Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2008

Batac’s Empanada Festival
The 1st Batac Charter Day was celebrated today. It has been a year since it became a
city. It is the second town of the province of Ilocos Norte to rise as a city. In celebration
of its anniversary, they featured the Empanada Festival showcasing and promoting the
very popular traditional fastfood that is empanada.

There was a dance parade participated in by locals both young and old alike. There was
a long line of participants dancing in the uniform music of Empanada. The music was
piped in along the streets. It was followed by street dancing where different stages of
preparing an empanada were depicted through dances.
It was started from the planting of rice (panag-raep iti pagay), harvesting rice (panag-ani
iti pagay), planting, harvesting and cooking of mongo beans (panagluto iti balatong),
grating papaya (panag-gadgad iti papaya), eggs catching (panag-ala iti itlog), sausage
making (panag-aramid iti longganisa), preparing rice dough (panag-aramid iti belaay),
cooking empanada (panagluto iti empanada), and enjoying eating empanada (panangan
iti empanada). This part of the program was participated in by college students and
youth groups.
There was a float displayed carrying empanada makers led byManang Glory who has
been in the industry for a long time and can be called the queen of empanada. She
appeared and was interviewed in various television shows and papers.
There was snack break. I was lucky to be served with a free empanada and a drink when I
joined a group of baranggay officials at the riverbank empanadahan. What a way to
savor empanada on its festivities.
A mass was celebrated later. Followed by a dance showdown presenting the same stages
of empanada making. Prior to this was some speeches delivered by the guest of honor,
mayor and the governor. The multitude of spectators and guests were taught by
choreographers on how to do the empanada dance. There was also an empanada making
contest among the lady political leaders and empanada eating contest among the male
political leaders. Winner in each category was given a one year free of charge good for 3
persons empanada to any of the vendors.

BATAC CITY —If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it
would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the
years.
Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be
the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local
ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy
orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried.
The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists
elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23rd of June.
Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta
commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town,
One Product, the Batac empanada.
Empanada City
THE Batac empanada festival has already become an annual activity since Batac
became a city in. The festival highlights the making of empanada through a dance parade
and colorful floats well represented by clustered barangays composed of men, women
and youngsters including local officials here.
This year, the weeklong celebration kicked off with Empanada Art Day and an exhibit at
the Batac City, showcasing the festival’s simple beginnings and retrospective shows.
Aside from its grand street dance parade and dance showdown participated by its
clustered barangays, this year’s celebration also came with the inauguration and launch
of the Save the Quioait River, including its mountains and watersheds.
Featuring the richness and beauty of the Ilocano culture, the festival is expected to
promote its food heritage by attracting tourists while helping farmers boost their
livelihood.
Organizers said the process of making of empanada manifests the social behavior and
distinct characteristics of Ilocanos as industrious, resourceful, creative, simple and
frugal.
For Atty. Chito Nalupta, one of the organizers, he said the festival is something that all
the people of Batac can relate to. It is something that binds the people together
considering that all have experiences relevant to and connected with the Batac
empanada since their childhood.
“Batac City is now more widely and popularly known in the Philippines and abroad
because of the Batac empanada. When one speaks of Batac, what immediately comes to
one’s senses is the Batac empanada,” Mr. Nalupta said as he underscored the festival
has already become a byword attracting local and foreign tourists to have a taste of this
historic city’s best tasting empanada.

Charter day
MEANWHILE, Mayor Nalupta said the celebration should not only focus on the
Empanada Festival but more so on the Charter Day—the day Batac was converted into a
city in 2007.
Mr. Nalupta thanked all the people behind the success of the celebration including the
teachers and students, non-government organizations, city government employees,
choreographers from all over the province, judges, the 43 barangays and also all the
foreign and domestic tourists who came and watched the twin celebrations.
But more so, the mayor thanked the Almighty for “the continuous blessings that without
Him, the successful celebration would not be possible. “

Cultural commitment
THE three-term mayor underscored his commitment for tourism and cultural
development since he assumed the mayoralty post in 2007.
The Empanada Festival was born a year later in 2008 as it became the vehicle for this
new city’s charter day celebration.
The songs and dances performed in the Empanada Festival were conceptualized in the
processing and making of empanada with the “Panagmula Iti Pagay” [Planting of Rice];
“Panagani Ken Pangbayo Ti Irik” [Harvesting and Pounding of Rice]; “Panagmula,
Panagburas ken Panagmula Iti Balatong” [Planting, Harvesting and Cooking of Mongo];
“Panagmula, Panagburas ken Panag-gadgad Iti Papaya” [Planting, Harvesting and
Grating of Papaya]; “Panagukkon Ti Itlog” [Gathering of Eggs]; “Panagaramid Iti
Longganisa” [Making of Longganisa]; “Panagmasa Iti Bel-laay” [Making of the Rice
Dough]; “Panagluto Ti Empanada” [Cooking of the Empanada] and the “Panaglaku Ken
Pan-nangan Ti Empanada” [Selling and Eating of Empanada].
To add more fun and culture to the celebration, the city government sought the
assistance of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in 2009. Thus,
choreographer workshop on street dancing was conducted by the NCCA through their
Speakers and Resource Persons Bureau Program.

Batac Empanada: What makes

it SPECIAL?
A visit in the city of Batac in the province of Ilocos Norte is not complete without tasting
their version of Empanada. In fact, several cities and towns in Ilocos provinces have
their own version of empanada. Each version is undeniably delicious but this time, let's
give the limelight to Batac Empanada.
To tell you, this empanada served as my lunch during a walking tour in Batac. I have to
say that I was so tired and had no breakfast at all but this 30-peso empanada gave me
the energy.
Some might think that I am just fabricating a story but this is true. The reason why this
served as my lunch is because I ran out of money and I have to budget it so that I can
still go home without walking, LOL! And it was a good choice for a 30-peso budget for
lunch.

THE ORANGE COLOR AND WHY

You might notice that Batac Empanada looks bright and inviting because of its orange
color. Would you believe me if I'll say that the food color used in this empanada is all
natural?
Atsuete (atchuete)! That is the name of the natural food color. That plant bears reddish
fruits (closely similar to rambutan). Inside the fruit are seeds that have a concentrated
dark orange to red pigment. That natural pigment is then extracted to give Batac Empanada
that bright inviting color!

SO WHERE TO EAT BATAC

EMPANADA?
(eat along the riverside)

Now let me tell you where to eat this famed Batac Empanada. The local government has
constructed a food court where Batac Empanada is served. Note, there are several stalls
in that food court but the most famous of them is the Glory's Empanada.
It is officially called as the Batac Riverside Empanadaan. It is accessible and located
within the center of the city close to the Batac Church, Marcos Museum and few meters
from the city hall and Ricarte Shrine and Museum.
As the name implies, it is located along the river, thus Batac Riverside Empanadaan.

What makes Batac Empanada interesting is that it has a lot of variations. There you have
to choose what variety you want to eat. Each variety has different price from others.

Now let us see where is the river?

Uh! There you see it. Ayun ang river oh!

HOW TO MAKE THE BATAC EMPANADA?
I am not an expert in terms of making Batac Empanada. But I will show a series of
photographs on how the locals make an empanada. I hope these photos will give you the
idea. I won't be telling you the whole process in detail because I personally do not know
how to make one but I have taken several photos on how they make Batac Empanada,
and the process here is the same with other empanada makers from the rest of Ilocos.
The first process is of course preparing for the crust. The crust is usually made up of
flour (Tagalog: Harina; Ilocano: Arrina or Arrena).

But in some versions like the Vigan Empanada, some innovations have been made. So
they use pure ground rice for the crust making it crispy and closer to Filipino palate.
For the crust, they take a piece from that processed flour and a rolling material (e.g.
bottle, PVC pipe) is then rolled over to flatten it like a wrapper for lumpia
After the crust-wrapper has been flatenned, a ring of vegetables is set on it. Batac
Empanada is usually made up of papaya and bean sprout. So why there is a space at the
middle since this is not a doughnut? (LOL) Ok, that space is reserved for the longanisa
and the egg.

The empanada maker has placed the egg and on her hands is the longanisa ready to be
mixed with the egg.
After placing all the ingredients, the crust-wrapper will now be folded to contain the
filling.
That's how they fold it and a plate is being rolled at the edge to cut the empanada and to
turn it in shape.
Then the Batac Empanada is ready to be cooked on a boiling oil!

The Empanada will stay there for about 10-15 minutes. After it, that'll be ready to eat.
Final Thoughts: So What Makes Batac Empanada Special?
I asked one of the owners of a stall at the Batac Empanadaan if what makes their version
different from others. She has given me some good reasons.
First, what makes their Batac Empanada different from others is that they (Glory's
Empanada) manufacture their own longanisa unlike others, they buy from third-party
traders.
What else? She also mentioned that the orange-y color of the empanada gives Batac
Empanada a distinct appeal, although empanada from Laoag and Sinait also have the
same color.
At eto ang malupet, these empanadas are now being tasted abroad. They are already
exporting this empanada overseas where a big Ilocano population is present (like in
Hawaii).

EMPANADA: The Ilocos’

Original
Throughout the world, empanada is known as a bread or pastry filled with different
ingredients. This bread originated in Spain and Portugal. This is probably the reason why
empanadas are quite similar to tacos. This dish was carried by Portuguese and Spanish
colonizers and has remained popular in several countries. The said countries were the
Latin America, Indonesia, Philippines and many more. These countries adapted this dish
and managed to put their own flavor on empanadas.

Empanadas are actually popular here in our country ever since it was brought by the
Spaniards. Empanadas have different varieties all over the Philippines. Despite that, we
cannot deny that empanadas are truly the Ilocano’s specialty. The basic Ilocano
empanada has grated green papaya, longganisa, egg and bean sprouts stuffed on a rice
flour (galapong) crust. Ilocano empanadas surely bring the real Filipino taste on a foreign
dish.
 In Ilocos, empanadas have basically two kinds just as how this province was
divided. One is the Batac empanada which is served in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. The latter is
the Vigan empanada, which of course, can be found on Vigan, Ilocos Sur. These
empanadas have the same basic ingredients, method of preparation and way of cooking.
But how are they really different from each other?

Just looking these two varieties of empanadas from outside, you can already tell one
difference, the color. Batac empanada is orange in color because it uses achuete as food
coloring. On the other hand, Vigan empanadas are lighter in color since it has no coloring.
If you have managed to eat these two emapanadas, you could notice that the Vigan
empanada has thinner and crunchier crust than the Batac emapanada. This greatly affects
the taste of the empanadas.
Aside from the outer appearance, these emapanadas have some differences in the
ingredients. Longganisa is a must ingredient in Ilocano empanadas, right? And these two
varieties use different two types of longganisas too. Batac empanada uses Laoag
longganisa which is known to be salty. On the latter part, Vigan empanada uses its very
own Vigan longganisa as their trademark ingredient. When you try these two
empanadas, you would notice that Vigan empanadas do not have bean sprouts unlike
the Batac empanadas.

Vinegar is the official dip or sauce of the Ilocano empanadas. Even this is different when
you talk about the two types of Ilocano empanadas. Batac empanada uses Laoag
vinegar which is really sour and is usually served with siling labuyo in it. Vigan vinegar
is of course the official dip for the Vigan empanada. It has a very strong fermented taste
which can be similar to fermented alcohol.
There is this one last thing on how these two empanadas are different from each other,
their variations. Vigan empanadas only has one variation wherein cabbages where
included in the ingredients stuffed. On the other hand, Batac empanada has a lot of
variations such as ordinary empanada (with bean sprouts, egg and papaya), special
empanada (with additional longganisa), jumbo empanada which has hotdog inside,
double special (has egg and has a lot of longganisa in it), and many much more.
Seeing how a foreign dish brought into the Philippines evolved as one of the Filipino
delicacies, made me realize how innovative Filipinos are especially when it comes to
cooking. These varieties of Ilocano empanadas are just some proofs for that. I can truly
say that Filipinos, be it Ilocanos or any Filipino local, has their own way of making
everything unique.
Empanada Festival 2019
Dubbed as the 'Empanada City', Batac is the homestead of the famous Ilocos
Empanadas. The grand celebration all for this treat that built the city from the foundation
up, also coincides with the charter anniversary of Batac, easily making it the busiest and
grandest festival of the city.
The town of Batac, Ilocos Norte province, celebrates one of its culinary specialties:
empanada. A favorite snack of tourists and locals alike, empanada is made of grated
papaya, monggo, egg and longganisa (native sausage) stuffed inside a flour crust.
Activities include empanada-making and eating contests as well as a dance parade
depicting how an empanada is made.
I’m almost halfway when I witnessed the story of the famous empanada maker and her
love conquest, the EMPANADA FESTIVAL of BATAC CITY.
The Empanada Festival is celebrated along with the City Charter Day of Batac which is
every 23rd of June. The festival features the process of making Empanada which is the
most popular product of the City.
Batac Empanada characterizes the locals ingenuity, industry, resourcefulness and
creativity. The Empanada Festival promotes the agricultural products of the City which
is the main source of income by the people.
The colorful empanada is reflected on how the festivities are celebrated. Activities on
this event are mainly the parade of floats and the Street Dance Drama Showdown. The
Dance Showdown is held in a kilometer stretch on the City proper. The Ilocano culture
and tradition are expressed on the costumes and dance routines.

Empanada Festival is one big event not just in the City of Batac but in the province of
Ilocos Norte. Join the City in their next celebration, and taste the goodness of the
Empanada and witness the colourful event.
Empanada is a popular pastry filled with either sweet or savory fillings. The Ilocos
empanada is different in that longganisa is used as a filling, along with papaya and a raw
egg-enveloped in a hand rolled, orange-hued rice flour dough.

There are two kinds of Ilocos empanada: Batac and Vigan empanada. Vigan empanadas
have a dough that's lighter in color, uses garlicky longganisa, and may sometimes include
togue (mung beans) as a filling while the version made in Batac has an orange hue from the
atsuete coloring and uses longganisa from Laoag. Vigan empanadas also usually has a
thinner crust.

Both are served with vinegar and some add siling labuyo for extra heat. Either way, both
are delicious! This recipe leans toward the Batac empanada version. Here's a tip: don't let it
sit too long before you fry it. Best to make a few pieces, fry immediately, and
serve immediately.

Ilocos Norte : Travel Up North.

The 10th year celebration of Batac City’s Charter anniversary was filled with various
events and highlighted by the Empanada Festival.
Though Batac is known in the annual staging of the Empanada Festival, its Charter Day
celebration this year has again proven that it is indeed an identity of the city.
To give emphasis to the celebration of its delectable empanada, the city government
conducted the fiesta empanada dance showdown called “Dangadang ken Rayray-aw”
which showcased the culture and history of the local food.
“This year’s celebration will definitely promote our products as well as our culture here
in Batac,” said city Tourism Officer Merlyn T. Gorospe.
As part of the city’s charter anniversary celebration, events from June 21 to 28 were
organized.
On June 21, the Awis Trabaho or Charter Day Job Fair was conducted at the Imelda
Cultural Center.
On June 22, the Panangpabileg Mannalon or the distribution of farm equipment and
machineries to the farmers in Batac City was held. A photo exhibit dubbed “Kusikos: A
Day in Batac” was also opened to the public on the same day.
Activities on June 23 were the Charter Day thanksgiving mass, Parada EMPANAdekaDA
or the Fiesta Empanada Grand Parade and the empanada dance showdown.
Empanada 2017 Fiesta Ray, blessing and inauguration of the Hilario Valdez Memorial
Elementary School (HVMES) library, and City Charter Anniversary Ball were staged on
June 24 while blessing and inauguration of San Mateo Health Station was on June 25.
The groundbreaking of the Camguidan Community Center and Magnuang Community
Center was on June 26 and the groundbreaking of Quiom-Maipalig Elementary School
covered court and distribution of barangay patrol tricycles to each barangay in the city
were on June 27.
Lastly, Singgalut ni Ayat 2017 or the city’s mass wedding was held on June 28. (Cherry
Joy Discaya-Garma/JAD-OJT,PIA1-Ilocos Norte)

TAN-OK ni ILOKANO 2019

This year's performance portrays the history of the Batac Empanada as Batacquenos'
answer to the changing preference of the Ilustrados who grew tired of the usual Western
dishes during the Spanish era. Today, this gustatory delight largely contributes to Ilocos
Norte's stature as a culinary mecca in the north.

Batac empanada fest traces Latin origin

Philippine Information Agency By Freddie G. Lazaro posted 12-Jul-2013 · 0 comments
Residents garbed in Latin American costumes drew attention during the street dancing
presentation of the recently concluded 2013 Empanada Festival in Batac City.
The different clothing designs were presented by nine clusters created from 43 Batac
villages. Cluster 1 came in designs from Puerto Rico; cluster 2 – Brazil; cluster 3 –
Panama; cluster 4 – Spain; cluster 6 – Portugal; cluster 7 – Dominican Republic; cluster
8 – Paraguay; and cluster 9 – Mexico.
Batac City Mayor Jeffrey Jubal C. Nalupta said the Latin-inspired outfits were a tribute to
the Hispanic origin of their famous “empanada” delicacy.
“We do not claim that empanada food delicacy originated in Batac City. But we
discovered its origin in Latin American due to their historical ties with Spain. That was
the reason for the theme,” he said.
“The empanada (could have) originated somewhere in Spanish–speaking countries and
was brought by a person from Batac who pioneered the Batac empanada in the 1950s,”
he added. The festival, now on its sixth year, was held on June 23 in time for Batac’s sixth
charter day anniversary.
The former town of Batac was converted into a component city of Ilocos Norte by virtue
of Republic Act 9407 through an overwhelming ratification by residents in a plebiscite
held on June 23, 2007.
According to Nalupta, they adopted empanada as the title of their festival because it is
the most prominent food delicacy produced from the city.
“Actually, empanada is our one -town –one- product (OTOP). The festival promotes and
fortifies the position of Batac City as the source of best tasting empanada in Region 1
and most probably in the entire country,” he noted.
Batac empanada is a deep–fried crunchy snack filled with grated papaya, mongo,
longganisa (native meat sausage) and egg.
“The process of making of the Batac empanada is a manifestation of Ilocano traits of
being industrious, resourceful, creative, simple and frugal,” Nalupta said.
He added that Batac empanada has enhanced the local tourism industry because a
tourist’s visit is not complete without a taste of the native snack. (MCA/FGL PIA1, Ilocos
Norte)

