Chocolate Stew

By: Estelito Meneses

Dinuguan is a traditional filipino food where different variations of this food have coconut milk, tomatoes, tamarind leaves and finally no innards. I know that some of you might say, ” That's disgusting,” or “ You guys eat that? That’s gross.” It possibly is unappetizing for some but for Filipinos, it's an amazing meal with rice.

Dinuguan is not the only exotic food in the philippines, we also have Balut, a (fertilized duck egg, Adobo(soy & vinegar), Kinilaw(acidic ceviche), and finally Etag, fermented pork. These are very popular in the Philippines, especially Balut which is very common in the there. You can find it in the street where venders sell them and it’s popular as well. I personally don't hate it but i also don’t like it at the same time but that is a story for another time.

I interviewed my mom on dinuguan. The question that I got more information out of was when I asked “ if you were able to talk to someone and ask them if they were willing to try dinuguan would you? If so why? And my lovely Mom said” umm to pass my style to, so they can have an experience.”

So dinuguan is not the only version of this stew, in a news site called Guampedia where the article called Fritada: pork, beef or venison blood stew it states that the earliest record of a blood soup goes back to ancient greece.The spartan meal of melas zomos(aka blood soup)was made of boiled pig’s blood, pork and vinegar”.

When I was growing up back in the Philippines I was eating lots of masarp(delicious) foods like adobo, pancit canton, sinigang, bicol express, and etc but the most food i really didn’t mind eating a lot was dinuguan because it was delicious with the simmered pork with onions, garlic, ginger and finally dugo ng baboy(pigs blood) oh thinking about it makes me really hungry nevermind my hunger, I got to focus back to the story.

Dinuguan was one of my favorite foods back in the Philippines but when I came to the United States I started to lose all of my memories of dinuguan. The warmth of the broth and the tastes of onions and garlic over the rice, oh dammit i’m losing focus, let's continue. Dinuguan for me was mostly a comfort food, and I only get to eat dinuguan when my parents are up to cooking it; and when that does happen I feel happy. My dad also the same reciprocated feelings when it comes to dinuguan. I interviewed him about it and he said, “Yes.” I then asked why to which the answered with, “because it’s good food.

Having something meaningful like whether its favorite traditional foods from your country,having your favorite song from that country, or your loved ones in the country cherish every moment that you have with it and don’t forget it.