Tags: Exotic Food, Food Products, Truly Pinoy Food and Drinks
By Anna Valmero
TADIAN, MT. PROVINCE— Aside from their organically-grown rice planted on steep mountain slopes, the natives of Mt. Province has another cultural product to be proud of called the sigtim.
According to Grail Galaus, municipal agriculturist of Tadian town in Mt. Province, sigtim is the fermented rice produced during the making of tapuy (rice wine).
“For Igorots like me, we use the sigtim as the main flavoring ingredient in sinigang because it is naturally maasim (sour),” Galaus said.
This results in a uniquely sweet-and-sour sinigang among Ilocanos, added Galaus, as opposed to those cooked by Tagalogs that mainly uses powdered tamarind or sometimes, kamias fruits to add taste to the sinigang.
Sigtim can also be eaten on its own and can be a perfect partner with the traditional tapa (made of wild boar) of Mt. Province tribes. The acidity of the sigtim also depends on the color of mountain rice used in the process, whether it is white, red, aromatic or both.
The acidic taste of sigtim comes from bubod, yeast grown and used by natives of Mt. Province in fermentation. The yeast is added after cooking the rice, while sigtim can be collected once the fermented rice wine is aged at least three months. Getting it earlier than that would result in a less sour or sometimes, a sweet fare called saig.
Considered a gastronomical cousin of sigtim is the saig, a sweeter version of the mountain rice being fermented into tapuy.
Unlike sigtim which has a longer shelf life when processed however, saig must be eaten immediately to enjoy its flavor, Galaus said.
During the First International Agri-Tourism Fair in Manila, Galaus brought bottles of sigtim to test its potential for market expansion. The sigtim products were mostly bought by Igorots who are now residing in Manila and who missed the food fare.
With this, Galaus said they will partner with the Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Science and Technology to further develop the production, branding and packaging of sigtim.
Aside from sigtim, Galaus said they are also looking for markets to supply their cherry vinegar made from wild cherries and a cheaper but tastier alternative to apple cider.
“I hope sigtim becomes a well-known food among Filipinos because it is not only delicious, it helps preserve our cultural heritage. When there will be a viable market for this product, it will create more jobs in my town and the locals would be rewarded in continuing the tradition of making rice wine and sigtim,” Galaus said.
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