Nilutlot and the edible flora of Narra, Palawan

According to the locals, nilutlot is not limited to these two ingredients. One can incorporate various proteins and vegetables into nilutlot. Apart from rice, other grains like Batad (Sorghum bicolor) can also be used.

The first step in making nilutlot is grating the matured coconut or 'niyog.'

Once there's enough coconut milk, carefully transfer it into the bamboo poles.

Tatay Siniotal said that selecting the right type of bamboo is crucial in making nilutlot. Bamboo that is too mature can easily burn, while bamboo that is too young can break easily. Furthermore, large and thick bamboo will result in a longer cooking time.

Bamboo with the appropriate maturity and thickness contains sufficient water content that is great in cooking over hot charchoal.

Next comes the glutinous rice. Tatay Siniotal had already pre-soaked it for a few hours before cooking. He told me he only used the regular variety that can be easily bought from public markets.

He mentioned that there used to be a special rice variety called Kinatluan. The name was derived from its unique trait: the rice remained of good quality or malambot even after three days. However, he noted that this variety is rare nowadays and probably extinct. He's been searching for its seeds for years.

Tatay Siniotal compared cooking nilutlot to roasting lechon. He explained that crafting this traditional dish demands significant patience and effort. Without periodically turning or rolling the bamboo, the fire could scorch the bamboo or result in unevenly cooked rice.

Due to the meticulous process, Tatay Siniotal mentioned that fewer people, especially the younger generation, engage in preparing the dish nowadays.

While we were waiting for the nilutlot to cook, the community enthusiastically showed me the plants that are integral to their traditional diet.

They first introduced me to the "ubod" or edible piths. This one is the ubod of Lakwas (Langkawas) or Alpinia galanga. This is my first time hearing that the ubod of Lakwas is edible. Most of the time, I only hear about the rhizome being utilized as a spice or aromatic.

This is the ubod of a rattan species. It has a bitter taste. They told me that consuming these can help regain your sense of taste if you've lost it.

Tatay Siniotal told me about a beautiful plant that can be found beside the river and the ubod is also consumed as a vegetable. The community was so excited to show it to me, so we all went to see it.

They call this Limparo (Homalomena palawanensis), an endemic species of Palawan.

The ubod has a floral taste when cooked.

Afterwards, they showed me the souring agents. They mentioned that they use a lot of different species, but they could only show me a few since many of them can only be found in the mountains.

This is Bisulsog. I'm pretty sure this is called "Labog" in Visayas.

This is a citrus called Tinog Manok (Citrus sp.). It has lemony aroma and thin skin.

This one is called Kaburing (Citrus sp.). It has thicker skin and very aromatic.

Around the small village are various vegetables. This is Langiro or Talinum (Talinum paniculatum) in other parts of the Philippines.

Kolitis (Amaranthus sp.)

This one is new to me. They call this Ulam (or putat in other places). It is mapakla or astringent. They told me the roots are used in killing fish.

They usually eat this with alamang or together with salabay (jellyfish).

It looks like lubi-lubi (Ficus pseudopalma), but it is not. Ulam is a different species.

Tigi with unfurled leaves (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) is also edible. They said it can be steamed with rice, added to soups, or "lutlutin."

This one is Nito (Lygodium circinnatum). The edible part in this plant is the vine-like stem or rachis in the middle.

Amurong, a Termitomyces species. They told me there are more edible mushrooms such as saba-saba, which grows under banana plants, and a mushroom that grows as big as a palanggana.

We cooked the mushrooms with ubod and patitit. Tatay Siniotal added some bawing for aroma. He said this is one of the ways of traditional cooking. They just cook whatever they gather from their surroundings.

The soup is delicious due to the umami of the mushroom. However, I can taste the extreme bitterness of patitit.

After a while, the nilutlot is now ready. Tatay Siniotal just removed the outer part of the bamboo for aesthetic reasons.

He added that Nilutlot is their baon during kaingin or when they go to the forest or mountains. It can be eaten as it is or with alamang, sugar, or salt. They told me before they make big/whole rock salts similar to Tultul of Guimaras, but they don’t make it anymore.

We halved the bamboo poles, revealing delicious cooked glutinous rice wrapped with an edible film from the bamboo.

It's amazing how simple yet delicious this dish is. I just hope that the future generations of their community will continue making Nilutlot.