''Pancit choca'' is a Filipino black

seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...

noodle Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures and made into a variety of shapes. The most common noo ...

dish made with squid ink and ''bihon'' (

rice vermicelli Rice vermicelli is a thin form of rice noodle. It is sometimes referred to as "rice noodles" or "rice sticks", but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch r ...

). It originates from

Cavite, Philippines Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...

, and is originally known as ''pancit choca en su tinta'' in Caviteño Chavacano. It is also known more commonly as ''pancit pusit'' in Filipino. It is a type of ''

pancit Pancit ( ), also spelled pansit, is a general term referring to various traditional noodle dishes in Filipino cuisine. There are numerous types of pancit, often named based on the noodles used, method of cooking, place of origin or the ingredi ...

''.

Names

The

aesthetic Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,'' , acces ...

significance of Luzon pancit is visible in the use of squid ink of Caviteños from Tanza, Cavite City and Trece Martirez. The dish is mainly sourced from

cuttlefish Cuttlefish, or cuttles, are Marine (ocean), marine Mollusca, molluscs of the order (biology), suborder Sepiina. They belong to the class (biology), class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique ...

, an archetypal Chabacano dish, Choko being the Chabacano for cuttlefish. Because of its black color, it was originally eaten only during Lent or funerals. It is topped with contrasting green color of Kamias and the orange color of the fried garlic. In original Caviteño Chavacano, the dish is known as ''pancit choca'' (or ''choco'') ''en su tinta'', literally "noodle with squid in its own ink", commonly shortened to ''pancit choca'' or ''pancit choco''. ''Choca'' or ''choco'' (sometimes spelled ''choka'' or ''choko'') means "squid" in Chavacano. ''Pancit choca'' is also known as ''pancit pusit'' ("squid ''pancit''"); as well as ''pancit itim'', ''pancit negra'', ''pancit estacion negra'', ''pancit bihon à la negra'', ''fideos negros'', and "black ''pancit''" among other names, due to its color.

Description

''Pancit choca'' is initially cooked similarly to '' adobong pusit''. First, the ink sacs (''lumot'') have to be removed from the squid without puncturing them. These are reserved for later. The squid is cleaned and diced into rings and sautéed along with

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

bay leaves The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used as a herb in cooking. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption, or less commonly used in ground form. The flavour that a bay leaf ...

, and (optionally) ''labuyo'' chili.

Vinegar Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...

soy sauce Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...

, a little bit of water, and the squid ink are then added and brought to a boil. Additional spices may be added to taste, like ''patis'' (

fish sauce Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, L ...

) and salt. The ''bihon'' (

) is added last with the heat reduced until it is soft but still ''

al dente In cooking, al dente (, ; ) pasta or rice is cooked to be firm to the bite. The term also extends to firmly-cooked vegetables. In contemporary Italian cooking, it is considered to be the ideal consistency for pasta and involves a brief cooking ...

''. Some versions soften the ''bihon'' in hot water and mix it at the very end of cooking. It is traditionally garnished with crushed '' chicharon'',

scallion Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chive ...

s, ''kinchay'' (

Chinese celery Leaf celery (''Apium graveolens'' Secalinum Group or ''Apium graveolens'' var. ''secalinum''), also called Chinese celery or Nan Ling celery, is a group of cultivars of ''Apium graveolens'' cultivated in East Asian countries for their edible, ...

), and thinly-sliced ''kamias'' (

bilimbi ''Averrhoa bilimbi'' (commonly known as bilimbi, cucumber tree, or tree sorrel) is a fruit-bearing tree of the genus ''Averrhoa'', family (biology), family Oxalidaceae. It is believed to be originally native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia but ...

). It is served with

calamansi Calamansi (''Citrus'' × ''microcarpa''), also known as calamondin, Philippine lime, or Philippine lemon, is a citrus hybrid cultivated predominantly in the Philippines. It is native to the Philippines, parts of Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra, and ...

and ''labuyo'' chili (if the latter wasn't added beforehand). ''Dayap'' (

key lime The Key lime or acid lime (''Citrus'' × ''aurantiifolia'' or ''C. aurantifolia'') is a citrus hybrid (''kaffir lime, C. hystrix'' × ''citron, C. medica'') native to tropical Southeast Asia. It has a spherical fruit, in diameter. The Key lime ...

) or '' biasong'' (a type of papeda), may also be used in place of calamansi. Some variants of the dish use ''sotanghon'' ( glass noodles) instead of ''bihon''. Others also add

mussel Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and Freshwater bivalve, freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other ...

s or

shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...

, and/or cook the dish in shrimp

stock Stocks (also capital stock, or sometimes interchangeably, shares) consist of all the Share (finance), shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided. A single share of the stock means fractional ownership of the corporatio ...

instead of water.

Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite (; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region. On the southern shores of Manila Bay and southwest of Manila, i ...

's pancit choca is a combination of sotanghon with squid, its ink, vinegar, seasonings and aromatic spices garnished with green kamias slivers.

References

External links

{{Noodle choca Squid dishes Cavite cuisine

Names

Description

See also

References

External links