Cuisine of Quezon

Cuisine of Quezon is not as rich as say the other provinces but it can hold its own it taste of rather than in quantity of dishes.

The most famous amongst Quezon’s dishes are pancit habhab (the act of eating directly from a plate or leaf without using one’s hands or utensils) also know as pancit Lucban, longganisang lucban and the colorful yet tasteless kiping which is basically rice flour colored and formed using a leaf as a mold.

Lucena and Tayabas (there isa a debated who started which first) has its lechong lugaw which is a lugaw topped with lechon and adobong lechon.

Then there is Lambanog which is common in coconut growing provinces such as Batangas and Quezon and another beverage is Nipa wine aka tuba ng sasa which is basically fermented nipa sap.

Lucena also has its love affair with noodles like Lomi and its famous Chami which right now I am missing terribly.

Lucban’s Sausage aka Longganisang Lucban

Longganisang Lucban is a sausage native to the Quezon Province in the Philippines and as it is named probably originated in Lucban, Quezon. The recipe is designed for a long shelf life and basically the sausage is self contatined since you don’t need oil to cook it.

The commonly this sausage is manufactured lovingly in the towns of Sariaya, Tayabas, Lucena and Lucban in either backyard industries or large scale operations.

The usual recipe would be like this , do keep in mind recipe varies from household to household

1 kg of cubed (as opposed to chopped or ground) pork with fat.

¼ cup of oregano extract (can be more or less depending on taste)

1 teaspoon of paprika

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of chopped garlic (acts as the preservative)

Sausage casing (pork intestines preferred)

How to cook

Get a pan place the sausages in it and add water till the sausages are half covered. Boil the sausages and prick them so that the casings won’t explode. Cook till the water is all evaporated and what remains is the oil from the sausage.

Longganisang Lucban is best eaten hot either in itself as a viand or part of the infamous longsilog(longganisa, sinangag at itlog). Some prefer to dip it in vinegar with garlic though my personal preference is to dip it in brown sugar.

Dreaming of Lucena’s Chami

The reason I hate travel is because of noodles. Don’t get me wrong I love noodles (pancit) but I want it cooked the Lucena way.

Chami is like lomi with less broth and it is cooked stirred fried and has become a signature dish of areas near Lucena city such as Tayabas, Sariaya and Pagbilao.The noodles used are fresh egg noodles and usually pork or chicken stock is used to flavor it during cooking.

I won’t get into its origin and how it is cooked because there are hundreds way to cook just like Adobo, every household have their own way of cooking it.

It is a shame that wikipedia has an entry for Lomi but none for Chami. Hope somebody updates wikipedia soon

Bem Ermii is not MacDonald’s

I am writing this post to show my indignation at another blogger’s comment comparing Bem Ermii to MacDonald’s.

Before I get further into the subject I would divulge that I am not Palauan and I don’t have any stake in this.

Bem Ermii’s burgers are way better than the fast food burgers MacDonald’s serve at their stores. I am horrified at the thought that Bem Ermii’s burgers are being compared to MacDonald’s. Unless somebody can show me a MacDonald’s burger that has the same quality as that of Bem Ermii’s then I will retract my statement otherwise my opinion will stand.



Bem Ermii’s burger is very much superior to that of MacDonald’s IMO.

Bem Ermii is a gem in the Palauan food scene

The Gem of the Pacific

Sometimes when you get some information on how good some food items or recipes are more likely or not it is either hype designed to make an initial sale or a local preference that your traveler’s palate might not take into liking or just plain BS.

However all this stuff is not true when you talk about a burger stand here in Palau which I would say is one of the best burgers I’ve tasted. Another Filipino introduced me to a hamburger stand here in Palau and I can say I am hooked.

I don’t know what the secret is since the contents seems just the same old patty, veggies, tomatoes and sauces. This burger is so good that even after being in the fridge does not affect its taste and its flavor. Words won’t do justice to how it taste and I believe I don’t have the eloquence to describe the taste and flavor and juiciness.

Anyway when you’re in Palau look for a Bem Ermii stand and you will know what a real burger is.