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Thank you so much for your interest in donating to our advocacy! Your donation will be used for food heritage research, field work expenses, website hosting and maintenance, and the like so that I can continue sharing our different local food cultures and ingredients.
Panay, Capiz
Capiz Culinary Series Part I: The Pusô of Panay
When we think of Capiz, most people would associate it with seafood. While seafood alone could be a compelling reason to travel to this province, Capiz has much more to offer.
In the heart of Panay (pronounced as Pan-ay), the former provincial capital of Capiz, lies Santa Monica Church. This church is notable for housing the largest bell in Asia. There are numerous aspects to discuss about the church, but I would like to highlight another "heart" of Panay: the pusô.
Pusô is a unique traditional delicacy of the municipality that deserves recognition. Unlike the pusô found in many provinces of Visayas and Mindanao, which is plain rice, the pusô of Capiz is made from sticky rice sweetened with syrup derived from the sap of Nipa palm (Nypa fruticans). It is usually enjoyed as a snack or dessert and not as a canvas for savory viands.
Pusô of Capiz may resemble patupat from the Ilocos region, but they differ significantly in their key ingredients. Pusô incorporates nipa sap as its sweetener, whereas Patupat utilizes sugarcane juice, or occasionally buri sap.
The process of making Pusô begins with the collection of sap. This sap is obtained from the Nipa palm, a species that thrives in brackish swamps, estuaries, and muddy banks. These kind of habitats is abundant in Capiz.
To stimulate sap production, nipa sap farmers must regularly and skillfully slice the end of the nipa stalk using a tool called a karit.
The sweet nipa sapis known as “tam-is, or generally known as “tuba”. Freshly harvested tuba are extremely sweet.
In addition to the skillful harvesting of tuba, crafting the woven pouch made from nipa leaves (locally known as balangbang) for the sticky rice is also considered an art form. According to Teresita, an experienced pusô artisan, it is typically women and children who excel in creating these intricate pouches.
There are two designs of woven pouches: Babae (left), which has a wider shape, and Lalake (right), which is more pointed.
The pouches are called balay-balay sang pusô.
Afterwards, the glutinous rice is inserted into the pouch. The pusô is placed inside big cauldrons together with nipa sap and will be cooked for 4 to 5 hours. According to Ma'am Teresita, they can cook 400 pieces of puso in one big kaldero.
The final outcome of hours of cooking is a delicious and incredibly sticky pusô. It is served with the syrup called “lasaw”.
This delicacy is typically sold within the municipality of Panay and nearby towns, such as Roxas City and Pontevedra. Ma'am Teresita also mentioned that her pusô has even reached overseas, as it can last up to 10 days without refrigeration.
Aside from Pusô, Ma'am Teresita also offers other delicacies made with Nipa, such as biko and basa-basa. Biko is a delectable sweet rice cake topped with latik, while basa-basa is a type of rice porridge that carries a tangy flavor profile.
Ma'am Teresita takes great pride in showcasing her labor of love.
Thanks to its exceptional qualities, the Pusô of Panay in Capiz has recently earned a coveted spot in Slow Food International the Ark of Taste catalog, which recognizes and preserves heritage foods.