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Native Dish in Valenzuela City: Putong Polo Series #4

The Vibrant City of Valenzuela is a city known for its word-class and award-winning projects and facilities. It is also known because of the great officials that lead the city and the people who are united in creating a community fit for all. But besides all of these, when you ask Valenzuelanos themselves what they could boast about their city, many would say something about their delicacies, especially the Putong Polo.

Putong Polo is a small steamed rice cake with a reddish-brown color because of atsuete. It is sometimes topped with a thin slice of cheese to add some more flavor. It’s been circulating around Valenzuela since the year 1920. It started in the town of Polo, where a competition was held and a family brought the Putong Polo, which became the Manuel L. Quezon Presidential Awardee of the Most Delicious Delicacy. Since then, the precious recipe of the delicacy was carefully passed on to different generations until it made its way to the present generation. That is why we are still enjoying this delectable treat.

Through the years, Putong Polo was given great significance because of its popularity and it also became a staple in the tables of different families around Valenzuela and also in other cities. Numerous pairings were also created because of the versatility of the said treat. There is also a Putong Polo Festival launched by the government of Valenzuela City led before by the former Mayor Bobbit Carlos created to honor the rites of the oldest church in the city, which is the San Diego De Alcala Parish Church located at the town of Polo.

The first makers of it use steamers made from kawayan and the rice is manually pounded until it becomes pulverized. In the present time, the way of cooking was never changed but they developed little changes in the machines they use. They use modern and improved machines to make the Putong Polo tastier and easier to cook in masses.

But the greatness of putong polo doesn’t just satisfy our taste buds. For some people, the delicacy helped them push through their lives because of the income they get from making and selling it. Aling Jean, who makes and sells putong polo to earn extra money for her family, said that “Hindi lang ‘yun basta isang pagkain, naitaguyod n’un ang pamilya ko. Saka sa tingin ko mahalaga talaga yun dito sa Valenzuela. Naging isa sa pagkakakinlanlan yun ng Valenzuela.”

Indeed that it is well-known delicacy from Valenzuela City. But it is famous not just because of its taste, but also because of the hard work, passion, and perseverance from the makers behind this delicacy. It is not just a food, it gives the City of Valenzuela an identity that symbolizes the greatness of the people in our city.

Article by Dana Calixto, Aug 8 2017.

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Native Dish in Valenzuela City: Putong Polo Series #2

In the Philippines, Puto is a popular steamed rice cake that is known all over the country. Puto is a type of Kakanin which is originally made to serve as offerings to pre-colonial gods or gifts to honored guests and visitors during the old times. Puto is believed to be derived from the Indian puttu of Kerala origin. Puto still hasn't died in our tradition, it is still served today and even comes in many variations. Puto is eaten with coconut shavings, butter, or cheese and salted egg on top. . Our childhood routine involved eating Puto as our midday snack. Their hint of sweetness makes them a perfect match for savory dishes such as dinuguan. There are many variants of Puto nowadays, and one of its famous variant is Putong Polo which originated in Valenzuela City. The putong pulo, a popular delicacy from Valenzuela City, is a small rice cake, steamed and mixed with achuete to give it its distinctive reddish-brown color. It is then topped with a small, thin slice of cheese. Putong Polo became famous because of the competition in 1920 that was held in the town of Polo in Bulacan. The Nieva family, who is known for making Putong Polo was chosen to be given the Presidential Awardee of the most delicious delicacy.

           In making the Putong Polo you will need the following ingredients: 4 cups rice flour, 2 cups water, 1 (13.5 ounces) can coconut milk, 1-1/2 cups sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons baking powder, and non-stick cooking spray or melted butter. In a bowl, combine rice flour, water and coconut milk. Stir until smooth and well-blended. Cover with film and refrigerate overnight. Add sugar and salt and stir until well dispersed. Add baking powder and stir well until batter is smooth and without lumps. Lightly spray insides of puto molds with non-stick cooking or lightly brush with melted butter. Pour puto batter into molds until ¾ full. In bottom part of steamer, add water and bring to a boil. Arrange filled puto molds in a single layer on steamer basket. Place steamer basket over bottom part. Wrap lid of steamer with cheesecloth or any cotton material (to prevent condensation from dripping onto puto) and cover steamer. Steam puto for about 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to slightly cool and gently remove puto from molds.

           The Valenzuela City Hall has launched the well known "Putong Polo Festival" in rites of respecting oldest church in the city, the 378-year-old San Diego de Alcala Parish Church in Barangay Polo. To restore the popularity of the local delicacy "Putong Polo," local authorities drove by Mayor Bobbit Carlos and the festival board of trustees sorted out by Rita Carlos said the week-long celebration was an offering to San Diego de Alcala, the patron saint of the oldest church in the city.Carlos said a bazaar and competition for "Putong Polo" makers finish this year's celebrations. "Putong Polo," a famous Filipino delicacy, started from Valenzuela, in the past known as Polo town in the 1920s. This local rice cake was a beneficiary of the Manuel Quezon Presidential Award as a local delicacy known for its intriguing taste and long life span at the Manila Carnival in 1931. He said the delicacy's popularity has not been restricted within the city. "Putong Polo" has been a general charge in the rich tables for quite a long time at the Manila Hotel, Sulo Hotel, Holiday Inn and Aristocrat Restaurant, among others. It is still also exported to Hong Kong, Japan and other Asian nations, a source of valuable dollars to lighten the economy.

Article by Shandelle Gabriel, Aug 6 2017.

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Food Bliss Reviews: Red Mangkok Bistro Series #2

            Red Mangkok Bistro is a small Asian restaurant located in Marulas, Valenzuela City. It's first branch is established near the Fatima Church on 2015. On December 28, 2015, a second branch was established near the Fatima University and was made as the primary branch of Red Mangkok Bistro.

