One of the dishes that have never lost its place in Philippine cuisine is the pancit bihon. You can see this dish in any location, and it is prepared for almost any occasion. If you’re a tourist in the Philippines, then this is a dish that you should certainly not miss. It’s part and parcel of Filipino identity, which boasts of its mixed influence from Chinese and Spanish cooking.
Cooking pancit bihon is very easy to make. It won’t really take much of your time. The ingredients needed would actually depend on the preferences of the cook. Nevertheless, the main ingredients of the dish would be the Chinese sausages and cabbage. Without these two, you can’t really say that you’ve cooked pancit bihon.
Here’s a family recipe that my dad shared with me (it’s funny how my dad knows more recipes than my mom), and I think it would be best that I share it.
Pancit Bihon
Ingredients:
1 8 oz. pack pancit bihon noodles
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
2 cups of chicken broth or 2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups of water
2 pieces Chinese sausages, sliced thinly
1/4 cabbage, sliced into strips
1 onion, pealed and sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1/3 cup scallions, cut into pieces
1 carrot, sliced into strips
1 chayote, sliced into strips
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
3/4 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
5 pieces of calamansi or 1 lemon, sliced, as garnish
Directions:
1. Soak the pancit bihon noodles to soften for 10 minutes
2. Grease a large pan or wok with oil. Sauté garlic and onions.
3. Add the shredded chicken breast, Chinese sausage, chicken broth, and all the vegetables until cooked.
4. Mix in the pancit bihon noodles and add the soy sauce, cook for about 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve hot with sliced calamansi on the side.
Note:
Calamansi or lemon is to be squeezed into the pancit bihon before eating.