Pinangat is a famous native chili-hot delicacy of the town of Camalig. A vegetable dish cooked in

coconut milk mixed with select spices and its most important ingredient, the TARO (gabi in Filipino and natong in Bicol) leaves.

Story Behind Pinangat

Camalig as a second class town is one of the most picturesque and the earliest town founded in 1569 in the Province of Albay. It is situated approximately 8, 000 feet below the crater of Mount Mayon, the world renowned volcano because of its most perfect cone. It is composed of fifty barangays nestled

among the verdant fields and rolling hills where gabi plants grow abundantly. These are the plants from which the tender leaves are gathered and made into pinangat, which is Bicol’s gastronomic delight and a signature dish as well. Local gourmets are easily agreed that none can equal the quality of pinangat in Camalig. Whenever visitors come to Bicol, the first thing they invariably look for is their favorite pinangat from Camalig. Even balikbayans do not fail to take home

along with them to their host country a box or two of frozen pinangat as pasalubong. That’s how popular and special Camalig pinangat is as a food dish.

How to Prepare Pinangat?

Pinangat is a nutritious vegetable dish whose main ingredient includes

shredded gabi leaves, a bit of red ginger, tiny shrimps (balaw) or a slice of salted fish

(kanduli) or pork. Crushed pepper (siling labuyo) is added to the mixture to make the

pinangat hot. The entire recipe is then wrapped in gabi leaves and tied in small bundles.

These are placed in a palayok and cooked in coconut milk.

Pinangat is definitely a palate teaser, appetizing and yummy. It is in fact the pride of Camalig.

By history and even in the Ibalong Epic, Baltog planted the best variety of gabi in Tondol which is now known as Tondo, a sitio of Barangay Tagaytay in Camalig, Albay. In other words, the advent of pinangat was brought about by such event giving a good source of the product which has been a custom of the people in the locality to make it an ordinary viand.

Considering therefore the delicacy, the people increase greatly the production and make it as a potential source of their livelihood which grew into commercial proportion.

At present, pinangat made in Camalig is considered as signature dish and gastronomic delight in the Bicol Region which is now palatably accepted internationally.

Pinangat is one of Bicol’s trademark food other than the pilinut and its various incarnations and Bicol express, to name a few. Made from gabi leaves mixed with gata (coconut extract). Camalig in Albay is known for this delectable dish. It comes in hot and not so hot versions. Pinangat placed inside a large steamer to cook. Tied up with coconut leaves and ready to be eaten.

Source: the official website of Camalig, Albay

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THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF CAMALIG ALBAY : www.camalig.gov.ph