The Abad heritage house
Built in the 1820s, the Abad heritage house is one of the oldest houses in Tanza. For the three Abad brothers — Moises, a doctor; Cenon, a lawyer; and Julio, a judge — the house was not just a home, it was a clinic (for Moises), and a center for the production of patis and bagoong (fermented fish sauce and paste). The house — which is not usually open to public — is currently maintained by Sabina Abad, the daughter of Cenon Abad.
Formerly the culinary director at the Lyceum of the Philippines, chef Chris Bautista arrived at the house to demonstrate two dishes: pipian, a Spanishinspired chicken dish similar to kare-kare (a peanut sauce-based stew); and sampalok (tamarind) leavesflavored tinumis which looks similar to dinuguan (a stew of pork innards and blood).
Mr. Bautista said that he has observed that Filipino chefs have been wanting to push for a greater appreciation of Filipino cuisine and the renewed interest in heritage cooking.
“Back 5 years or 10 years ago, there was already an emergence in Filipino cooking in the [United] States,” Mr. Bautista said. However, there was a tendency to Americanize Filipino food. “Fans of Filipino cuisine want to make sure that we keep the truest form of Filipino food. We can’t do it aboard, we have to do it here.” Mr. Bautista noted that being familiar with our cuisine and knowing what tastes good and bad would help preserve its identity.