Have you tried Boodle Fight? This is a traditional Filipino method of eating on banana leaves without using any utensils.
It means you need to eat the food there with your bare hands.
Or have you tried singing in the videoke?
These two things I mentioned here are what Ate Tess prepared for us.
Hubby and I went to her house with the other guests this Saturday as we got invited, and let's see how we enjoyed her hospitality.
As you may know, Filipinos are known for their hospitality. Every time you visit a home, expect some snacks and drinks. It's a way of showing that you're valued not just as a friend but as family.
It was 11 a.m. when Hubby and I arrived safely at Ate Tess's place.
The weather is so nice at that time. It's a little bit hot as the sun strikes nearly noon, but still, I prefer a sunny day to a rainy one.
Her place is so spacious that you don't have to worry about where to park your car.
Sometimes, we call her place a "Hacienda". It's just the right term for this place as she has a large space for a plantation and a house nearby.
As we approached her, it looked like we had come too earlier than the other guests. The plan was to reach here before noon as we needed to help her prepare the food for lunch.
But you know "Filipino time". The habit of always being late to an agreed meeting time.
But let them be, as I can use my time visiting her garden and capturing those beautiful and fresh flowers.
These flowers are just those common blossoms that you can find in every Filipino garden. But it looks so appealing because of how the sun shines right through them.
After roaming around, finally, the other guests arrived.
And so the cooking began!
It was a busy noon for everyone.
There are assigned for those malunggay leaves. It needs to be shredded.
Some brought some pork barbecue and big tilapia fish. Freshly grilled. Yum! 😋
The smoke while grilling it makes everybody hungry. It smells so good that you'll get tempted to taste the cooked one. 😅
But nope. Let's wait until everybody is ready to eat.
It looks so tasty and flavorful. I make the dipping sauce for it which is vinegar. Added with sugar, black pepper, some water, and a little bit of salt. It's just the perfect combination for this yummy barbecue.
And for our juice... There are fresh coconuts that will be used and need to be mixed.
Kuya Danny knows so much about opening it. While others volunteered to strip it.
Uncle Tope just uses a fork and spoon for it.
And here's the result:
A few more coconuts are expected to be opened and stripped then sugar and milk have to be added. The coconut water of course. It's the instant liquid for it instead of adding water.
While others were so busy cooking and preparing our lunch, some chose to spend their time singing at the videoke.
They take turns singing. Except for me who's not confident in singing in front of everyone.
My baby seems so bored and not entertained by Kuya Danny's song. He looks so sleepy and sad. 😂
While I was so busy capturing these people, the lunch table was being prepared.
And here it is... 2 big banana leaves will be our plate. Rice is scattered. The barbecue, tilapia, and eggplants have been distributed on this long table.
Another dish is added to the side like the vegetable malunggay, tinolang manok, and the cold buko juice of course.
And that's the time I put down my cell phone and wash my hands. Because it's time for a boodle fight!
Everybody is enjoying the food. We're sharing and munching on this whole set of rice and viand. Every food tastes so good, especially the barbecue.
It's my favorite out of all. No need for the dipping sauce that I created earlier, because the meat itself is so tasty.
One thing I can't appreciate every time there's a boodle fight is the soup. Eating with your bare hands means you're not going to use any utensils. So having soup and pouring it into your rice is not a good combination for a boodle fight.
So I just put it in a cup and sip it like a coffee. HAHA.
After consuming almost all of the food in the banana leaves and spending our time having fun and talking, it's time to wash our hands.
And you know what's special in Ate Tess's place? She has her private water source.
Yes, it is a well.
Well, have you seen one before? This is located inside her house. I mean in front of her house, just part of her kitchen.
So every time she needed water, instead of opening a faucet, she'd use a four-foot length bamboo stick with a bucket on one end.
And charaaaannn... It abundantly gives enough water for their needs. And it's clean. Not like other wells where you need to use a water filter.
Afternoon has come and other snacks are being prepared.
It's a kamoteng kahoy (cassava). This was already cooked and boiled, so Ate Tess asked for help to remove the stalk.
This is needed before it becomes a "nilupak". It is a delicious Filipino treat made from Cassava. Traditionally pounded or mashed with a big mortar and pestle.
But now we don't have it. So it was just brought to the market nearby and paid for a machine to do the job.
Coconut meat has been added too, as well as sugar, peanuts, and margarine. All in all, it's been a 6 kilos nilupak.
This tastes so creamy. The portion of sugar was just right that it didn't taste so sweet. The peanuts made it enjoyable to chew. And all in all, I enjoyed how tasty it is. Yum!
The day came to an end with our full tummy and smiles on our faces.
Did I get disappointed in coming? Nope. Never.
This day became a rest day for me. A day off from work. New surroundings and fresh air. Bonding moments with our friends and family.
This day will surely be cherished and saved in my memories forever.
Disclaimer: All photographs by me, unless otherwise stated.