by Jeremy C. Malcampo With Chef Gene R. Gonzalez
In highlighting Pinoy fusion cuisine, Taste puts in probe Fernando Aracama’s musing creation, included in his roster of fine dishings at UVA, the Suman sa Ibos (ibus,)-- a melange of fried suman in bread-crisps, panotsa, fresh ripe mango cubes, barquilios, and infused with the spicy-frost of the Salabat Ice Cream in strict luya (ginger,) pastiche -- as it cradles different extremital tastes in their distinct character, yet when gorged all together, the sensation would be heaven; in simplicity the taste character would be new to the senses; in a simpler note, the taste would be a tangler for the modern Pinoy palate.
As the chef’s noted entry to the Master’s Kitchen Fern Aracama’s Suman Sa Ibos, is an emblazon, not just of kakanin’s fusion and version indigena, as how in his childhood people from Bacolod used to enjoy their breakfasts and meriendarses, but also as a spearheading movement for Philippine cuisine’s surge for new taste and characterization.
As how Aracama creates it, Suman sa Ibos is prepared and served as follows:
1-prepare the panotsa, by adding muscovado to a boiling the niog gata in a pan, set aside; 3-peel and bread suman, cover in flour; 4-coat in scrambled egg before bedding on bread crumbs; 5-fry suman in corn oil, dry on napkin, but do not let cold; 6-cut fried suman edges to flatten base; 7-prepare plating, put panotsa by smearing a big amount at the side of a big plate; 8-let stand 4 pieces of suman in the middle of the panotsa; 9-cube ripe magoes; 10-place mango cubes on plate; 11-put flat barquillios on top of suman and add in a scoop of Salabat ice cream.
Clearly, as how one should enjoy Aracama’s Suman sa Ibos, is simply a play of taste disparities; the cold combined with the hot and spicy materials; it is a fusion creation of Pinoy sctrict materials. Indeed as how mainstream Pinoy cuisine would entail, Aracama’s Suman sa Ibos is a modern concoction that hails the kakanin, and traditional Pinoy prepared varietals in simplicity and version preparation; it is a colorful assimilation of containing the qualities of Pinoy sweets in a progressive mode.
