Pusô: A Labor of Love and Culture

Abstract

Foods have always been a part of Filipinos’ traditional arts and crafts.
Food and culture are inseparable identities for one mirrors the other. Adopting the
descriptive-qualitative research design employing grounded theory approach, this
research project aimed at documenting as a means of preservation and conservation
of the rice based traditional cuisines found in Capiz. The investigation resulted that
Capiz, with its precolonial Filipino traditions mixed with Hispanic influenced, is rich
with rice-based delicacies spread all over the municipalities in the province. Among
these rice-based delicacies are ibos, inday-inday. bayi-bayi. biko. bibingka, padusdos,
and pusò. However, pusò stands out among these delicacies because it originated
mainly in Barangay Libon, Panay, Capiz with the Benliro family as the producers. This
delicacy is made from glutinous rice (pilit) wrapped in a crafted heart-shaped nipa
palm leaves and boiled in nipa palm wine (tubod) as sweetener (tam-is). Gender
equality is observed in the preparation of pusò where the man prepares the nipa
leaves for the packets (balayan) and he harvests and cooks the nipa wine. The woman
makes the balayan, washes and dries the glutinous rice and puts them in the packet.
Moreover, both of them help each other in the cooking process. Pusò became
popular through the word of mouth, marketing in nearby municipalities, ordering for
occasions, multimedia advertisements, and featuring in a television program. Hence,
it augmented the family’s economic sustainability. Pusò as Capizeños’ pride must
patronize this delicacy for it reflects their unique identity, cultures, and literatures.