From February 12 to 15, 2018, held at the Quadricentennial Square, the annual Pistang Tomasino was launched by the UST Simbahayan Community Development. It featured different indigenous communities coming  from Bulacan, Tarlac, Laguna and other provinces that offer their home-grown products to the Thomasian community. These chosen partner communities were here to promote not only their products but as said by the head of the community development office of the Accountancy department, hopefully it can showcase the beauty of the existence of what we have in our colorful culture.

The park was in a different atmosphere, different from the usual place flocked by students practicing, as it filled with numerous stalls, vendors of distinct garbs and various domestic products. The banners, flags, music and the details made it feel like I am on a local market in a rural area. While strolling, I saw three distinct products that enticed me to buy their products:

1. The famous balut

It is one of the distinguished delicacies of our country that can only be either awfully despised or loved, there is no middle ground. I loved it, so I bought it. This Filipino street food which is a fertilized duck egg is a stamp of being a true blooded Filipino. If you don't have the guts to eat the beaked duck, you are not worth to be a Filipino. This is the saying that passed on from generations to generations. The fear of eating the duck with its beak and head seen can be easily surpassed after sipping the tastyfluid/soup and tasting the yolk, chick and often, the rock.

The balut sold in the stall was made in Sitio Layak, Brgy. Anupul, Bamban, Tarlac. Bamban, famous for its Rome-like structure and numerous resorts still finds a way to preserve their traditions. These landmarks paved the way for a modern way of celebrating feasts instead of rice fields or farms. Their livelihood also became more technologically advanced, but one of the product that a typical humid place in our country that can make is Balut. These eggs sold were grown and produced in their own lands and was incubated until the 16th day. The 16 days of incubation makes the duck look less developed with their beaks and head fully formed. As I popped open the balut, the amniotic fluid which is always the best part of my experience in eating balut was sipped until the last drop. Afterwards, I was offered to try along their vinegar with a bit of spice and some rock salt. Flavor after flavor, my upper lips became whitish from the vinegar.

Embedded in our culture, eating baluts is one of the experience that Filipinos will continue to savour and this product will continue to sell like hot cakes. The price for a balut is Php 15.00.

2. The favorite Filipino breakfast/merienda

Usually made with cocoa, rice, milk and sugar, this rice porridge was part of our food menu. In a morning, a rainy afternoon, a midnight snack, it does not matter at what time of the day this meal could be eaten. It would still retain its sweet and hot taste. Added with an evaporada, condensed or powdered milk, the sweetness of a chocolate can be in the grasp of a rice meal.

The Champorado was cultivated in Kalinga by the Kalinga Organic Unoy Rice Farmers' Association. Farmers here are known to mill their rice grains into different products: noodles, wine, chili paste and champorado. What this rice field sets apart from a typical rice field is their way of cultivating their rice without the use of pesticides and fertilizers.

I bought a cup of Champorado since I was enticed by my classmate to buy one because of its good taste. I am a fan of eating this sweet food and if given the chance to see someone selling one, I would do it in a heartbeat. The Champorados were covered in rice cookers to preserve its temperature and taste. Added into the cup full of Champorado was condensed milk in a spiral motion. Mixed it all up, I wanted to spread the sweetness of this food up to the last drop as I knew I would enjoy do it. The hot feel of the food made it also more appetizing.

Sweetness is part of the taste that Filipino tongues would always crave for. A sweet rice meal that would suffice our stomach with flavor will definitely sell among all potential customers. The price for a cup of Champorado is Php 20.00.

3. Espasol the Pasalubong!

Laguna and espasol. These two words correlate with each other. Espasol orginated from Laguna as it shows how they value patience and hard work. These delicacies are made from rice flour, coconut strips and coconut oil, a merienda worth to fill our cravings. The product was made in Nagcarlan, Laguna, one of the best towns in Laguna that produces the best Espasol along with towns Los Baños, Alaminos and Pagsanjan. Having known its origin, I was  definitely asssured that my money was worth the taking.

I bought a pack of Espasol with my classmate and shared 3 pieces each. Upon opening, the rice flour was intact and plentiful in just a piece of the delicacy. It was tasty as every bite was stocked with the sticky, soft, sweet taste. As easy as it may have looked, but proper procedures were done that made each piece thick and dry enough.

This toasted rice flour even if it may not be from Nagcarlan would still be easily sold in the markets because of the varities of its flavors and the sweet, thick mouth-watering merienda that we would always crave for. The price for a pack of Espasol is Php 50.00.

Come and visit next year's annual Pistang Tomasino to buy more of this local products!