norte; Food Hall along
Batac River, Ilocos Norte; and the
Heritage District in Vigan, Ilocos
Sur. Dap-ayan is open 24 hours, 7
days a week; while for Batac and
Vigan, it’s open every day up to 10
PM, depending on the stall.
FROM:JOHN DALE
ARELANO
SUBMITTED TO: MRS.
MIRASOL AGAPITO
REFLECTING THE COLONIAL PAST
THE ILOCOS EMPANADA REFLECTS HISTORY ITSELF, SINCE IT IS
INSPIRED BY THE SPANISH EMPANADA. EMPANADA IS A TYPICAL
SNACK THAT ORIGINATED FROM SPAIN AND ITS FORMER LATIN
AMERICAN COLONIES. AN EMPANADA IS MADE WITH WHEAT
FLOUR AND STUFFED WITH MEAT, CARROTS, CORN, CHEESE,
AND/OR PEPPERS. THERE’S A LOT OF VARIATION WITH THE
STUFFINGS, DEPENDING ON THE INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE IN THE
AREA.
AS IS OFTEN THE CASE WITH ANY CULTURAL EXCHANGE, THE
SPANISH EMPANADA HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO FIT THE LOCAL
AREA’S CULTURE AND TRADITIONS. SINCE RICE, LONGANISA
(GROUND PORK AND MOLDED INTO SAUSAGE LINKS), PAPAYA,
MUNG BEANS, AND EGGS AREABUNDANT IN ILOCOS, THESE
INGREDIENTS ARE USED FOR THE LOCAL EMPANADA. AND SINCE
BAKING IS NOT A TRADITIONAL WAY OF COOKING IN ILOCOS, THE
EMPANADAS ARE DEEP-FRIED RATHER THAN BAKED.
EMPANADA WHO IS GREATER???
YOU WILL ALSO QUICKLY NOTICE THAT THERE IS A
ANY ADVENTUROUS PALATE WOULD DELIGHT IN THE
SLIGHT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EMPANADAS SOLD IN
EMPANADA OF ILOCOS NORTE. BEST COMPLEMENTED
WITH ILOCANO VINEGAR, THE PAPAYA, MUNGO BEAN ILOCOS SUR (SOUTH) AND ILOCOS NORTE (NORTH). THE
SPROUTS, EGG FILLING, AND ILOCOS LONGGANISA REASON FOR THIS MAY BE THE AVAILABILITY OF RE-
SOURCES IN BOTH DISTRICTS. ILOCOS NORTE HAS A
MAKE A TRULY ENERGIZING LOCAL DELICACY. DON’T
FORGET TO TASTE AND TAKE HOME SOME AUTHENTIE SIZEABLE SOURCE FOR THE ACHUETE (ATSUETE/ AN-
BATAC EMPANADA FOR CHRISTMAS FROM THE RIVER- NATTO), EXTRACTED FROM THE SEED OF THE ACHIOTE
SIDE EMPANADAHAN! TREE (SCIENTIFIC NAME: BIXA ORELLANA). ILOCOS SUR,
HOWEVER, DOES NOT HAVE MUCH ACCESS TO THIS
WHEN VISITING THE ILOCOS REGION, 500 NATURAL RESOURCE.
KILOMETERS NORTH OF MANILA, THE
PHILIPPINES’ CAPITAL, YOU CANNOT HELP
BUT NOTICE THESE LARGE HAND-HELD
ORANGE PASTRIES BEING SOLD ALONG
THE STREETS OF ILOCOS SUR AND ILOCOS
NORTE. THIS “PASTRY” IS CALLED ILOCOS
EMPANADA, ONE OF THE REGION’S MOST
POPULAR SNACKS AND FROM WHICH IT
HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN.