Exploring Binabak: The Delicious Delight from Pandan

 

One of the ways to truly experience a place, especially one you haven’t been to before, is to eat like a local. That’s certainly true when it comes to a visit to Pandan, a municipality located in the province of Antique.

The small town of Pandan is famous for its rich cultural heritage and culinary delights. Among its many delicacies, the binabak stands out as a beloved local delicacy that embodies the flavor and spirit of the region. This feature article takes a closer look at what makes binabak special, its preparation, and its significance in the community.

What is binabak?

Binabak is a traditional dish in Pandan. Its main ingredients are freshwater shrimp called 𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜 (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞-𝙪𝙣 or coconut that is mature than 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙜 (young coconut or buko) but not as mature as the 𝙣𝙞𝙮𝙤𝙜 (mature coconut). The two are combined with young batwan leaves, luy-a (ginger) salt, onion bulb and leaves and garlic by pounding using lusong (mortar) and hal-o (pestle), wrapped in tagikhik (Phrynium minutiflorum) leaves from the plant family Marantaceae, and slow-cooked in boiling water with salt.

The preparation of binabak is an art form that has been passed down through generations. Here’s a step-by-step guide to how this delicious delicacy is often made:

1. Ingredients: The main ingredients are freshwater shrimp called 𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜 and 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞-𝙪𝙣 or coconut. Combined with young batwan leaves, ginger, salt, onion bulb and leaves,garlic and pepper(pino).

2. Mixing:The urang that gathered from the river,cleaned and shelled,separately reduced to pulp the meat and shell by pounding in the lusong and hal-o, and getting the flavor from the pounded shell. Similarly, the meat of bangi-un is carefully grated and pounded to a thick consistency together with the liquid shrimp flavor. The urang and bangi-un are combined with the rest of the ingredients using the mortar and pestle up to a sticky consistency that is ready for wrapping, wrapped it with tagikhik leaves because it enhances the flavor and aroma of the dish while banana leaf is an alternative. And molded into a rectangular form.

3. Cooking: When you’re done wrapping, you can put it in the pot poured some coconut milk and left to steam until it fully set.

4. Eating: Once cooked, you can unwrapped it and I suggest to paired with leftover rice (kapog) because you will definitely eat more.

Binabak is more than just a viand,it is a part of the local culture and identity in Pandan. Often shared during family gatherings, it promotes connections between generations. The preparation of binabak often involves entire families, with each member contributing, from mixing the ingredients to wrapping and steaming.

Furthermore, it serves as a representation of the resources available in the region, highlighting the local produce like urang and bangi-un, which your dream of dieting will be destroyed. Binabak is also a reminder of the importance of traditional cooking practices, blending culinary skills with rich cultural narratives.

As we explore the culinary landscape of Pandan, binabak stands out not only for its delicious taste but also for its cultural significance. This delightful dish is a testament to the region’s rich heritage and the shared spirit of its people. The next time you find yourself in Pandan, make sure to savor this cherished delicacy and experience the warmth and tradition it represents.

Trivia: Binabak is associated with the belief in 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙡, which is believed to be an illness in which a person experiences mild to severe headache and neck pain up to the point that the pain becomes unbearable the head tilts to one side. It is believed that angul could lead to death. This illness is associated with misbehavior, mishandling, or improper cooking of aquatic species such as urang and banag or freshwater snails, which are believed to be the taglugar’s favorite food. Those who want to cook urang and banag as main ingredients should do it with caution otherwise they’d suffer from angul. 

The belief in angul further stemmed to some precautions to be observed in cooking. One is to prevent the ingredients or the soup (if it is a soup recipe) from spilling into the fire. If accidentally spilled, a handful of salt is thrown into the fire to mask the smell of the burnt ingredients. It is also practiced that after eating, the leftover and empty shells of banag or urang are buried or thrown far from the source of fire.