I have been in Cebu for 5 years now and never have I tried Tuslob Buwa before, I used to see it on side walks or food markets but never had the chance to eat it until last weekend when my partner brought me to Sugbo Sentro – one of the latest food parks in the city located in IT Park, I will write a separate blog about the place soon.
What is Tuslob Buwa?
The name Tuslob Buwa translates to "dip in bubbles." It is a dish that started in one of the barangays in Cebu, particularly in the neighborhood of Pasil. It is a simple dish made out of pork brain and pork liver and sauteed with garlic, onion, ginger, and lots of chili.
This is cooked with lard, which is made from 100% pork fat and adds to the greasiness of the dish. Once all ingredients are in the pan, you just keep stirring until the watery stock turns into a thick stew with bubbles, hence the name.
Tuslob Buwa is eaten with hanging rice, or puso. You just dip the rice in the mixture, and voila, you have yourself a little fatty pork brain party.
We had our Tuslob Buwa at QUEENS' TUSLOB BUWA, Check out the price on the photo below. We choose the one that come with 12 pieces of hanging rice for only ₱180.00 ($3.29).
The Back Story of Tuslob Buwa: A Glimpse into the Past
Before Tuslob Buwa rose to popularity after being adapted by food stalls and other restaurants, it was actually considered a poor man’s dish. The origin of the dish dates back as early as 1982 by the families in Pasil who were in the depts of poverty just trying to make ends meet. As you can see, the main ingredient of this simple street food is the pork's brain, which by then has no use for butchers, so they are either given away or sold at a very cheap price.
Back then you can see vendors of Tuslob Buwa in Pasil with their makeshift carts with a big wok and portable stove. In this set up, customers will be standing around the wok where the dish is served and they just dip into the mixture with their hanging rice. The scene is quite unhygienic, if you could imagine, and the dish sure reflects the lives of our less privileged brothers and sisters, showing a glimpse of poverty within the daily lives of the Cebuanos.
But now that some restaurants and food stalls have adapted the idea of tuslob buwa, it has been bumped up to a whole new level of experience. We all know how Filipinos love Samgyupsal, and with the upgraded version of Tuslob Buwa, you can cook your own bubbly gravy; no more communal woks, which is more hygienic; plus, tables and chairs are provided per group; condiments are also available; and plastic gloves are given to customers.
Tuslob Buwa was even featured in a Netflix show way back in 2019 called Street Food Asia, where Cebu street food delicacies represented the Philippines.
Tuslob Buwa Festival
Yes, there is also a Tuslob Buwa Festival in Cebu City, and it is celebrated every January in the barangay where it all started—Suba, Pasil. The festival first started in 2015 and is celebrated on the same day as Sinulog, as the patron saint of the barangay is also Sr. Sto Nino.
This year they were able to attract an estimated 8,000–10,000 individuals, per the barangay’s report. Over 250 tables were set by the residents, and about 25,000 pesos of puso, or hanging rice, were provided for free by the barangay officials, which also included the ingredients for Tuslob Buwa. The visitors hopped from one table to another to enjoy the dish.
Ending this blog with a kampai post! Tuslob Buwa is also best paired with an ice cold beer. Thanks for reading and I hope you are having a great time wherever you are in the world.
All photos were taken and edited by me unless stated otherwise. Images may have been shared to my social media accounts prior posting to the blog.