What's Up Dagupan?

EACH dish has a story… Eating outside a public market stall in Mangaldan led me to a delicious meal and a local cuisine history lesson about “beng-beng”. Beng-beng is Mangaldan’s version and the precursor of the more popular street food Dagupan Pigar Pigar, which is deep fried carabao meat seasoned with salt and pepper and garnished with onions. The difference between bengbeng and pigar pigar is how the meat is cooked. The bengbeng is initially cooked in its own fat and water before oil is added and brought to boil. For pigar pigar, the carabeef is dropped to an already boiling oil. When the meat is cooked cabbage and onions are added The stall owner and cook who prepared my meal turned out to be the originator of beng-beng, Belen Aquino of JR Bengbengan. According to her, beng-beng is a Pangasinan word for the meat in the abdomen near the ribs of the cow or carabao. The meat trimmings were once given “free” to the matadors/ butchers of Mangaldan who had them cooked by her