The restaurant is not enclosed so you can hear noises outside, it's also not air-conditioned but they have an industrial fan so it's not that hot. The ambiance is quite pleasant but is not suitable if you want a comfortable place to eat because of the noise and  heat.

Their food comprises of Asian foods but mainly Filipino dishes. Their specialty is Lugaw and is termed as LOL which means Lugaw Over Load because it has a twist in which you can choose from various toppings to include in your Lugaw: Crispy Liempo, Chicken Adobo, Aroz Caldo, Siomai, and Chicharon. The price of their LOL ranges from 15 to 60 pesos. They also serve Rice Meals like Shanghai Rolls, Crispy Chicken Fillet, Kare-Kare, Crispy Liempo, Sisig, Adobo Flakes, and Steamed Siomai. Their Rice Meals divided into three categories, the Mangkok Rice Meal which includes a topping of your choice and one rice served in a bowl and the price ranges from 30 to 55 pesos;

the Supreme Rice Meal which includes a topping of your choice and two cups of rice which is served in a wooden square plank and the price ranges from 50 to 70 pesos; the Supreme Combo Meal which includes a topping of your choice, two cups of rice, and a side dish of your choice: Lumpiang Sariwa, KangKong with Bagoong, and Pancit Canton in which the price is ranging from 25 to 55 but if you ordered the Supreme Combo Meal you'll only pay from about 85 to 105 pesos and will save up your money.  All their meals doesn't have drinks but you can add 10 pesos to your meal to avail a drink or 25 pesos for a pitcher of Iced tea if you are eating in a group. They also serve desserts like Nero Jelly, Banana con Leche, Ube Halaya, and Halo-Halo which ranges from 35 to 55 pesos.

           Our dining experience, for me, was not that great. The ambiance was quite pleasant  but it is not a comfortable place to dine because of the open area and the lack of air-conditioning units and the noise and pollution that enters that restaurant because it is located along the streets.  We didn't have to wait to get our orders because there's just a few customers when we arrived at the place.  I ordered a Supreme Rice Meal which is Crispy Chicken Fillet which only costs 50 pesos and we paid 25 pesos for a pitcher of Iced Tea since we are a group. So I only paid about 55 pesos for my food. We didn't wait long for our foods to arrive. Our orders was served in a wooden square plank which is quite nice and the presentation was decent. The Crispy Chicken Fillet has two cups of rice, three pieces of Chicken Fillet, and a sweet and sour sauce at the side.

The dish is also served with a soup, and a pitcher of Iced Tea. The taste is decent but it's quite bland, but for  just 50 pesos it is acceptable and it will really make you full. So if you're on a low budget and you want to have  a heavy meal, you can try this out. The Iced Tea was too sweet for my own preference and you can see unmixed granules of the powder at the bottom of the cup. The service was really bad. When we arrived there, there's a crew at the counter and she took our orders right away. We were confused why there's still excess money in our hands so we computed how much is the food that we ordered and it seems that the crew miscalculated the total of our orders so we approached the crew and told her that the computation was not right. As we are eating, they all left the counter and gathered together at the table just right behind from our table and they were so loud chatting altogether. As we were eating they are also eating. As we finished eating we were waiting for them to finish their food so we can interview one of them about the restaurant's history, but it seems that their still not done eating, they ate another batch of food that they offer at their kiosk that serves streets foods. We started to get impatient because they're not attentive to the customers that went inside the place. So all in all the service is not good. The target customers of the restaurant are the students from Fatima University because it's just a few steps away from the school. I would recommend this restaurant for those who are seeking heavy meals and are on a low budget but I would not recommend it if you want a comfortable place to dine and if you are looking for exquisite tasting food.

Article by Shandelle Gabriel, Aug 6 2017.

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Native Dish in Valenzuela City: Putong Polo Series #1

Putong Pulo is a native food in Valenzuela City, a popular delicacy in the said city. It is a rice cake that was steamed which gave its texture, and to give its distinctive reddish-brown color, it was mixed with achuete. It is somehow the same as the other rice cake but smaller which defined the difference with other rice cakes. A little thin slice of cheese which is enough for the size of rice cake was then put on top of it to add deliciousness (Exiomo, 2014).

According to Aha Valenzuela (2013), a competition was held in Polo, Bulacan in the year of 1920 and in that competition, someone made something new and brought a different taste which was known as Putong Polo. The Putong Polo was made by the Nieva Family in the said year and was chosen to be given the Presidential Awardee of the most delicious delicacy. A person who ended up not winning in the competition namely Delfin Gutierrez Jr., owner of the Mang Delfin’s Putong Polo. In year 1944, he had his business roots from his grandparents, Lolo Olimpio Gutierrez and Lola Felisisima De Gusman.

In order to make the known delicacy in Valenzuela City, there are things that should be prepared. The list of ingredients were as follows: Premium ricce or laon rice known as dinorado, sugar which can either be white sugar or brown sugar, baking powder or salt and cheese, and lastly something that would make the Putong Pulo extra special or simply, the secret ingredient. The Dinorado should soak for 24 hours. After soaking it, while it still wet, grind the rice using cornmill. Next, Mix all the given ingredients based on the desired measurements. Place it on a swet and into the steamer. Lastly, let it cool.

In Valenzuela City, a festival was yearly held specifically on November 12 in Polo in San Diego De Alcala Parish Church. Putong Polo has a great impact in town. Because of this delicacy, more people had known Valenzuela which resulted to a greater economic rate and more opportunities for the city.

Article by Thea Gaviola, Aug 6 2017.