Friday, April 11, 2008

Abnoy! Abnoy!


Smells like hell, tastes like heaven!

Nope, I am not referring to Davao's famous Durian. A true son of Pateros will only have one thing in mind when you say these words - ABNOY!

If balut is the "famous" delicacy of Pateros, abnoy may lay claim of being the "infamous" counterpart. If the uninitiated finds eating duck embryo revolting, wait till they hear what we do with rotten duck eggs.

Rotten. That's what it is. Abnoy is made from fertilized duck eggs that did not fully develop. As it begins to rot from the inside, it emits an odor most foul. But trust the people of Pateros to come up with the most fascinating foods even out of rotten eggs. Thus was born the bibingkang abnoy.

So, if you are ready for a Fear Factor experience, head for Pateros and get yourself raw abnoy eggs from any of the friendly balutans in our town. Once safely home, start your gastronomic adventure. Here's my favorite recipe for bibingkang abnoy:

Bibingkang Abnoy

What you will need:
  • abnoy eggs from Pateros
  • minced onion
  • chopped tomatoes
  • chopped kimchay
  • ground pepper
  • rock salt
  • banana leaves - optional
How to prepare:
  1. Break the eggs and pour contents on a bowl. Be warned that the eggs will smell - and smell really bad. Don't say I didn't warn you on this.
  2. After you have recovered from the initial shock, or if your nose had adjusted to the pungent smell (whichever comes first), beat the eggs as you would for an omelet.
  3. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Set aside.
  4. Heat an omelet pan lined with banana leaves wide enough to spread over the cooking area. Pour cooking oil and let stand for a few seconds, or until hot enough.
  5. Pour the mixture into the pan, over the banana leaf until about 1/4 inches thick. Let stand under moderate heat until the top portion is slightly cooked, then flip over. Let stand until both sides are brownish.
  6. Poke with a fork to check if the inside is already cooked.
  7. Take out from the pan and serve warm, with spicy vinegar on the side. Great with steamed rice or as bar chow. Some people from Pateros would prefer it with bahaw na kanin, or cold rice from yesterday.
  8. A variation on cooking the abnoy mixture would be to steam it as you would a puto or siopao. Still another delicious way is to go unconventional by baking it in a traditional bibingka table top clay oven, with embers from charcoals on both the bottom and top sides. Now, think twice before trying this outside of the Philippines (that is, if you can find a stateside abnoy), as your exotic-food-challenged neighbors could find its differently abled aroma quite offensive. Too bad there's no other way to eat it other than straight from the pan.
And Harry Connick thinks eating balut is weird?

* Photo of bibingkang abnoy courtesy of lafang-list.bluechronicles.net, while that of slices being sold in Pateros is from the collection of Elmer Nocheseda.

15 comments:

Elmer I. Nocheseda said...

Hi. Elmer Nocheseda here. Together with the Pateros Mayor Joey Medina,We are preparing the manuscript/ text/ photos for a possible book for PATEROS to be published by February 2009. You can help us by contributing your write ups/ essays/ history tid bits to us.

If you are interested, you can e-mail me in MS Word file your essays to the following:

nochesedaelmer@gmail.com.

Salamat sa recipe. Marami pang variations ang pagluluto ng bibingkang abnoy. We can collect that for the book.

Elmer Nocheseda

Anonymous said...

Taga-Pateros ako. Lumaki ako sa isang maliit na bahay sa likod ng isang malaking balutan. At ang hindi ko pa rin makakalimutan ay noong nagluluto pa yung lola ko ng bibingkang abnoy pagsapit ng tanghali para ibenta niya sa munti niyang tindahan.

Hindi ko pa rin makalimutan yung sandali na yun na kung saan binabaliktad ng lola ko yung bibingkang abnoy para maluto yung kabilang bahagi.... lalabas ang usok mula sa kawali at nalalanghap ko ang kakaibang sarap ng niluluto niya!!! O anong sarap!!!

Nung panahon na iyun, panggatong na kahoy pa ginagamit ni lola kaya kakaiba talaga ang sarap ng bibingkang abnoy niya.

Patay na ang lola ko. Wala nang nagluluto ng bibingkang abnoy. Pero ang alaala ng nakalipas na mga panahon ay hindi pa rin mawala...

Anonymous said...

Jon here, taga Sta. Ana kaliwa, sa mga gusto mag try ng ABNOY, TRY NYO NA!!! da best iulam, pang merienda at pang pulutan!

Maris said...

Using bugok an egg? Tasting this would be quite a gastronomic adventure. Kaya lang, could there be anyrisk of food poisoning coz the egg is already a stink bomb? And I can't imagine how this would smell like while it is cooking. But what the heck? I'm so convinced by your blog that I am contemplating onmaking this during the weekend(that is if I find a spoiled duck egg).

Dennis Concepcion said...

Maris,

Don't worry, there has not been any report of anyone dying from food poisoning after eating abnoy. Worst case scenario, you may just end up with an impatso for eating too much of it!

Just remember though that abnoy is not just any rotten duck egg. It has to come from fertilized egg, which has failed to fully develop. Any other rotten egg should just be thrown at our good-for-nothing politicians.

Good luck on your adventure!

Anonymous said...

masarap talaga itong abnoy, lalo na pag-may inuman, hinde talaga pde mawala ito.

dun ako bumibili sa tabi ng peralta, tapat ng 7/11. for 10 pesos may 2pcs abnoy ka na!

