Mama Sita’s Palabok

I have been reminded by a very nice individual that not everyone who comes to this blog can, wants to or will cook from scratch. Said person suggested that perhaps I should feature “mixes” and “instant food” sometimes. Okay.

Here, then is a packet of Mama Sita’s palabok, which Filipinos often give as “pasalubong” (gifts), or maybe that’s just my perception since I always seem to be receiving them from generous folks! They go into the pantry and every once in a while I use them. If my family didn’t suffer from allergies and if I weren’t such the information junkie that I am now, I’d probably keep a large box of instant stuff all the time. But when you read and read and worry about what you put into your loved ones’ mouths, it’s almost a given that you will do away with what I call “convenience cooking”.

That said, I’m quite happy to report that this particular “instant mix” seems to be all-natural. The coloring comes from annatto/achuete/achiote. No artificial food coloring here, and as far as I can tell, no preservatives either. It is rather high in sodium, but that’s to be expected because even palabok sauce made from scratch necessitates the use of salt and fish sauce. Tomorrow: one of the Philippines’ most popular noodle dishes, using this little packet right here.