The evolution of PAKSIW
We, Ilocanos, can’t have enough of PAKSIW, a popular carinderia fare. In Northern Ilocos, Dawang’s Place is, perhaps, the oldest existing paksiwan. It is located on a flood-prone area in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, but it has withstood the test of time, surviving countless typhoons, economic recessions, the emergence of more kantinas and panganans all across the province over the past 35 years or so. Other eateries came out with another version — the HI-BOL. Modern Band has been serving it for a few dacades now. Hi-bol is paksiw combined with miki (noodles) or Ilocano pancit. It looks like mami or batchoy, albeit the soup is greenish in color because of the ubiquitous papaitan. It tastes so darn good, and even better with sukang Iloco ken sili, and if it’s with pancit lusay.
Here is an easy-to-do recipe from 24 year-old Lyne Coloma, my most trusted comeback cook, who used to own a carinderia. She says, “The name hi-bol might have originated from the idiom “high-voltage”, when used in reference to mood foods. And that brings Lyne to another notch higher, that of an Ilocano food expert. But why hi-bol and not hi-vol? Because there is no ‘V’ in the Ilocano alphabet.
Hi-Bol Recipe (makes 4 servings )
INGREDIENTS:
For Paksiw
- 1/2 kilo beef with laman-loob (tripe, intestines, liver, heart, pancreas, lib-libro, tuwalya and blood )
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, lightly pounded
- 3 tbsp sukang Iloco
- 2 tbsp papaitan (bile)
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp salt, or you can alter to suit your taste
- a pinch of paminta (ground pepper corns)
- 1 and 1/2 liters water
thinly sliced lasona (spring onion)
half kilo lusay or fresh cooked noodles
HOW TO COOK:
- Prepare all ingredients. Cut beef across the grain into 1/8″ slices, then set aside.
- Sauté ginger and garlic until golden brown, then add the beef until the meat fats turn into grease. Add in papaitan and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add water and heat through until beef is tender.
- Drain noodles with hot water and put into individual bowls, preferably Chinese-style. Add paksiw and garnish with lasona.
*Recipe courtesy of Miss Aprill Lyn Calantes Coloma. Photographed by Blauearth
Aaahhhhhh! I miss this dish the most! Most mornings on my visits in Vintar, I used to have this for breakfast, lunch or dinner at a carinderia by the market place. I considered it as one of my “comfort food” outside home and everytime I get the chance to taste a dish something similar to it….it always brings back fond memories. But of course, the taste isn’t the same like what I used to. For me, nothing beats the ilocano “hi-bol”.