Pancit or
pansit is the term for
noodleThe noodle is a type of food, made from any of a variety of doughs, formed into long thin ribbons, strips, curly-cues, waves, helices, pipes, tubes, strings, or other various shapes, sometimes folded. They are usually cooked in a mixture of boiling water and/or oil. Depending upon the type, noodles...
s in Filipino cuisine. Noodles were introduced into the
PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
by the
ChineseThe term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
and have since been adopted into local cuisine. The term
pancit is derived from the
HokkienHokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
pian i sit ( or ) which means "something conveniently cooked fast." Different kinds of noodles can be found in Filipino supermarkets which can then be cooked at home. Noodle dishes are also standard fare in local restaurants. Food establishments specializing in noodles are often referred to as
panciterias.
Nancy Reyes Lumen of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism writes that according to food lore handed down from the Chinese, noodles should be eaten on one's birthday. They are therefore commonly served at birthday celebrations and Chinese restaurants in the Philippines often have "birthday noodles" listed on their menus. However, she warns that since "noodles represent long life and good health; they must not be cut short so as not to corrupt the symbolism."
Variations
- Pancit Alanganin
- Pancit Alahoy
- Pancit Batchoy
Batchoy is a noodle soup made with pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, shrimp, vegetables, chicken stock, chicken breast, beef loin and round noodles. Its origins can be traced to the district of La Paz, Iloilo City in the Philippines, hence it is oftentimes referred to as La Paz...
- Pancit Bato is indigenuous to the Bicol Region; especially the town of Bato in Camarines Sur.
- Pancit Bihon Guisado
- Pancit Bihongundoy
- Pancit Cabagan
- Pancit Canton
- Pancit Canton Ilonggo
- Pancit Chami (Lucena City
Metro Lucena has an estimated population of 700,000 which is mostly concentrated in the flat south-central portion of Quezon, which includes the cities of Lucena and Tayabas, Sariaya, Candelaria, Lucban & Pagbilao . The people are often characterized as friendly and hardworking...
, Quezon)
- Pancit Estacion
Pancit Estacion is a type of pancit, or stir-fried rice noodle dish, which originated in Tanza, Cavite, Philippines. Its main ingredient is mung bean sprouts . Its sauce includes corn starch, atsuete, tinapa and kamias....
(TanzaTANZA was a pioneering New Zealand record label, from 1949 to 1956. TANZA stands for To Assist New Zealand Artists, and was the first company to record and produce records in New Zealand...
, CaviteCavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
)
- Pancit Habhab (Lucban, Quezon)
- Pancit Kilawin (a variety pancit originated from Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
, CaviteCavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
. In lieu of pancit noodles, shredded unripe papayaThe papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
fruit is used cooked with vinegar and fish. Usually partnered with DinuguanDinuguan Dinuguan Dinuguan (also called dinardaraan in Ilocano, tid-tad in Pampanga, sinugaok in Batangas, rugodugo in Waray, and sampayna or champayna in Northern Mindanao...
dish)
- Pancit Lomi
- Pancit Lucban
- Pancit Luglug
- Pancit Malabon
Pancit Malabon is a type of pancit, or stir-fried noodle dish, which originated in Malabon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It has a yellow-orange color due to a sauce that includes patis and crab fat...
- Pancit Mami (round egg noodles)
- Pancit Miki (round egg noodles)
- Pancit Míki-Bíhon Guisado (round egg noodles + bihon)
- Pancit Olongapo (Pancit Miki with 'Sarsa' sauce. Miki cooked in tradition added with sarsa a thickened chicken and pork broth, darkened a little witn soy sauce of choice)
- Pancit Molo (a bit of a misnomer, it is Filipino wanton soup without noodles contrary to what the name might suggest)
- Pancit Moròng
- Pancit Palabok
- Pancit Pula (variation of Pancit Miki from Batangas City
- Foreign Rule :The first Spanish missionaries arrived in Batangas City since 1572. Finally on 1581 Spanish authorities governing the Philippines created a pueblo in the area which included the hill where the present Provincial Capitol of Batangas stands after the formal end of the Coumintang...
