Omnomnom

Of course, I cannot write about Buddy's restaurant without showing you the food that Lucban is best known for: pancit habhab and Lucban longganisa (which, in the unique and highly recognizable Tagalog dialect of Lucban, is pronounced langgonisa). Two things distinguish Lucban's sausage from those of other provinces: its heavy use of garlic and the fact that the pork is not ground as finely. In fact, it is almost a disappointment if a piece does not have chunks of fat. The best way to cook it is to fry it in its own fat until it is tostado (toasted). Crunchy Lucban longganisa is one of my comfort foods and always brings me back to childhood summers spent in Lucban. I'm half Lucbanin, though I've lost my accent—and the use of peculiarly Lucbanin words—ages ago. And just a special note to Francisca: I had my first sip of lambanog on my 8th birthday!