Batanes Turmeric Rice - Love at Second Sight

My so-called "one-pack ab" is a testament to one of my many passions in life - a steaming bowl of  white rice! Though I have lessened my intake in my quest to losing those extra pounds,  I have decided, as firmly as a priest's vow of celibacy, that it will never  ever get taken out of my meals,  well at least not for breakfast. :P

Such was my appreciation for white rice that I sneered at the thought of turmeric rice, a famous specialty in Batanes. I read about it somewhere while doing research prior to our trip - my first ever trip to this dream destination of mine! I've never encountered such dish and  neither its yellow color, which reminded me of ginger,  nor the name - turmeric, sounded appealing. 

It was lunch time. Me and a friend had just finished touring Sabtang along with several amiable members of the Camera Club of the Philippines. We had just met them at the port that morning and since we were stingy travelers, we  joined their group and split the costs on a hired jeep that took us around.

We were able to visit four picturesque destinations. Our first stop was Saviduk, a municipality filled with stone houses. Then we proceeded to Chamantad-Tinyan view deck which offers unbelievable views of the Pacific ocean, Chavayan – another community of stone houses with beautiful mountain ranges as backdrop and lastly, the Nakabuang Beach in Malakdang, where one can find an interesting rock formation in the shape of an arch.





Roaming Sabtang was a  treat to the eyes and now it was our tummies' turn to feast. As usual, I was eager to eat!  The food started coming in platters - pinakbet, lobsters, banana fritters and along with those came turmeric rice.


Ahhhhh, the moment of truth.

I anticipated the worst as I opened my mouth for my first taste of  turmeric rice. I might have even closed my eyes in case I had to make an intense effort to shove it down my throat.  Then it was finally in! I chewed and  had a moment of enlightenment. It's not bad at all! In fact, I like it! It does not have a gingery after-taste as I imagined it would have, no overpowering flavor actually. It's like my favorite cup of white rice with a hint of something good. It's color suddenly became appealing to me and I was smiling all throughout lunch. There was great food, amazing company, breathtaking views - and I stumbled on an edible treat that I like!

This was prepared as an entry to the Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival for July 2011 with the theme “Awesome Food Experience While Traveling In The Philippines”, hosted by Our Awesome Planet's - Anton Diaz.





Past adventures

Show more