)
- Pancit Sotanghon
- Pansit Sabaw (Pansit Miki with soup)
- Pansit Tuguegarao or Batil Patong
- Pansit Sinanta (also from Tuguegarao, consists of flat egg noodles, bihon, clams and chicken, with broth colored with annatto
Annatto, sometimes called roucou or achiote, is a derivative of the achiote trees of tropical regions of the Americas, used to produce a yellow to orange food coloring and also as a flavoring...
)
(aka
bijon) is the type usually associated with the word "pancit", very thin rice noodles fried with
soy sauceSoy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
some citrus, possibly with
patisFish sauce is a condiment that is derived from fish that have been allowed to ferment. It is an essential ingredient in many curries and sauces. Fish sauce is a staple ingredient in numerous cultures in Southeast Asia and the coastal regions of East Asia, and features heavily in Thai and Vietnamese...
, and some variation of sliced meat and chopped vegetables. The exact
bihon composition depends on someone's personal recipe but usually,
Chinese sausageChinese sausage is a generic term referring to the many different types of sausages originating in China. It is commonly known by its Cantonese name "Lap Cheong" or "Lap Chong" .-Varieties:...
and
cabbageCabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
are the basic ingredients in a
pancit bihon.
Pancit palabok and
pancit luglug are essentially the same dish, the difference being primarily in the noodles used in the recipe.
Luglug uses a thicker noodle than the traditional
bihon of a
pancit palabok. Both
pancit dishes use a round rice noodle (often specifically labeled for
pancit luglug or
palabok) smothered with a thick, golden shrimp sauce or other flavored sauce, and topped with:
- Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, (the size and shell-on or shell-off depending on preference)
- Crushed or ground pork rind
- Hard-boiled egg (sliced into disks or quartered lengthwise or chopped)
- Tinapa
thumb|TinapaTinapa is the Filipino term for fish cooked or preserved through the process of smoking. It is a native delicacy in the Philippines and is often made from milkfish, which is locally known as bangus...
(smoked fish) flakes
- Freshly minced green onion
Scallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...
Pancit palabok/
pancit luglug and
pancit canton are communal comfort food, and can be found at nearly all Filipino potluck parties. They are best made and eaten in batches for they are easily consumed.
Pancit sotanghon is a
cellophane noodleCellophane noodles are a type of transparent noodle made from starch , and water.They are generally sold in dried form, boiled to reconstitute, then used in soups, stir fried dishes,...
soup with a
chicken brothBroth is a liquid food preparation, typically consisting of either water or an already flavored stock, in which bones, meat, fish, cereal grains, or vegetables have been simmered. Broth is used as a basis for other edible liquids such as soup, gravy, or sauce. It can be eaten alone or with garnish...
base. It may include some kind of meat and vegetable. A typical
sotanghonCellophane noodles are a type of transparent noodle made from starch , and water.They are generally sold in dried form, boiled to reconstitute, then used in soups, stir fried dishes,...
is made with calamansi, sliced straw mushrooms, slivered dark-meat chicken and
green onionScallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...
.
Batil patong is not commonly known outside of Tuguegarao in the province of
CagayanCagayan , the "Land of Smiling Beauty", is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte...
in Northern
LuzonLuzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
,
PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It is an unusual sautéed noodle dish served with dark non-soy-based sauce and with two piquant side dishes: a cup of pork broth and a dish of chopped onions, vinegar or calamansi, chili peppers, and
soy sauceSoy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
. The noodles are wheat-based and are served moist and chewy, topped with crushed pork-rind cracklings, and whipped egg from whence the name
bati'l patong literally 'scrambled and placed on top' is derived.
Seaweed pancit
Tiwi, AlbayTiwi is a 1st class municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines as recorded in the latest National Statistics Coordinating Board. According to the 2007 NSO Census of Population, it has a population of 49,185 people in 8,036 households....
residents created a new
pancit made from
seaweedSeaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
, which has health benefits. It is rich in
calciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
and
magnesiumMagnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
and the seaweed noodles can be cooked into
pancit canton,
pancit luglug,
spaghettiSpaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. Spaghetti is made of semolina or flour and water. Italian dried spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but outside of Italy it may be made with other kinds of flour...
, or
carbonaraPasta alla carbonara is an Italian pasta dish based on eggs, cheese , bacon , and black pepper...
.
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