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Batac’s pride: Glory’s empanada

Ever tasted a halfmoon?

BATAC, Ilocos Norte (April 8) — Think of it as the best treat for anyone as hungry as a wolf and for anyone as meek as kitten. Batac empanada caters to the taste of everyone.

Although popular fast-food chains were introduced recently, more people opt to settle for empanada. Aside from being more affordable, it also offers one square meal.

At 5 pm, office workers, students, teachers, nurses, doctors and others meet near the Imelda Cultural Center to buy empanada. For them, eating empanada before going home has become a habit.

“Naramanak met ti empanada ti Vigan ngem awan latta ti maka-atiw ti kinaimas ti empanada ti Batac, aglalo nu diay luto ti Glory’s Empanada,” (I’ve tasted Vigan empanada but nothing can surpass the taste of Batac empanada, especially since it is Glory’s Empanada), said Rey John Villanueva, a student.

Empanada is the converted Mexican tacos of Ilocanos. It is a half-moon orange snack made of rice flour stuffed with grated green papaya (washed-out and squeezed with salt to extract bitter taste), parboiled mongo, ground pepper, salt, garlic and monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Empanada stalls are situated at the side of the Imelda Cultural Center of Batac. The first and best-selling empanada is the Glory’s empanada owned by Glory Concos, 60 years old. She started cooking in a small scale in 1960s.

Just like the other empanada businesses, Glory’s empanadahan offers a variety of empanada in an affordable prices, such as special empanada, ordinary, jumbo, double special, special egg less, ordinary egg less, special without mongo, double egg, and double-double.

One of her cooks said that their minimum income is P10,000 daily. Gradually, as Concos business progressed, her daughter put up another empanada stall named Glomy’s.

Empanada is easily prepared:

1. For the casing: prepare rice flour as an empanadita
2. For the filling: sauté garlic, grated papaya, cooked mongo. Add salt, pepper and MSG to taste. Cook until done. Spoon over filling, then put egg and/or longganisa into the prepared rice flour wrapper. Fry with oil.
3. Sauce: Iloko vinegar and/or ketchup.

This halfmoon-shaped delicacy had served not only hungry stomachs but also served as one of Batac’s trademark. A visit to Batac will never be complete without having a bite of the empanada.# Irene Jane A. Lorenzo and Pearly Ann F. Ancheta MMSU/interns

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