Batac
Batac (Ilocano: Siudad ti Batac), officially the City of Batac, is a component city in the
province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population
of 55,201 people.[3]
It is located in the northwest corner of Luzon island, about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from the
eastern shores of the South China Sea. The municipalities of Banna, Currimao, Paoay,
Pinili, Sarrat, Marcos and San Nicolas form its boundaries. According to the 2015
census, it has a population of 55,201 people.[3]
Batac is 470 kilometres (290 mi) from Metro Manila and 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Laoag,
the provincial capital.
Etymology
The word Batac translates as "pull" in the Ilocano language. More loosely, it refers to
"the people's pulling their efforts together."
Batac has an interesting colloquial origin of its name. According to a legend, set in pre-
settlement Batac, a man fell into a deep hole while he was digging for the root crop
"camangeg". He struggled to get out but could not despite his best efforts. He cried for
help but nobody was around. He waited for hours and had given up hope of being saved.
Two men from the neighboring town of Paoay happened to pass by. They heard the man
shouting and traced it to where he was trapped. Upon seeing him, they heard the man
said "Batakennak! Batakennak!" The two men did not understand until the man explained
that he was saying, "Pull me up! Pull me up!" They did just that. When the two men
reached their hometown, they told their story to their friends. Since then, the town has
been called "Batac," which is derived from the word "batakennak."

History
Batac was founded by the Augustinians in 1587 under the patronage of the Immaculate
Conception. It is the second oldest town established by the Augustinians in the province
of Ilocos Norte. Hence, in 1987, Batac reached its 4th centennial.
Batac was officially organized into a ministry on January 5, 1586. The first priest
assigned to cathecize the natives of tile community was Esteban Marin, an Augustinian
who probably arrived in Batac in 1585. Paoay and Dinglas (Dingras) were then the visitas
of Batac.
Folk history states that there were two villages in Batac during the early part of tile
foundation of the town, one was an Itneg community which occupied sitio Nangalisan
and a Christian community occupying San José.
The first site of tile poblacion was in San José, which is now called Barangay
Palpalicong. It is said that the ethnic minority groups of Bangui and Nueva Era are the
pre-Spanish descendants of early inhabitants of Batac.
The Augustinians considered the people of Batac more civilized than tile other tribes,
because they were better than the other "Indios" in personal cleanliness.

Cityhood
Main article: League of Cities of the Philippines vs. COMELEC
Republic Act 9407, the law that converted the Municipality of Batac into a component
city in the Province of Ilocos Norte, to be known as Batac City, was overwhelmingly
ratified by the people in a plebiscite conducted on June 23, 2007.

Economy
The Batac City Public Market touted as one of the biggest in the region offers a wide
array of goods – freshly picked local vegetables and fruits, handicrafts, tincrafts,
pottery, native delicacies, chicharon, longganisa, wet market treats and many others. The
Delicia Center, located adjacent to the City Public Market, contains RTW shops, banks,
appliance stores, farm supplies, pharmacies, groceries, a lottery outlet and many more.
The Delicia Center and the City Public Market form part of the commercial district of
Batac City.
With the presence of the Central Bank of the Philippines Cash Unit in the Batac City
Government Center, financial institutions continue to spawn – Philippine National Bank,
RCBC, Metrobank, Land Bank, BPI, Bank of Commerce, BDO and other local banks.
Proof that Batac is offering a good business climate to investors.
The Plaza Maestro Complex, one of the most modern shopping centers in the province
caters to the needs of the new generation, offering two of the country's top fast food
chains (Jollibee and Chowking), several boutique shops, a drugstore and a photo shop,
among others. A stone's throw away from the commercial complex are bakeshops and a
local pizza house.

Edmaration vs BlauEarth | Make

empanada, not war
Opposite poles attract, I hit it off right away with Edmar Guquib, the blogger from Vigan,
Ilocos Sur. We had the honor to tape (guest) for FoodPrints with Chef Sandy Daza in
Ilocos Sur (still to be aired this May on the Lifestyle Network). Of course, an Ilocos Sur
experience is not the same without the Vigan empanada, just like Ilocos Norte is not
complete without the Batac, or Laoag, empanada. According to Bigueños, the yellow
Vigan empanada traces its roots to tacos, introduced by the Mexicans during the Manila-
Acapulco Galleon Trade, while the Batac empanada, according to Nana Glory Cocson of
Glory’s Empanada, her very own empanada creation inspired all the other orange
empanandas in Ilocos Norte. Edmar and I both agree, each empanada is different from
the other.
What is Edmaration all about?
Edmaration is a fusion for Edmar and admiration, a name coined by an old friend of
mine when I was in college. I thought the name is cool and unique, so I used it to
watermark my then photos uploaded on the now defunct social networking site
Friendster. College friends started to call me Edmaration. I also used it to name my first
ever blog, Edmaration. No longer about my college life, the name Edmaration is all about
my blog now. Everytime people call me Edmaration, they are referring to the blogger in
me and the blog they read. Edmaration is a travel blog I created to pen down my first
motorbike adventures with my brother. However, I discovered later on that travel is a
very broad realm, so it was hard to ignore the other wonderful experiences traveling
could give like culture, heritage, food and people to name a few. Through Edmaration, I
am able to share my stories, insights and my take on anything related to traveling.

