The Art of Drinking
by Toni de Villa
If you’re particularly searching for the most traditional way of drinking (inuman) in
the Philippines, you shouldn’t miss this place in
Quezon called Tayabas.
The art of drinking has its own roots in every place but all are one in the
name of spirit and tradition, that is celebration! And there has got to be something
special that we look forward to in drinking in this town, where traces of history can be
found in every street you trek. What else could that be but the famous coco vodka –
“lambanog.” Lambanog is a famous drink among Filipinos and you can find one of
the richest and most flavorful beverages only in Tayabas.
So how do we go about the
making of lambanog? Made from the nectar of flowers of coconut trees (where Quezon
Province is the leader of plantation in Southern Tagalog), this is then distilled and made
into lambanog. But this is not how easy the process is because getting all the flowers
from coconut trees could be a really difficult task. Men of the locality will climb up
these trees and would cross from one tree to another using a long bamboo tree that is
connected to the tress. What only make it look easy is that this isn’t simply a
business they run but has been part of their
culture. Another interesting thing about this vodka is its flavor. As time went by, local
distillers from this town have defined the richness of the taste of lambanog. You can now
see it colorful bottles with flavors such as bubble gum, mango, calamansi and the like.
So, if one of these days
you’ll come by in this town, drink lambanog in the art they keep. The Tayabenses way
of drinking is simple. It is usually coupled with songs accompanied by a guitar player
(who is also part of the “inuman”). One common glass (tagayan) is placed on the
table and is shared by everybody which symbolizes their common level in the society and of
course, camaraderie. And when it is your turn to take your “tagay” you would
have to say “Tagay ko!” before taking that round. This scene can take place
either on side streets, inside the house or under a tree in any time of the day. Men and
even the ladies take part in this session. A man shouldn’t be so surprised if a lady
can knock him up in drinking lambanog because they have surely mastered the art!
Tayabas used to be the capital of Quezon Province. This town is surrounded by four cities
– Lucena, Sariaya, Lucban and Pagbilao. In the olden times, Tayabas has become known
because of a hero who fought against the Spaniards, in the person of Hermano Pule. His
statue is one of the town’s famous sites and another one is recently made that is now
situated along the highway going to Lucena. One of the oldest churches can also be seen in
this town. It was built in the 16th century, made of bamboo, nipa and anahaw .
Another site to visit is “Calle Budin” where native delicacies or
“kakanins” are sold. The famous “budin” or cassava cake, pastilles
candies, cassava chips, ube that are curved in different shapes, puto seko or rice caks
are only to name a few of the food one will surely enjoy. Truly, Tayabas is a must-visit
place where you can enjoy food, drinks, sites and people. |
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