Argao is one of the oldest towns in Cebu and in the Philippines and if you visit or just happen to pass by it, you could see a lot of old houses there. I happen to have been there twice and I can really see so much potential. One of the best things it can offer to travellers is their Torta.
Of all the distinguishing ingredients possessed by a single piece of cupcake, it is Tuba, a coconut wine, which makes it one of the most distinctive specialties in the word. Torta as it is known is traditionally made in Argao although it is of Spanish origins. But one can never discount the long years of Spanish colonization in the Philippines that even their foods are quite heavily entrenched in our culture. What’s more interesting is that we are able to adapt their influences and make our own very unique version that is distinctly Filipino. Torta might be founded in Spain but Argao has one of the best Tortas in the world.
If a traveller going to Argao would ask, what is Argao’s famous delicacy? A number of Argaoanons would boast of their world- class Torta. The Argaoanons pride themselves in having one of the most delicious Torta’s in the world. Argao’s Torta is uncommonly delicious owing in part to its ingredients. Although it has the same ingredients as a regular cupcake such as flour, eggs, sugar, etc. It also has some unique components that mark its rareness such as pork lard (pig fat/used pig oil) and the infamous Tuba (fermented coconut wine,) which is said to be a prime ingredient for leavening that is not used in any other delicacies outside of Argao and is the secret behind the superiority of Argao’s Torta, which is not much of a secret anymore. The combination of these two gives Argao’s Torta a distinctive taste that is certainly different from the tortas in Spain. And sometimes, anise is added to enhance flavour and so as raisins and cheese. Another secret to their incomparable torta recipe is the way it is cooked. Torta a la Argao is traditionally baked in a hudno (an improvised oven, where the top and bottom of the batter mold are heated) using coconut husks for charcoal. Although shops selling Torta right now are using commercial methods to meet the demands of the customers, some of the households in Argao are still following the traditional method of cooking Torta.
this is the hudnoAnother reason for Argaoanons to be proud of with their Torta is how it readily shows their patience especially in the extremely long and tedious process of making it. To make Torta a la Argao, first, one must start with preparing the ingredients and this procedure is applicable to any kind of recipe. Second, start with pouring tuba into the flour and add salt after this and mix it very well (for better results, use an electric mixer). Third, one must separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and place the egg yolks in a separate bowl (in this recipe, only the egg yolks are to be used). Fourth, gradually add sugar to the egg yolks while beating them well. Fifth, add the oil and blend it well with the flour and tuba. Sixth, place the mixture into a pan lined with paper and greased with butter or oil and this is the time one can add anise if one has or wants to. Seventh, after all the mixing has been done, the resulting batter is not directly baked but is rather left out for seven (7) hours for it to rise so one probably has to occupy one's time with other activities while waiting . And lastly, after waiting seven full hours, it is baked at a temperature of 325⁰F until cake tests done.
Argao’s Torta is truly delicious. I, for one, have tasted its rare quality on occasions when my aunt would bring some every time they went to Argao to visit her husband’s family. It’s a rare treat and very far from the commercialized delicacies sold here in the city since it is home-made by her mother-in-law. I can easily understand how it can be a favourite among tourists to bring home as ‘pasalubongs’ for their family. Any tourist visiting Argao would never fail to buy a box of Torta for which they will bring home to their families and friends. Even those who aren’t bound for Argao, but just happen to pass by the town on the way along their roadtrip, would stop over and buy a box or two of this delicious delicacy. According to my acquaintances who are born and bred Argaoanons, the most famous shop selling Torta in Argao is Chitang’s Torta. Their Torta is selling like hotcakes because they are known to have exceptionally delicious Torta. The Chitang’s Argao claims, as indicated in their punchline ‘Magkabahaw, Magkalami’, that the longer their Torta is kept, the more delicious it gets.
Every September, Argao celebrates their Torta festival and these may be the grandest occasion the town conducts in the whole year. I may not have been in Argao during their two-day celebration of their fiesta in honor of their Torta but I’ve seen a creative presentation by delegates from Argao on how it feels and looks like during this year’s Pasigarbo sa Sugbo. The delegates were able to show the festive air and the celebrations jam-packed in two-days straight not to mention the unending eating sessions from morning till night. The Torta Festival is one of the rare opportunities where Argaoanons can display their uncommon generosity. “You wouldn’t believe how many boxes of Torta were given out to the numerous visitors when they left from my in-laws house,” my aunt said. Her in-laws are from Argao and her family goes there every year during the fiesta. “The morning before, a huge truck delivered loads of boxes of Torta to their house and I wondered what they were for and I couldn’t be more surprised. They are so much different from our fiestas in the city. I think we are far too stingy by half.” She told me this when we met just right after they came home from Argao and I listened with all ears as she recounted the colourful happenings during the Fiesta.
