An Igorot Family Meal: Red Rice, Pinikpikan, Fresh Veggies

While everyone is going crazy over ABS-CBN’s Forevermore, I say PASS because I’m no longer a teenager who giggles on what I see on TV and because I grew up in the mountains so the greens are ordinary to me.

Until last week when I went up to Baguio for a friend's wedding, I did not know that my cousin Manang Kate Damoslog- Samuel is also throwing a family lunch that weekend for the birthday and christening of her two kids.

Thus, I was very lucky to meet my cousins from Buguias and La Trinidad. And the best moment was eating vegetables that are fresh and raw from the farmlands of Buguias.

While chitchatting with my cousins about what is new in our lives, I kept on grabbing slices of broccoli. I realized I terribly miss the greens!

In the evening when I told myself to skip dinner because I have eaten so much, I could not help but grab a plate to the newly-served eat pinkpikan.

I was like a hungry and thirsty mountaineer. To me, everything on the table was luxurious.

Before we left our aunt’s house, Manang Imelda, who is the one based in Buguias, gave me a bundle of sayote tops. Minutes after, I found myself standing in line at the Victory Liner station to get a ticket back to Metro Manila.

Delicious Violet/Red Rice