As a child growing up in the Philippines there were 2 kinds of treats that would make my mouth water even at the mention of its names.
Sampaloc (Tamarind Candy) and Hopia (Mung Bean or Red Bean Cake).
SAMPALOC is a fruit that's pretty tart and sour if eaten straight from the tree.
Through a process that I'm not even going to attempt to describe...they turn this fruit into a sweet/salty/tarty treat.
Man...my mouth is already watering as I type this up!
It gets a little tricky when it comes to eating it though. You have to be careful not to eat the seed inside but still be skillfull enough to "skin" it.
I've been getting my "fix" by going to the local asian mega-store here in town...THANK YOU Nam-Hai! If you're reeeally good and ask very nicely I might share a couple with you. I'll even teach you the proper "technique" of "skinning" a seed.
HOPIA is this delectable pastry that's filled with beans...now, some of you out there who are TRUE pinoys might contest this. I know, that not ALL Hopias are bean filled. I just prefer either the Mung or Red bean kind so BACK OFF! hehehe...anyhoo.
I love me some hopia yO! And I am one of those people that loves to share my culture through stories, pictures, language and food.
Karen, my wife, finally got up the nerve to try one...with the help of her mom. Karen grew up pretty much a meat and potatoes chick. But that all changed when she married me. Now she's hooked on Sushi, Thai food and the like. BUT...she's still a little leery about Filipino food for some reason so I'm proud of her for trying this one out. Tonight they ventured to eat a piece of Filipino culture, they split a half and I ate the other half.
"...not bad..."
I'll take it!
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