What struck me the most is how generous the Argaoanons were and the Torta-giveaway tradition showcased that. This tradition is very normal for many homes in Argao and my aunt even said that some households would make their own hoards of Torta(if they can’t afford to order) just to give away. This may also be because they are proud of their very own delicacy and they want the people visiting Argao to know how delicious their Torta is so that when they visit Argao again, they won’t forget to buy a box of Torta as pasalubong. It’s like cutting to birds with one stone because it’s being open-handed and promoting Torta at the same time and not only does it promote Torta, it helps in Argao’s Torta-making industry as well. Imagine how much profit shops in Argao amass in the bulk sales of Torta during the festival.
What can be considered, however, to be the best Torta in Argao is one that is completely homemade. Nothing can beat the flavour and taste of Torta that is created in a simple household in Argao. “I remember, before mom collapsed from a heart disease, she used to make delicious tortas for us to bring home,” my aunt would say while reminiscing the time when her mother-in-law was still active.This is because, their secret ingredient is not only Tuba but also the pure love poured out by the family into making the Torta. The households in Argao may differ a little in some ingredients but they have the love for family and the love of making Torta in common. This is a virtue that Torta makes us see in the Argaoanons. Love gives them patience and the very reason why they can endure the tedious tasks of making the Torta. Love gives them a heart that gives and so is the driving force behind their generosity. Love is the reason behind their pride and joy for their Torta. All this love is evident in Argao's Torta therfeore, like love, the significance of this special delicacy to the town of Argao transcends through time. It’s amazing how one delicacy can say so much about one town and this can be said for the other other delicacies of other towns as well. This goes to show that a delicacy does not only represent a town, it also echoes the strong values the people in that place possess. And what’s more is that a delicacy, like the Torta is for Argao, is something a place can claim as its own that no other place in the world can. Argaos’ Torta unifies its people and one can discover this in the way an Argaoanon speaks about it with another Argaoanon, with pride and joy.
Sources:
Pinoy Foodblog Recipes. Torta a la Argao Cebu. October 16, 2011
http://pinoyfoodblog.com/baking-recipes/torta-visaya/
Argao: A Portrait of a Town. Commissioned by the Municipality of Argao. Retrieved October 16, 2011 from http://todd.lucero.sales.tripod.com/id47.html
What can be considered, however, to be the best Torta in Argao is one that is completely homemade. Nothing can beat the flavour and taste of Torta that is created in a simple household in Argao. “I remember, before mom collapsed from a heart disease, she used to make delicious tortas for us to bring home,” my aunt would say while reminiscing the time when her mother-in-law was still active.This is because, their secret ingredient is not only Tuba but also the pure love poured out by the family into making the Torta. The households in Argao may differ a little in some ingredients but they have the love for family and the love of making Torta in common. This is a virtue that Torta makes us see in the Argaoanons. Love gives them patience and the very reason why they can endure the tedious tasks of making the Torta. Love gives them a heart that gives and so is the driving force behind their generosity. Love is the reason behind their pride and joy for their Torta. All this love is evident in Argao's Torta therfeore, like love, the significance of this special delicacy to the town of Argao transcends through time. It’s amazing how one delicacy can say so much about one town and this can be said for the other other delicacies of other towns as well. This goes to show that a delicacy does not only represent a town, it also echoes the strong values the people in that place possess. And what’s more is that a delicacy, like the Torta is for Argao, is something a place can claim as its own that no other place in the world can. Argaos’ Torta unifies its people and one can discover this in the way an Argaoanon speaks about it with another Argaoanon, with pride and joy.
Sources:
Pinoy Foodblog Recipes. Torta a la Argao Cebu. October 16, 2011
http://pinoyfoodblog.com/baking-recipes/torta-visaya/
Argao: A Portrait of a Town. Commissioned by the Municipality of Argao. Retrieved October 16, 2011 from http://todd.lucero.sales.tripod.com/id47.html
Marlen (May 14, 2008). Torta, tuba and old houses.
Retrieved October 16, 2011 from http://specials.sunstar.com.ph/cebudirectory/argao/2008/05/14/torta-tuba-and-old-houses/
personal interview. Almirante, Shirley (my aunt). October 12, 2011
personal interview. Carreon, Destiny Mae. October 15, 2011
personal interview. Caraat, Hannah Mae. October 15, 2011
personal interview. Pastor, Shiela. October 15, 2011
personal interview. Rodriguez, Tito "Boy". October 16, 2011
personal interview. Almirante, Shirley (my aunt). October 12, 2011
personal interview. Carreon, Destiny Mae. October 15, 2011
personal interview. Caraat, Hannah Mae. October 15, 2011
personal interview. Pastor, Shiela. October 15, 2011
personal interview. Rodriguez, Tito "Boy". October 16, 2011
