Pusô: A Labor of Love and Culture

Abstract

Foods have always been a part of Filipinos’ traditional arts and crafts. Food and culture are inseparable identities for one mirrors the other. Adopting the descriptive-qualitative research design employing grounded theory approach, this research project aimed at documenting as a means of preservation and conservation of the rice based traditional cuisines found in Capiz. The investigation resulted that Capiz, with its precolonial Filipino traditions mixed with Hispanic influenced, is rich with rice-based delicacies spread all over the municipalities in the province. Among these rice-based delicacies are ibos, inday-inday. bayi-bayi. biko. bibingka, padusdos, and pusò. However, pusò stands out among these delicacies because it originated mainly in Barangay Libon, Panay, Capiz with the Benliro family as the producers. This delicacy is made from glutinous rice (pilit) wrapped in a crafted heart-shaped nipa palm leaves and boiled in nipa palm wine (tubod) as sweetener (tam-is). Gender equality is observed in the preparation of pusò where the man prepares the nipa leaves for the packets (balayan) and he harvests and cooks the nipa wine. The woman makes the balayan, washes and dries the glutinous rice and puts them in the packet. Moreover, both of them help each other in the cooking process. Pusò became popular through the word of mouth, marketing in nearby municipalities, ordering for occasions, multimedia advertisements, and featuring in a television program. Hence, it augmented the family’s economic sustainability. Pusò as Capizeños’ pride must patronize this delicacy for it reflects their unique identity, cultures, and literatures.