PILI NUT CANDY

by: Jan Angel Maravilla 

 I did some research about the Pili nut called as "King of Nuts." According to the Department of Trade and Industry, our country is the only one capable of commercially producing and processing pili-based food. Bicol, in particular, supplies 80 percent of the overall output volume in the Philippines. Even though Pili is a great resource for our community, it did not receive financing or attention many years ago. Pili Trees can be found in bushes throughout tropical Asia and other Pacific islands, however the ones cultivated in the Bicol Region, on the southeastern end of the Philippine island of Luzon, were said to have been the finest yet.  The region contains the best variables for growing Pili. Pili nut candy is a homemade delicacy offered in airports, terminals, and popular tourist destinations around Bicol, Albay. Foreigners, in my experience, enjoy the sweetness of this delicacy. My mother used to produce Pili nut candy which are popular among both local and international tourists.Tourists from other provinces were delighted by the flavor of the pili kernels and began bringing pili seeds home to sow. Despite its lengthy history of cultivation, the pili have been mostly a home garden tree and a tiny source of revenue for a small number of individuals. The pili have just recently been highlighted as an important crop in the Bicol region. Our neighbors or kids passing by would sell us a newly harvested Pili, which we would buy to make a Pili nut candy. It's also overwhelming whenever we get a large number of orders for important events like weddings. Making Pili nut candy is a time-consuming process that requires a great deal of patience, you should also take caution when cracking the pili, commonly known as "pag tilad."After cracking the pili, you will remove its brown outer skin and divide it in half. Before heating it over medium heat, combine the sugar, water, and syrup in a pan. To avoid overcooking, stir it until it gets sticky.

    Make sure that the tray where you will put it is ready before you proceed with the pan so you can spread it before it sticks to one another. There are number of jars in which you can display this sweet Bicol delicacy in a very appealing and eye-catching manner. It is crunchy and tasty when eaten raw. It's also good grilled, fried, or sugar-coated. It's a common ingredient in cakes, puddings, and ice cream, and it produces a wonderful preserve when boiled in syrup. The roasted kernel is occasionally used in the manufacture of chocolate. It is also high in oil, which can be used in cooking. Recently, there has been interest in developing the oil as a massage oil as well as skin care items. However, due to a lack of nuts and limited technological understanding and equipment, extraction of the oil from the pili kernel and pulp is not yet being completely explored. It greatly benefits Philippine food tourism because we are the number one distributor of Pili goods in other nations. Pili Nut Candy is already a source of pride in the Bicol Region. You can't go to Bicol without bringing home this delicacy; it's almost a ritual. Even though Pili nuts can be found in other provinces, visitors are always impressed by how the Bicolanos prepare them. It is not too sweet; it's always exactly right. Pili nut candy is also another good business that you can start without much capital because Pili Trees can be found all around Bicol. When it comes to food tourism, we Bicolanos have a delicacy to offer, and it's not just pili; we still have more.