REYES, Joselle Marie R. June 6, 2013
HUMALIT C37
MT Essay # 2

One of the delicacies from my hometown, Orion, Bataan, is what we call Boboto. It is made with ground roasted rice, thick gata (coconut milk), and topped with shrimps, pork and egg. My grandmother used to make these often and it is my father’s favourite meryenda. When I first saw a Boboto, I was hesitant to try it since it looked weird for me. But when I tried it, oh, I can’t stop eating. However, this dish requires some work. First, the rice would have to be roasted until golden brown and then ground. It will then be sautéed in garlic and onion. The thick coconut milk will then be poured and salt and pepper would be added. It would have to be continuously mixed until to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan. It will be mixed until it looks completely smooth. The mixture would be poured on a heated banana leaf and then topped with shrimps, pork and egg. It would be wrapped and steamed for twenty minutes and then it’s ready to be eaten. This recipe really brings back a lot of memories from my childhood, especially when my father would enter the room, with a plate on one hand. On the plate rests a boboto still wrapped in banana leaves. He would then look at me and grin as he slowly unties the strings holding the banana leaves. As he completely opens the boboto, he closes his eyes, savouring the aroma it releases. A hint of pepper and coconut milk enters my nose and my mind began to tell me that I was hungry. He looks again as if enticing me to join him, then he brings out two forks and hands one to me. At last, I give in and sit beside him as we are about to relish the delicious-looking snack. On top of the smooth white mixture of coconut milk and roasted rice, the shrimps and pork look juicy and inviting. I take my first bite. Its softness could relieve the mouth from all the talking. Its stickiness helps the tongue sustain the unexplainable taste it leaves. It has it all, the coconut milk’s taste, the pepper’s sting, the salt’s saltiness, and the garlic’s and onion’s flavour. It is like a little bit of everything. And after that first bite, it’s really hard to stop because my tongue keeps asking for more.
Word Count: 442 words I really thank my grandmother for passing on this recipe to my mother. I have tasted other bobotos, but nothing tastes like hers. And nothing could ever replace the memory of me and my father eating it together.