I’ve been feeling homesick these previous few days. Since shifting to the UK 2 many years in the past, I’ve at all times reached again and reclaimed my Filipino roots via meals. Not simply any form of meals however meals that nourishes the soul. Meals that brings me again to my island roots. All of the recollections captured and saved in my psyche by all of the scrumptious and great snacks and dishes I grew up savouring. The one approach I can feed that nostalgia is by attempting to recreate the meals that formed and nourished my childhood.
One of many meals I miss lots is the well-known torta bisaya, an especially wealthy and unctuous sponge cake that’s served throughout fiestas or feast days. I first tasted torta after I was finding out uni in Dumaguete, the capital of Negros Oriental Tortas are made with a ton of egg yolks and an equally hefty quantity of aged pig’s lard from the earlier 12 months’s celebration each of which apparently prolong the desserts’ shelf life and make the crumb extra tender as they’re saved longer. The batter is poured into fluted ensaimada moulds and baked in a “hurno” or “pugon” – a clay or steel oven that’s fired with dried coconut husks. The desserts take up the smoky aroma from the burning coconut charcoal which in some way elevates its style profile.
I bear in mind tasting my first torta in Siquijor. A classmate invited me to their city’s annual fiesta celebration in Olo, a little bit barangay close to a small river that empties out into the gorgeous white sand seaside. My good friend’s mum needed to specifically order the tortas from an artisan baker as a result of not all people might make them. “Inantigo“ was the phrase they used after I requested why they didn’t simply bake their very own tortas. Solely a choose few knew the secrets and techniques of constructing conventional torta the traditional approach with out industrial yeast or baking powder, and by simply utilizing tuba (the robust native toddy constructed from the coconut palm sap) as leavening. Due to this, not all people might serve torta because the prized centrepiece at their fiesta desk. The girl personally delivered the tortas in an enormous bilao (spherical woven bambo tray) they usually had been nonetheless heat below the swaddling of banana leaves. They smelled heavenly!
Over the course of my research and keep in Dumaguete, I’d tasted totally different tortas from totally different elements of the Visayas and Mindanao; from Argao to Bohol to Cagayan de Oro, introduced as presents by classmates and mates from their residence provinces. All of them tasted scrumptious and barely totally different however all of them shared the attribute richness from the overload of egg yolks and pork lard whereas additionally having the faintest trace of tanginess from the fermented tuba.
I needed to recreate the torta from my scholar days within the Visayas so I went about researching for an excellent recipe as a beginning base. I discovered a YouTube video of a well-known torta in Argao, Cebu known as Jessie’s torta which gave me an concept about the important thing components. I additionally discovered one other YouTube video from Chef Rose of Caro and Marie and a weblog by PalwithnoovenP from The Recent Loaf web site. Out of the three, Chef Rose makes use of baking powder in her recipe and never some type of fermented starter. PalwithnoovenP makes use of a sourdough wheat flour starter which I believe is ingenious. Jessie nonetheless makes her torta the previous and examined approach with tuba.
I needed to make a torta that was as genuine as attainable. I knew that I might by no means have the ability to recreate an actual artisanal torta bisaya as a result of 1) I don’t have a “hurno” and a pair of) it might be unimaginable to get tuba right here within the UK. I, nevertheless, beloved the thought of utilizing a starter or one thing that was naturally fermented as a leavener. I searched on-line for palm wine and located some offered within the African and Carribean retailers. Then whereas falling into the rabbit gap, I found a fermented drink known as tepache and eureka! I made a decision to make my very own tepache.
