Lucky. That’s what you call anyone who can find duman anywhere in the region at this time of the year. Now sold at P2800 a kilo, Pampanga’s “green gold,” planted and harvested only in the town of Sta. Rita from the cool months of November to December, is said to yield an average of 4.5 cavans per hectare compared to over 50 sacks of the regular rice variety. According to Angelo Narciso Songco (from the family behind the historic La Moderna Bakery of Guagua, Pampanga), nowadays, there are just a few farms planting and a fewer processing this unusual breed of glutinous rice. And after all the families who anticipate their share for the year had taken their “advanced orders,” what is left for the market to partake of? No thanks to the devastating floods brought on by tropical storm Ondoy and supertyphoon Pepeng in September, with such limited supply, where does one find duman when there’s virtually no more of it? At this little Capampangan café in San Juan called Butchie’s Recipes.

This is the only place in the islands where one can enjoy a rare duman experience for just P100 (a heaping of fragrant, high quality duman paired with hot tsokolate de batirol) at this time of the year. Thanks to Angelo and the people behind Butchie’s  Recipes for keeping a very limited reserve in proper storage, others might still get a chance to sample Pampanga’s legendary rice cereal off-season.

My first encounter with duman took place at Guagua’s duman festival 2 years ago, eaten like plain pinipig (rice grain flakes from common glutinous rice) with no accompaniment. For my second taste of duman, Angelo taught me how to fully appreciate the green cereal at Butchie’s,  this time sprinkled into the wood-whisked native chocolate. The hot drink puffed up the flattened grains and gave them a nuttier flavor.  I can imagine how eating duman could be such a personal experience, like a sacred little ritual in which, perhaps, you sit alone at the kitchen counter while you savor a quiet chocolate sip alternated with a random nibble of the precious grain, until your cup is dry. The last precious morsels linger at the bottom, which you carefully scrape with your spoon for a complete duman ending. Next time, I will try it with warm carabao’s milk.

You can buy duman at retail for P700/250grams — that’s if there’s any left.

What’s the difference? (Left) The gabi (taro) sorbetes was so wet and sticky (gagayaga in Capampangan) that the whole thing tasted like chilled macapuno. (Right) In contrast to the silky gabi, the icy buko cheese dayap (local lime) sherbet was a palate-refreshing twist to a classic coconut-based favorite. That green little speck is fresh dayap rind.

Butchie’s Recipes is a cozy, no-frills eatery that reminds me of the popular “kitchenettes” of my childhood in Pampanga.

(Left) Red munggo sorbetes tasted like it is, with real, velvety bean morsels in shades of crimson brown. Because I love lelut balatung (mung bean porridge), I am keen on trying this with loads of freshly squeezed coconut cream. (Right) The healthful malunggay (moringa) becomes a cool bestseller with a touch of “linamnam” (rich/creaminess; savory in non-desserts). Together with the delicious ebun buro (salted egg) ice cream (sampled here), these Butchie’s exclusives are available to-go and may last in the freezer for several months.

Butchie’s also serves family heirloom recipes such as beef calitiran (P125) and an array of typical Pampango home fare: tidtad (dinuguan, P85), paksing bangus (P85), callos (P120), okoy (P70/2 pcs) .

The cafe houses a store that showcases the best of Capampangan delicacies, art & literature from the Center for Kapampangan Studies, as well as ceramic souvenirs made from clay and ash from Mount Pinatubo. Part of the proceeds go to the Entrepreneur Volunteer Assistance Charity Foundation (EVACF) which aims to improve the lives of indigenous peoples in Region III (Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales) through education grants, livelihood loans and the construction of schools.  Purchase of these products also helps the NGO’s which produce the products — packaging is made by inmates from the Muntinlupa Penitentiary, handmade paper by special children in Cupertino, and native mats by the Yakan weavers of Zamboanga.

For further info and how to volunteer, visit www.evacf.org.

Butchie’s Recipes of La Moderna Pampanga
Ground level, Health Cube Building, 226 Wilson Street, San Juan City, Philippines
Email butchiesoflamoderna@yahoo.com
Tel (632) 385 0387

For more details, visit http://butchiesoflamoderna.blogspot.com/

What makes duman so special? Step back in time and click here.