What do you do apart from blogging?

I am a full-time nurse assigned to the Emergency Room and Outpatient Department. I
also work in the Operating Room though it is not a part of my official designation. If I’m
not in the hospital, you’ll see me singing videoke, traveling leisurely or eating empanada
in Plaza Burgos.
I’m also a nurse. You’re The Town Explorer,
how many miles have you traveled on your bike?
I measure qualitatively how far I’ve traveled. The travel memorabilia and souvenir shirts in
my closet, as well as the scars, sun burn and skin abrasions I’ve earned show how far I’ve
traveled in the name of adventure. The countless memories and thousands of photographs
I’ve taken remind me that I’ve walked, trekked, ran, hiked, flew, sailed and road-tripped far
and beyond.

How often do you post?

I don’t maintain a regular set of posts within a time period. There were months that I can
publish 13-16 entries in 4 weeks time. Sometimes I don’t write at all. October 2014 to
February 2015 was a major blogging hiatus of mine when I didn’t publish new articles due
to personal reasons. However, I’m more than happy that I’m back in the blogosphere and
I am aiming to post a minimum of two articles weekly. So help me God.
Ilocos Empanada Recipe
Prep time 15 minutesCooking time 30 minutesMakes 4 big empanada
1 cup glutinous rice flour, sifted 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted 6 tablespoons annatto
water 1/2 cup vegetable oil1 piece onion, chopped300 grams longganisa, we used Laoag
Longganisa1/2 cup water 4 cups green papaya, shreddedsalt, to season 4 small eggs oil,
for deep-frying

1. Make the Dough: In a large bowl, place both flours until well combined. Drain atsuete
seeds from water. Gradually add atsuete water water and oil to the flour mixture, a
tablespoon at a time to make a smooth and soft dough. Set aside.

2. In a pan over medium heat, place longganisa and add water. Let boil for about 8-10
minutes or until cooked through. Remove from casing. Set aside.

3. Pinch off about 3 tablespoons of dough. Roll into a ball. Place on top of baking paper
and then with a rolling pin, roll out into a flat, thin round.

4. Create a well at the center of the dough, using a tablespoon each of the papaya and the
longganisa. Careful not to break the soft dough. Crack an egg and slip into the well. Fold
the dough over the filling to seal it all in. Cut off any excess dough. Slip the empanada into
the hot oil and deep fry until crispy. Drain on paper towels, and serve immediately with
sukang Iloko.

A Walk through History with the Ilocos Empanada

When visiting the Ilocos region, 500 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.

You will also quickly notice that there is a slight difference between the empanadas sold
in Ilocos Sur (south) and Ilocos Norte (north). The reason for this may be the availability
of resources in both districts. Ilocos Norte has a sizeable source for the achuete
(atsuete/ annatto), extracted from the seed of the achiote tree (scientific name: Bixa
orellana). Ilocos Sur, however, does not have much access to this natural resource.
 Empanadas from Ilocos Norte with
their signature orange rice flour base

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.

Taking the empanada as Ilocos’ own

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 are abundant 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.

Making the Ilocos empanada is both an art and science, with many attesting to how
difficult it is to make. It is such a sight to behold to see the Ilocos empanada artisans
creating each empanada by hand, and producing every piece into precision.

The Ilocos empanada is indeed a jewel of the region. The making of an empanada is a
craft on its own that must be passed from generation to generation to stay alive. When
visiting Ilocos, be sure to give the empanada a try. And don’t forget to say “Dios ti
agngina” (“Thank you” in the Ilokano language) to the manang (a respectful Ilokano way
of addressing an old lady), manong (a respectful Ilokano way of addressing an old man),
or ading (a respectful Ilokano way of addressing someone of the same age bracket) who
made the empanada for you.
Empanada making is said to be an art mastered by
those with delicate hands, and an unwavering patience.

Where to try the Ilocos empanada

The best places to try the Ilocos empanada are in Dap-ayan in Laoag, 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.

Lanie’s Batac Special Empanada

in Ilocos Norte Adds a Twist to
Your Favorite Snack
You may have taken a big bite of Irene’s Vigan Empanada in Ilocos Sur and has deemed
it worth going back for. Driving further north, however, there is also another gem that
you might wish to try to satisfy your cravings for the delightfully filling snack.
This is Lanie’s Batac Special Empanada in Riverside, Batac, Ilocos Norte!

