Hey look! Something from The Philippines! I can’t remember the last time I had anything from The Philippines (looked it up – August 18th, 2012 – almost a whole year ago). You might be wondering, what is pancit bihon? Wikipedia says:
Pancit or pansit is the term for noodles in Filipino cuisine. Noodles were introduced into the Philippines by the Chinese and have since been adopted into local cuisine. The term pancit is derived from the Hokkien pian i sit (Chinese: 便ê食; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: piān-ê-si̍t or Chinese: 便食; pinyin: biàn shí) which means “something conveniently cooked fast.”[1] Different kinds of noodles can be found in Filipino supermarkets which can then be cooked at home. Noodle dishes are also standard fare in local restaurants. Food establishments specializing in noodles are often referred to as panciterias.
Nancy Reyes Lumen of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism writes that according to food lore handed down from the Chinese, noodles should be eaten on one’s birthday.[1] They are therefore commonly served at birthday celebrations and Chinese restaurants in the Philippines often have “birthday noodles” listed on their menus. However, she warns that since “noodles represent long life and good health; they must not be cut short so as not to corrupt the symbolism.”[1]
Holy cow! I’m gonna live forever! With that, let’s check these noodles out.
Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat-free but check for yourself.
Thin rice noodles.
Powder base.
Has a sweet and salty scent.
The liquid packets – soy sauce on the left and seasoned oil on the right.
Interesting colors.
The veggie packet.
A curious melange.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added Walla Walla sweet onion, red bell pepper and beef sauteed with a little soy sauce. The noodles are as thin as can be. That coupled with the fact that they’re rice noodles gives them a really crumbly texture.. The flavor is nice though, with a sweet and salty balance which works well. The veggies hydrated nicely as well. 3.25 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 4801110272547.
A Lucky Me! TV commercial.
