Ilocos Norte : tudu utong

cowpea (Vigna unguiculata var. unguiculata) Family: Leguminosae

Vernacular Names: tudu-utong, utong

Parts utilized as vegetable and availability: pods, shoots

Cultivated/Foraged: Planted

Habitat: field, upland field, swidden

Availability: all year round

Dishes:inabraw (pods), pinakbet (pods), panglaok karne (pods), salad (pods, dinengdeng

Pinakbet na Utong with Bagnet

Ingredients

Utong (Cowpea)
Bagoong
Bagnet
Mushroom
Bawang
Kamatis
Seasoning mix

Traditional Pinakbet

(Shriveled Sauteed Mixed Vegetables)
Elvis Niño Pidut, Brgy. Mabusang Sur, Badoc, Ilocos Norte

Ingredients

• 1 pc medium sweetpotato or kaong/camote roots, peeled and cubed (Ipomoea batatas)
• ½ cup cowpeas or utong (Vigna unguiculata ssp. unguiculata)
• 1 pc medium native eggplant or tarong, cubed (Solanum melongena)
• 6-8 pcs native bittergourd or parya, whole round fruits (Momordica charantia)
• ½ cup hyacinth bean or parda (Lablab purpureus)
• ½ cup pigeon pea or kardis (Cajanus cajan)
• ½ cup radish pods/fruits or rabanos (Raphanus sativus)
• 1 pc medium bulb onion or sibuyas, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic or bawang, crushed
• 10-12 tomatoes or kamatis, sliced and the pulp squeezed so that the juices come out
• 3-4 tbsp fish paste or bagoong
• Chilli or siling espada or siling pansigang

Note: Pinakbet means “pinakulbet”, an Ilocano term, and “pinakubet/kulubot” in Tagalog, meaning shriveled. The acidity of the tomatoes shrivel the pinakbet vegetables. Tomatoes also neutralize or temper the saltiness of the bagoong.


Study site: Brgy. Camandingan, Batac, Ilocos Norte
Brgy. San Agustin, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte


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