Empanada-making, specifically in Batac, Ilocos Norte, is said to have originated from no

other than the “Mother of Batac Empanada,” Lola Nieves “Ibing” Cocson Layaoen.
Lola Ibing then passed down the Batac way of making the Spanish Empanada to her
granddaughter, Lanie, who then established the most sought-after empanada store in
Ilocos Norte- Lanie’s Batac Special Empanada!

Lanie’s Special Empanada is a pastry that resembles that of a crunchy folded pizza,
stuffed with locally produced vegetables such as mung beans, grated papaya, and other
fillings like egg and longganisa.

What made Lanie’s Batac Special Empanada even more exciting, however, is that they
added some twist into it by replacing its usual fillings with the Sisaron or Batac Bagnet
(crispy pork belly) or sometimes with moringa or cheese. These moringa and cheese
empanadas are priced at only Php 60 each!

What’s more is that other local must-tries are ready for your consumption such as the
iconic and all new Tacos Empanada (Php 60) which is the Batac version of the Mexican
tacos, and the ever exotic delicacy of Balut or a hard-boiled, semi-developed egg.

Ilocos empanada! Dissecting

the Batac Empanada
Ilocos empanada is one of my favorite Philippine snacks. Every time I go to Ilocos, I
make sure to get my share of Ilocos empanada, especially the one in Batac, which is
reputably where the best empanada is served.

The Ilocos empanada is actually of Spanish and Mexican origin. Notice how it's similar to
the taco? The basic empanada has a rice flour or galapong crust with grated green
papaya inside. The longaniza, egg and bean sprouts were later added. There are actually
two varieties of Ilocos empanada, the one in Batac (which is the same one served in
Laoag), and the empanada served in Vigan. So what are the differences?
The Batac empanada has a lot of variations. There's the ordinary empanada (just the
papaya, bean sprouts and egg), ordinary eggless (just the vegetables), special empanada
(with longaniza and egg), special eggless (with longaniza but no egg), special w/o mongo
(everything except bean sprouts), jumbo empanada (with hot dog), double special (double
longaniza and one egg), double egg (one longaniza and two eggs), and the heaviest of
them all, the double double (double the longaniza and egg). They even serve just the
crust which they call pinais.

The Empanada
The empanada is a signature food of Ilocos Norte, in particular Batac. What makes them
all so different, well I am about to explain all that to you. The name Empanada is derived
from Spanish word meaning to wrap and coat in bread and this is the most popular
street fare in Ilocos Norte and is among the best meriendas in Ilocos Norte. I just love
them.
This crispy thin shell is filled with longanisa, bean sprouts and egg. The Batac version
differs from the Vigan due to both color and thickness. For an original one you need to
eat one from Glory’s, said to have started the whole trend and included her favorite
color, which is the now famous orange, where the rice flour based shell is colored using
achuete.

THE PERFECT EMPANADA

The price starts at around P35. Frying only takes a few minutes, just enough to cook the
shell and to enjoy them you really need to eat them immediately straight from the frying
pan while hot. Also you need the local sukang iloko to enjoy it with. There are those who
prefer it with ketchup, hopefully from local tomatoes. The Batac one also has young
papaya as one of its main fillings and the orange colored rice flour shell.
The cook spoons lots of ground pork, longganisang Ilocos, bean sprouts, monggo
beans, green papaya, shredded carrots and fried egg into the orange dough wrapper.
The dough is then sealed and then deep fried. For the uninitiated, longganisang Ilocos is
very different from that found in Manila.

The Famous
Ilocano Emapanada

They are much smaller and are not sweet and they taste of the famous Ilocos White
garlic which is full of rich flavour and that’s what makes them so full of flavour. I have
heard the term used such as culinary genius that only Ilocanos are capable of.
The Laoag empanadita has cabbage filing instead of papaya and a rice flour crust. There
are some Laoag makers that do use papaya. Both have egg, monggo and longganisa and
there is also the sweet longganisa variation.
There standard Batac one has papaya, bean sprouts and egg; then there is ordinary
eggless which just has the vegetables. Then there is the special version made with
longaniza and egg. The double special has double longaniza and one egg.

THE PERFECT EMPANADITA

The crust of the Batac one is orange in color however the Vigan delicacy has no
coloring. The crust of the Vigan version is also thinner and a lot more crunchy. The
Batac version uses the whole egg and in Vigan they generally remove the egg white. The
Longaniza types are also quite different, and the Batac delicacy uses the saltier Laoag
longaniza while the Vigan one has the vinegar seasoned longaniza of Vigan. Many Vigan
ones also do not have bean sprouts, and just the grated green papaya. The differences in
vinegar also add taste changes between the two. The Vigan vinegar is very strong with an
alcohol-like fermented taste while Laoag vinegar is really sour. In Vigan they still use
banana leaves to fold and seal them while in Batac and Laoag they use plastic and
paper.

