Emapanada battle: Vigan vs Batac

While this popular delicacy is not an Ilocano original (It was introduced here by our Spanish colonizers), empanada has become as Ilocano as saluyot, marunggay, and baggoong. It comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread.

In the Ilocos dichotomy that is Norte and Sur, two versions emerged from two key locations: Batac and Vigan. It’s not the first time someone compared the two Ilocos empanadas, but I will be more upfront about my verdict.

This comparison is a product of a series of store visits, interviews with tourists and locals, online reviews, direct observation, and, of course, product tasting conducted this summer in the respective empanada centers (empanadaan) of Vigan, Ilocos Sur and Batac, Ilocos Norte.

How do we proceed with the comparison? Taste, I admit, is highly relative because one comfortably prefers what she is accustomed to. Ilocano anthropologist Malot Ingel, for instance, said, “…kung ano ‘yung alam kong lasa, mag-i-stick ako dun ...maraming beses ko nang nalasahan ang empanada ng Batac, sabi nila masarap, pero di ko matanggap-tanggap ang lasa ng empanada ng Batac.” This preference for what one can call her own is why I found it important to conduct interviews with people who are from neither of the two provinces.

We’re now ready to dissect the two empanadas. Let’s get ready to rumble.

Round 1: Filling

Vigan empanada’s stuffing is composed of cabbage, ground pork, and egg (many stalls use the yolk only) while the Batac version is filled with papaya, mongo, longganisa, and whole egg.

Most tourists I talked to prefer the Batac stuffing because of its flavorful blend. Many dislike the idea of fried cabbage. Vigan empanada used to have papaya, too, but they now generally use cabbage because it is more available. “The use of repolio makes the Vigan empanada so generic like lumpia,” notes popular lifestyle blogger blauearth (Tina Tan) who travels with top chef Sandy Daza for some television tapings.

A professor who teaches arts and culture in a tertiary-level institution in Vigan said she craves for the burst of flavor of egg malasado and the salty, garlic-y Batac longganisa. Giving permission to be quoted but not to be named, she admitted that the quality of Vigan empanada has deteriorated over the years.

True enough, Batac wins hand-on in the quality of the meat filling. It still uses the traditionally-prepared longganisa while stalls at Plaza Burgos just use seasoned ground meat.

Winner in this round: Batac

Round 2: Crust

Both empanadas have crusts made of rice flour. Vigan’s is light yellow while Batac’s is orange because of atchuete, an organic food coloring. Psychologists say orange stimulates appetite.

The Vigan empanada crust is thinner, yet it absorbs a lot of oil. Some say it is crunchier but I disagree because the Batac Empanada crust can also be as crunchy as it could get, and with less grease. In fact, some customers request for an extra, separate serving of just the crust, which is called pinais. Popular travel bloggers Ivan Henares and rjdeexplorer also express amazement over the “orange tortilla wrap.”

Winner in this round: Batac

Round 3: Shelf Life and reheating

Tourists love to bring home a taste of Ilocos. Unfortunately, the oily Vigan empanada gets even oilier when it gets cold. Re-frying is not encouraged unless oil is your favorite juice.

On the other hand, Batac empanada can be refried, and if it’s done properly (make sure the oil is really hot before you soak the empanada in, but be careful not to burn it), the crust can look and taste almost newly cooked. Some travelers would buy Batac empanada before they embark on a nine to twelve-hour from Batac to Manila where eager pasalubong recipients await.

Winner in this round: Batac

Round 4: Nutrition

Cabbage versus papaya and mongo; egg yolk vs. whole egg is a no-brainer. And remember that your cardiologist advised you against having very greasy food.

Winner in this round: Batac

Round 5: Customization

The itlog malasado is a hit among many Batac Empanada fans. Having a half-cooked egg is not possible with the Vigan Empanada because its crust is not so solid. It usually has some holes, perforations, and some small openings which may be difficult to avoid because it is thin. Also, you have only two choices with the Vigan empanada: Special (with longganisa) and ordinary (without).

At the Batac Riverside Empanadaan, you have, aside from special and ordinary, double special (two pcs. longganisa), double egg, double (two pcs. Longanisa, two eggs), and jumbo empanada which has hotdog instead of longanisa.

Winner in this round: Batac

Round 6: Value for money

Vigan Empanada special is sold at P35 while the ordinary version, which is really small you can consume it in two bites, is worth only P5. Batac Empanada special is P40 while the ordinary serving, which is the same size though thinner because it has no meat, costs P20.

While more expensive, Batac empanada has more content. I am tempted to give this round, yet again, to Batac, but the thought of having a Vigan empanada, no matter how small, at only five bucks thrills me.

Winner in this round: Tie

Final round (7): ‘Busog’ factor

Because the Batac empanada has more ingredients in more generous amounts, it is definitely more filling than its Vigan counterpart. But, of course, you already know that.

OVERALL VERDICT: BATAC EMPANADA wins by a mile.

herdylayumul.com