SAN JOSE, Antique – “Pasta Porbida,” a dish famous in this province, was introduced to the public during the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) Kain Na! Culinary and Travel Festival held in Iloilo City.
Antiqueño chef Jose Ramlo Villaluna, trainer of the DOT Kulinarya Training Program, said the dish was upgraded from the old Spanish version of Porbida (chicken adobo) by adding pasta, chili flakes, and coconut wine or biti-biti to make it more flavorful.
“Porbida is a special dish introduced by the Spanish colonizers to the locale people in the towns of Sibalom and San Remigio,” Villaluna said on Monday.
The addition of more ingredients in the dish was presented in a more modern way, he added.
He said Pasta Porbida is cooked by sautéing onion with achuete oil, garlic, native chicken cutlets, and adding chicken broth and Alupidan leaves (Tetrastigma harmandii) – abundant in the towns of Sibalom and San Remigio, Antique.
“Coconut milk is added towards the end of the cooking process to make the dish creamy and tangy,” Villaluna added.
He said the provincial Tourism office is planning to step up the culinary scene in Antique by having the dish served in restaurants.
Meanwhile, the provincial Tourism office here also had the ceremonial chopping of the native lechon, or roasted pork suckling on Dec. 7 with Vice Gov. Edgar Denosta, the provincial board members and DOT regional director Helen Catalbas.
Last month, the province was launched as the Native Lechon Capital of the Philippines.(With a report from PNA/PN)
