Here’s a type of pancit dish that has softer noodles than usual, with an extraordinary way of eating it. This is called the Pancit Habhab or Pancit Lucban.
It is eaten out of a banana leaf and is definitely an experience you won’t forget! You don’t have to go all the way to the town of Lucban because now you can try to make this at home by reading this recipe article below.
Within the article are some tips and some trivia about the pancit and the pancit habhab itself so be sure to not miss any of it!
What is Pancit Habhab?
The pancit habhab is a variation of the famous pancit dishes here in the country which originated in the town of Lucban in Quezon province.
It is of course similar to other types of pancit, but this one uses the Lucban miki noodles, which is a soft type of pancit noodles exclusive in the area.
The ingredients included in a habhab are pork belly, pig liver, some vegetables like chayote, carrots, pechay or bok choy, and partnered with soy sauce and other seasonings to make a sauce. The pancit habhab is traditionally served with a banana leaf and is eaten without any utensils.
What is Pancit?
Pancit is a famous Filipino dish that usually consists of noodles cooked with soy sauce along with some variation of meats and chopped vegetables.
The Chinese settlers here in the country introduced this to us in the olden days, and has long been adapted by the Filipinos all around the country–making it into many different versions.
The term pancit comes from the word pien sit which literally means “convenient food” in a Chinese dialect.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Noodles
What make this dish unique is the flavor coming from the popular pancit habhab or Lucban miki noodles. You can get this from the town of Lucban itself or in pasalubong stores in the South Luzon area.
Meats
For this recipe, we will use pork belly and pork liver. You can change the type of meat or the cut of meat based on your preferences.
Vegetables
For this recipe, we will be using carrots, bok choy, and sayote. You can add or remove a vegetable for this dish, depending on your preferences.
Banana Leaf
Traditionally, this dish is eaten over a banana leaf. This is optional if you don’t have access to this.
Aside from this, you will also use common pantry ingredients like onion, garlic, pork broth, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and cooking oil. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pan (Kawali)– This is a one-pan dish and you will need a very large pan or kawali or wok to cook everything together.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Make Pancit Habhab
The pancit habhab preparation is very similar to other pancit dishes like the pancit canton.
Since pancit dishes usually have a lot of ingredients, a good thing to do is to have all of the ingredients prepared and cut into how they are needed and place them in your kitchen where you can easily reach them, so you can avoid confusion as you do the whole procedure.
For this recipe, it is a straightforward process of cooking. First, you have to cook the vegetable ingredients and then the meat ingredients. Then you add in the miki noodles afterwards.
When cooking the vegetables, the goal is to stir-fry them but not for too long. Take note that vegetable ingredients can be easily overcooked. Overcooked vegetables will result in them being soggy, and it will give a quite unpleasant feeling when eating the pancit.
A good tip is to cut the ingredients as equal as possible. Of course, this means that the amount of time for the ingredients to be cooked will roughly be the same time and nothing will be left still raw or undercooked.
Cutting it in smaller sizes is also good as the insides will be cooked easily and the whole dish will be more flavorful in every bite.
How to Serve Pancit Habhab
Pancit habhab is best paired with other celebratory food like the rice cake puto, Lumpiang Shanghai, pork barbecue, and of course, your favorite cola soda. But in case you are having this for snacks, it usually paired with sandwiches like Clubhouse sandwich, tuna sandwich, or even with siopao.
How to Store and Reheat Pancit Habhab
In case you have leftovers, store the pancit habhab in clean food containers with lid. Refrigerate in to extend their shelf life for up to 3 days. To reheat the pancit, you can either use a microwave oven or in a pan over a stovetop.
Other Versions of Pancit
There are many types of pancit dishes that you can find when travelling all over the country. These dishes almost always include a variety of ingredients topped into the noodles, but prepared differently. This normally depends on the availability of the ingredients from the area and depending on the culture.
Here are some of the versions of pancit you can also try:
- Pancit Palabok
- Pancit Malabon
- Pancit Canton
- Pancit Bihon
- Pancit Lomi
- Pancit Lusay
- Pancit Sotanghon Guisado
- Pancit Luglug
- Pancit Molo
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Authentic Pancit Habhab (Lucban) Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pan
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lbs) Lucban miki noodles
- 250 g (8.8 oz) pork belly
- 100 g (3.5 oz) pork liver
- 1 pc carrot, cut into thin strips
- 1 pc chayote (sayote), cut into thin strips
- 1 bunch bok choy, chopped
- 1 pc onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups pork broth
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a wide cooking pan or wok, pour-in the cooking oil and heat over medium heat.
- Add-in the carrots, chayote, and bok choy. Fry while stirring continuously for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
- Add-in the onions, and garlic. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes or until aromatic.
- Add-in the pork belly and pork liver. Cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned then pour-in soy sauce, and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour-in the pork broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until pork is tender.
- Add-in the Lucban miki noodles. Cook while stirring continuously until the noodles absorb the liquid.
- Transfer to a serving plate or a clean banana leaf and top with the vegetables. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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