SAPAL ka SIBALOM

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 No description available.

 One of the best food delicacies here in Antique is kakanin, derived from two Tagalog words: “kain” (to eat) and “kanin” (rice). It’s an umbrella term for sweets made of glutinous rice. SAPAL is one of the kakanin, or native food, in the Philippines that is found only in Sibalom, Antique. Many people claim that SAPAL is one of the cleanest foods in the whole world because if a single dirt is present on it, they call it "malibugan,” the rice will harden and the taste will be sour.

The one vendor making sapal here in antique is 77 years old, she started doing and selling since 1977; she has been doing sapal for almost 50 years. She is Lydia Condes Mostacho and was featured on the Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho public affairs show. According to her, the ingredients are glutinous rice, spices like chili, ginger, and pepper, and sugar. The rice is cooked traditionally and then cooled before being mixed with the "tapay" and sugar. The mixture is then wrapped in "talos" leaves, a type of wild leaf, and left to ferment for one to two days. The taste of sapal is a combination of sour, spicy, bitter, and sweet, and it tastes like TUBA or coconut wine. People also believes that sapal is a remedy for cough, rheumatism, and stomachache. Also, take note that you can’t use just any rice, but you should use rice that was from the last harvest or the older one; they call it “laon nga bugas.” It is so because if it is not "laon,” the rice will harden. You can use any sugar, but refined is better because it is colored white and doesn’t add some unnecessary color to the sapal. 

 No description available.

Preparing sapal is very tedious and difficult. It requires time, effort, and accuracy because a single mistake can lead to disaster. In the past, you could buy sapal for Php5.00 per piece, but nowadays, because of price hikes of many products, the price of it has also increased. Sapal now is for only Php15.00-Php20.00 for two pieces. And sometimes there are vendors in SIbalom Market every Tuesday who are selling it. Sapal is a traditional food that has been enjoyed by generations of Sibalom residents. It is often eaten during special occasions and is considered a symbol of the town's rich culinary heritage. Sapal may be a food that is not nose-friendly at all but it’s worth a try. Try eating it, or you may even try making it in order for this food to not be forgotten or, in a worst case, be gone forever.

 

In conclusion, sapal holds importance in Sibalom, Antique, because by making the most of this by-product, the people of Sibalom demonstrate how traditional practices can support both the local economy and environmental conservation. Embracing sapal as a valuable resource highlights the community’s ability to turn waste into something useful and beneficial.

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/F83TShJrf1aSKx18/?mibextid=oFDknk

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/VAUxAmqUdWJC2xxX/?mibextid=oFDknk

https://pepper.ph/blog/kakanin-history

https://restaurants.heyplaces.ph/Sibalom

https://theunknownartblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/sapal-a-smelly-yet-yummy-kakanin-found-only-in-sibalom/

https://ph.top10place.com/c/filipino-restaurant/l/sibalom-antique

https://glossaryoffilipinofood.blogspot.com/2015/08/antique-specialties.

Location: Sibalom, Antique, Philippines

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 5, 2025 at 6:53 AM

    When making Sapal how’s the community turning waste into something beneficial?

    ReplyDelete

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