BATAC CITY | ILOCOS EMPANADA

A tour of Ilocos Norte would not be complete without tasting its famous orange-colored
empanadas. While the empanadas most Manileños know are made of crusty bread, the
ones being sold in the streets Ilocos are quite different. Instead of bread, the crust is
made of rice flour and in place of the usual giniling, its filling is stuffed with egg, bean
sprouts and garlic longanisas.

There are actually two versions of the famed Ilocos Empanada, those that are made in
Vigan and the ones beng sold in Laoag and Batac. One can immediately see the
difference between the two by just looking at them; Vigan’s has a more subtle color than
the orangeier version of Batac.

Batac’s Empanada, which is commonly referred to as the Ilocos Empanada uses achuete
to color its crust. It’s also much thicker than its Vigan counterpart; making it somewhat
harder to eat when it gets cold. But who would want to eat cold empanadas right? The
best way to gobble these orange delights would be to head to Batac City and check the
stalls some meters from the Marcoses ancestral house.

The place is an empanada haven, stalls upon stalls of glowing orange half-moons line its
corridors and they’re all freshly made. One can order a regular serving which has a
filling of grated green papaya for a lesser price or get a special order with bean sprouts
and Ilocos longanisa for a few pesos more.
But wait there’s more, one can have an even more special empanada by having its
stuffing doubled! Customize your fillings with a single egg and double longanisa (single
double), a double egg and a single longanisa (double single) or two eggs and longanisa
(double double). Sinful, I know, but once those orange things get in your hands and you
have your first crunchy bite, you’ll definitely forget how bad this stuff probably is for
your health. But we only live once, so indulge I say.
So how do you want your empanada? Single Double? Double Double? How about
adding a bowl of piping hot Miki with it? And don’t forget to put in some of those spicy
Ilocos Vinegar too! Yumm!

Glory’s Empanada
There are lots of Empanada stall in the area. We chose Glory’s found at the far end.
Rolling out the soon-to-be
deep fried crispy shell
Two Eggs
Meat love
If you are in search of a good food go north of the Luzon region-to the majestic province
of the Ilocos Norte. Aside from its rich Cultural Heritage and Historical significance,
another better way to enjoy your stay there is to have a taste of genuine ilokano
delicacies.
One delicacy that you must try to eat is the Batac-Laoag Empanada or simply known as
the Ilocos Empanada. This food can be enjoyed anytime as it is widely sold in many
stalls or restaurants that you can find in the market places or town proper.
This local specialty is similar to large or small circular stuffed bread or pastry from
Spain, Portugal, Italy and South America usually consisting of ingredients like meat and
vegetables; however Ilocos Empanadas are stuffed with a filling of grated green papayas,
mongo sprouts and egg yolk for the regular and an extra filling of Ilokano Longganisa
(sausage) for the special one. Other variants for the special empanada includes meat
fillings of Bagnet (deep-fried, crispy pork belly), Sisig (pig’s face, ears and brain sliced
to bite sizes complimented with vinegar, onions and chilis), Dinuguan (pork meat chunks
cooked with pork blood) and Higado (pork meat chunks cooked in soy sause and
vinegar)
Instead of the soft and sweet dough version in the Tagalog Region-Deep-fried Ilokano
Empanadas uses rice flour to have thicker and crispy texture. To make it more pleasing
to the eyes and appetite the filling is enveloped in a bright orangey colored dough.
Usually Sukang Iloko (black local vinegar produced in the region) is a perfect condiment
to the dish while for some they prefer to use ketchup instead.
It is best to eat Ilocos Empanada while it is hot or fried at the moment you buy it. This is
to make sure that you get to eat it fresh, hot and crispy. A delicious surprise to your
palates right before you eat this local food-seeing it prepared on the spot. The cooking
method employs very simple preparations: first the vendor gets a chunk of orange
dough, flattens and circularly molds it; second, the fillings are placed at the center and
topped with an egg yolk; Lastly, the dough is folded in half and seals it by pressing the
ends of the pastry and deep fries it.
Ilocos Norte offers a variety of specialty foods. Bagnet (deep fried and crispy pork
belly), Pinakbet (assorted vegetables in liquid fish paste), Bibingka (rice cake) and
papaitan (mixed internal organ of a cow in a bitter-sour soup) are just some of the
authentic ilokano foods you should not miss to taste also, but make sure that Ilocos
Empanada is included to your list!