Anonymous said...

Sa Aguho ako lumaki. Nung bata pa kami, pag nagluluto ng bibingkang abnoy ang Kuya Felino namin, sa tabing ilog niya binibiyak yung mga itlog na bulok. Marami kaming magpipinsan kaya pag lapag ng bandehado sa mesa, ubos kaagad yung bibingkang abnoy. Sabi nga ng Kuya Felino, "parang naghatid lang ako ng sulat ah."

Anonymous said...

my childhood town is in Sta.Maria before you get there, is a town i love the most because of BIBINGKANG ABNOY. The town is known as Siniloan Laguna. I dont care where is the Bibingkang Abnoy originated but all i can say is.. This food is really amazing and i am addicted to it. i dropby to search how make bibingkang abnoy. and gladly i found your column. i learned about the commentator's post. i never knew that it could be used as ulam or neither pulutan. I BETTER TRY IT SOON BUT FIRST, DO YOU KNOW WHERE CAN I BUY DUCK EGGS?

Anonymous said...

I've tried it when two of my friends bought one each on a road trip in Laguna. It tastes exactly as described. As you imagine it.

The way to eat it is to drown it in industrial strength super spicy suka.

I thought to myself, why not just make an omelette of normal duck eggs? Then again, what's the fun in that?

Btw, my two friends got instant diarrhea an hour after eating the abnoys.

Takashira said...

Im here now in HiroshimaJapan,,,but ive grew up in Lower Bicutan Taguig,,,,Naaalala ko si Nanay pag may nababasa akong mga ganitong recepi...Lalo na tong Abnoy...my peborit..totoo nga, nakka impatso talaga,,dahil marami tiyak ang makkain mong bahaw na kanin pag ang ulam eh abnoy na sawsawan sukang maanghang...wheww.....saraaappp..

eyerin said...

First time ko natikman tong abnoy sa Real Quezon. sabi nila sa laguna daw nagoriginate ito. hndi kaya sa pateros? whateva!

gagawa ako ng post tungkol dito kasi talaga naman may tama ang lasa at amoy nito! wapak! gusto ko sana maglagay ng link ng site mo para dagdag info sa mga sakaling makakabasa ng blog post ko. kung hndi ok just shoot me an email.

enweis, hindi ko kinaya nung first time ko natikman to grabe naman talaga pero sa mga matitibay malamang magustuhan to.nice post

HydeParker said...

Hi Dennis,

Grew up with abnoy and had it probably from the time I could have solid food till I left Pateros when I was 20 ('67). Haven't had it in over 40 years now but I'll jump at (just about) any opportunity to taste them again.

Also, read almost all of your write up and found them very interesting. I haven't been back to the PI for over 43 years now but, although there is some yearning to visit, I am afraid to witness the condition it's in now. I am very much aware of the Pateros River; learned to swim in it growing up in Aguho; disobeyed instructions from teachers not to go swimming behind palenke in Tabacalera. [BTW, I have a horrible story about swimming there (no, nobody drowned) that I could tell you later].

The other thing is, I would like someday to create a model of Pateros Elementary School as it existed between 1955 and 1961. Unfortunately, it will have to be from memories as I don't have any photos going back. I love that school! Too many great memories.

BTW, you mentioned Mrs. Cagadoc, you're 1st grade teacher. I remember when she changed name. We came back to school for the new school year and we were told she's no longer Miss...(sorry, can't remember her maiden name!). There are many stories I could share with you and, fortunately, most of them were pleasant memories. If I could live again the life I had in Pateros, I'll do it in a heartbeat! Great people I grew up with.

An anynymous blogger mentioned growing up in Aguho and Kuya Felino preparing the egg by the river bank, could that be Felino Perez? And, anonymous a one time neighbor of mine?

Oh so many thing to re-live!!

Thanks for your write up and (very much) hope to hear from you.

Dante Zamora

Anonymous said...

Hi everyone!

I grew up in Aguho, Pateros too. Our home were located in G. De Borja, in front of Municipal Hall. Si Mayor Pepe Capco pa ang Mayor noon. Most of my amazing childhood memories are there. Had my elementary education in Pateros Elementary School (PES) and secondary education in Pateros National High Shcool (PHNS, formerly Pateros Municipal High School. I'm planning to put up a stall and it would be a pleasure to sell Bibingkang Abnoy. Para naman makilala tayo, di lang sa Balut, Itlog na Maalat at Alfombra.

May kilala pa ba kayong masarap at batikan na nagtitinda ng Abnoy sa atin sa Pateros? At sa tingin niyo ba, papatok ito kapag binenta ito with rice?

Maraming salamat!

"Mas na Mas Pateros!"

Unknown said...

Hi I'm Katrina, researcher from Rated K of ABS-CBN. We're interested in featuring the Bibingkang Abnoy of Pateros. Do you know anyone na nagtitinda nun? Can you give us their contact details like address and contact no. Feel free to e-mail me at ka3namanalang@gmail.com Thanks

Moon Lei said...

Hindi ko matagalan ang amoy ng abnoy. Kadiri. Amoy basurang inuuod, amoy patay na daga o bulok na itlog na maalat na bulok. Pero once you eat without smelling it.. may kakaiba syang lasa na ewan.. na nagugustuhan ko. May after taste na may kung anong effect sa dila.basta may masarap na suka.. go na. �� remember, don't ever smell!