Sonny Lua shares that his grandmother Jacinta, one of the most proficient cooks in their clan, created the dish in the 1920s when she was a young girl.
While the Pancit Pusit (also known by its Chavacano name 'Pancit Choko en su Tinta') finds its origins in the 1900s, Mr Lua continues to serve the unique dish in the restaurant named after his father. The consistency of the dish is the only alteration Mr Lua has made to the dish.
"Noong bata ako, soupy siya. Tapos nag-umpisa siya parang sabaw. It’s a soupy kind of dish but then through the years, naisip kong gawin siya as pancit," he shares.
A dish that has found a permanent place in many a Lua family celebrations, it boasts of decadent umami flavour. It features a sprinkling of pleasantly-sour kamias rounds, perfectly-cooked squid and crunchy chicharon bits over a bed of blackened noodles accentuated by heat from slices of chili.
Ingredients:
1/2 kg, squid
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 pc onion, chopped
Siling labuyo, to taste
3 pcs bay leaf
Vinegar, to taste
Fish sauce, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/2 kg glass noodles, briefly soaked in water
Bunch of kinchay, coarsely chopped
Procedure:
1. Gently clean the squid, and carefully remove the ink sac without puncturing. Slice into rings and tentacles into bite-size pieces.
2. Sauté garlic, onion, siling labuyo and bay leaf. Add the squid and sauté for one to two minutes. Add the vinegar, fish sauce and the squid ink.
3. Add the sotanghon. Cook in low heat and mix gently, until the noodles are done. Adjust seasonings, and transfer to a serving platter.
4. Sprinkle with kinchay and siling labuyo, if desired.
5. Serve immediately.
Note:
* Alternatively, you can use squid ink sold in bottles instead of ink sacs.
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