Tepache is a historically Mexican fermented beverage constructed from the peel and the rind of pineapples, and is sweetened both with piloncillo (a kind of uncooked sugar) or brown sugar and infrequently flavoured with cinnamon. – Wikipedia
I made tepache one weekend from the peels and core of a pineapple I purchased from the grocery store and a few Indian jaggery that was languishing in my cabinet. I made positive to clean the pineapple pores and skin very nicely to eliminate any chemical substances and dust. I adopted a easy recipe with out the spices and put all of the components in a big kilner jar and lined it with cheese material. After 24 hours there was already lots of tiny bubbles on the floor of the liquid and after 36 hours I tasted it and it already had the very slight tang which was a telltale signal of fermentation. It tasted candy and refreshing. I poured the liquid via a cheesecloth strainer into bottles which went straight within the fridge. I learn that tepache ferments in a short time as soon as the micro organism begins rising and might flip to vinegar if left too lengthy at room temperature.
The Spanish phrase for cake is torta and these little scrumptious desserts had been most likely influenced by the colonisers’ patisseries made by their Filipino slaves of their masters’ kitchens. The resourceful indigenous Filipinos made use of tuba as an alternative to baker’s yeast to provide you with these pleasant copycat desserts. Nearly appears like a delicate type of subversion when you ask me. 🙂
I used Jessie’s recipe as a base however I favored Chef Rose’s concept to make use of each butter and oil. I might already really feel my arteries constricting and hardening desirous about the quantity of lard going into my tortas! I assumed the butter would impart a pleasant flavour to enrich the lard and it might make the cake a little bit lighter in texture. Anise seeds had been often added to conventional tortas as they had been the most well-liked flavouring ingredient for sweets within the previous world. I sprinkled anise seeds into half my tortas and stored the opposite half plain whereas additionally including some vanilla extract for further flavour. Aside from that, I stayed as devoted to Jessie’s recipe as a lot as I might.
I used my home-made tepache as a tuba substitute to make the batter rise. The bottle of tepache let loose a loud hiss after I eliminated the cap and that made me comfortable. It meant numerous efficiency and fermentation was taking place. After mixing all of the components, I let the batter relaxation in a pre-heated low temperature oven with a jug of sizzling water for steam. All in all it took me round 5 hours to see the massive bubbles begin breaking the floor of the batter. Then I made a decision to begin baking my tortas
Following PalwithnoovenP’s lead, I preheated my fan-assisted oven to 180 C and baked my tortas for five minutes then lowered the warmth to 160 C and continued to bake for an additional 25 minutes. Like all consummate bakers already know, not all ovens are created equal and my oven at all times begins to nuke every little thing on the appropriate facet first so after quarter-hour, I turned the baking sheet the opposite approach which I believe price me an extra rise within the different half of my tortas. However all of them appear to have risen sufficient I believe and I’m fairly pleased with my first try at utilizing tepache as a leavening agent.
The following essential step was the look and style take a look at. All of them appear to have acquired some good browning and caramelisation on the floor. They had been fairly comfortable and tender when gently squeezed. I allow them to cool after which brushed with melted butter and sprinkled some granulated sugar as they’re historically donned. I sliced one and tasted. Mmmmmmm, it tasted identical to the normal tortas of my childhood! Getting used to the fluffy cloud-like chiffon desserts I purchase from Chinatown in London, I discovered the crumb was nonetheless little tighter and denser for my liking. I believe tortas are supposed to like that although and I’m attempting to recollect the feel of the tortas of my childhood.
So what are my takeaways from this little culinary experiment?
1. I can most likely combine in little baking powder so as to add simply extra elevate to the batter or I can prolong the proofing time to in a single day (?) I’m actually simply terrified of meals poisoning what with all of the egg yolks within the batter!
2. tepache is a good substitute for tuba in conventional Filipino yeast desserts like puto, bibingka, and naturally torta.
3. I could be braver and add extra anise seeds subsequent time for a extra authentic-tasting torta. I’ve to confess that the anise seeds do impart a pleasant liquorice flavour.
I believe I’ll attempt to make bibingkang (rice cake) pinalutaw (made to drift) or pinaliki (made to crack) subsequent time with the leftover tepache. Keep tuned!
