...drum roll, please....
I Can Do That! : CRÊPES WITH BUCAYO
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And now for my Food Friday post... :)
My post this time is about the PILI NUT (Canarium ovatum). I don't plan on talking about the most widely used part of this nut, the kernel (which can be candied, made into pastillas, or simply eaten raw). I'll be mumbling about another edible part of this seed, the pulp.
There it is: fresh ripe pili nuts, straight from the tree:
Some people break them open immediately (to get to the kernel inside) or tend to wait till the nuts are dried and then proceeds to open the shell. But not my family (in the province, since that's where my father planted some pili trees). Usually after picking, we immerse them in hot (not boiling) water for a few minutes; just until the skin retains the slight indention after you press on it. If you place it in the hot water far too long it will harden, so be vigilant; 15-20mins, at most.
Now this is the messy bit: peeling off the thin and shiny skin to reveal the pulp inside. The pulp is soft and clingy, and fibrous. The color's usually brownish with some green tints and removing it from the shell is quite easy. Still, it can get pretty messy! Don't tell me I didn't warn you. Well, of course you can always wear gloves. lol.
Once removed, the pulp can be eaten immediately (they say it's an acquired taste, and I agree). I didn't like it at first, but after I ate it together with fermented raw fish (yeah, doesn't sound very "nice". lol), I was amazed at how good they tasted together! My father said that they eat the pulp as a side dish (and usually with the fermented raw fish...forgot what they call it, but the fishes were small. Unfortunately, you can also feel the crunch of the bones when you eat them. LOL).
It doesn't have an impressive shelf-life, so usually we only prepare a small amount each time. If needed, we store some of the pulp inside the freezer which some say can last for about a week; but we're not really sure, since usually it gets eaten before the week ends. I read somewhere that the pulp can also be pickled or made into spreads...interesting! Will have to read more on that...
The 'cleaned' shell can then be sun dried. Once dried, you can open the hard shell and eat the kernel inside.
Opening it isn't easy, since the shell is really hard. I tried it once and gave up; the nut went flying all over the place! You need the basic tools, like maybe a hammer and some pliers. LOL
UPDATE: 7/30/2011
...would love to add that I forgot to mention another ingredient which makes eating the pili pulp a pleasure: calamansi juice (which is added to the fermented fish). Thanks to Stoic_Khail for pointing that out. :)
...and i remembered the bagoong fish: my father called them 'Kuyog'. I believe it's also similar to ziganid fish or padas. Not too sure, though. But am 100% sure my father called it 'kuyog' and it was always a pleasure getting our supply from Bicol during those days. :D
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