Flecks of Varied Colors

Our Family's Favorite

MARCH 13, 2021 PROMPT
What traditional ethnic food dishes from your culture does your family still enjoy?
Tell us about how the recipe was passed down and what modifications were made over the years.

Our Family's Favorite

When it comes to household chores and activities, I would say Mother knows best most especially when we talk about cooking. At home, I have my all time favorite dish. Although this dish is easy to cook that almost everyone here in our country knows how to prepare it, my mother's recipe is what I love most. I don't know what tweaks she did or secret ingredient she added to it but it tasted so good and delish. Our birthdays would never be complete without this on our table.

         I wasn't sure if this dish is considered one of the traditional ethnic dishes here in the Philippines, so I consulted Google and I was only surprised as it landed second on the list of 10 Traditional Filipino Dishes Every Foodie Should Know. This dish I am talking about is Pancit.1 This was actually originated from China and was introduced into our country by Chinese immigrants and had been fully adopted as local cuisine. And there have been numerous variants and modifications made in the way it is prepared and cooked. This comes in two or more variations but Pancit Miki and Pancit Bihon are the most common. These two are cooked either individually or mixed together to create a new menu called "Bam-i". However, Pancit Miki is what I love eating with bread or even make it as my viand.

         As I mentioned, my mother's version of this is the best among others. Back then, every time she went to the market she would never miss a time without buying this. It is her favorite dish and so is my father's and mine. To give you idea on how it is prepared, please read through the recipe from Panlasang Pinoy Meat Recipes2below:

How to Cook Pancit Miki Guisado
Miki noodles are very similar to egg noodles but miki is usually sold fresh and not dried like other noodles sold in supermarkets or wet markets.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins

Course: Noodles recipe
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: miki guisado, pancit miki
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 234kcal
Author: Manny

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo miki noodles
1/2 cup fresh shrimp shelled
100 grams squid balls quartered
100 grams pork belly sliced into strips
1 medium onion sliced
5 cloves garlic minced
1 small carrot julienne
2 cups cabbage chopped
1 chicken cube dilute in 1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a cooking pan. Put in pork and stir fry for 5 minutes.
2. Add-in onions and garlic, cook until the onions becomes soft.
3. Put in shrimp and stir fry for 1 minute, next add in the squid balls and stir fry for another 1 minute.
4. Add-in salt, pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken cube (diluted). Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Put-in the cabbage and carrot. Cook until vegetables are tender.
6. Put-in the miki noodles, and mix together with all the ingredients. Stir cook for 3-5 minutes.
7. Transfer to a serving plate, then serve.

         If you wish for a video of this in different cooking styles and variations, please visit YouTube  

         So I guess that's pretty much it. We grow up with this food and I am proud to say that this is the dish our family had enjoyed, been enjoying, and will continue to enjoy. Thank you for reading this. Cheers!

Footnotes
1  In Filipino cuisine, pancit are noodles and the dishes made from them, usually made with rice noodles. Noodles were introduced into the Philippines by Chinese immigrants in the archipelago, and over the centuries have been fully adopted into local cuisine, of which there are now numerous variants and types. The term, pancit (or the standard but less commonly spelled, pansit), is derived from either the Philippine Hokkien Chinese: 扁食; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pán-si̍t/pián-si̍t; lit. 'wonton (noodles)' or Philippine Hokkien Chinese: 便的食; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: piân-ê-si̍t/pân-si̍t; lit. 'convenient food'.[1] Different kinds of noodles can be found in Filipino supermarkets which can then be cooked at home. Noodle dishes are also standard fare in local restaurants. Food establishments specializing in noodles are often referred to as panciterias. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancit
2  https://www.panlasangpinoymeatrecipes.com/pancit-miki-guisado.html