There is just something different about the food I had during childhood. I was a happy child (although incredibly semsitive as well) so I remember how I always smile when I eat no matter what food it is.
Of course, I have my favorite foods like spaghetti because it is always served during birthdays and other joyous occasions; cake because of its sweet taste; chocolates because my father gave them to me as a gift back then; and many more.
Thank you so much to these angels who keep supporting me.The thing is that, a lot of the memorable events that happened to me during childhood are attached to all kinds of foods.
Today, this article is being written to reminisce one such food. This food is a comforting taste because I usually had it when we were staying at the province.
This is called Tinapek. It is a dish made of kamoteng kahoy (cassava) and sugar. Yes, just two ingredients but the taste is so good and it is filling. A perfect snack.
The last few days my mother had been cooking this for us during snack time because we have a lot of kamoteng kahoy.
Then yesterday, I thought about making an article about it. It was a decision made impulsively so we are already eating the first batch of the Tinapek before I started taking pictures. That is to say sorry about the low quality of the pictures.
Tinapek and how to make it
According to my mother, it is called Tinapek because when you are cooking it you have to push it lightly repeatedly (or tapikin in Filipino).
The ingredients for this dish are easy to get. The most basic ones are just kamoteng kahoy and sugar. But if you are feeling fancy, you can add milk and butter as well.
As for us, we usually just enjoy it with sugar because it is always available. It was also raining the past few days so we do not want to go out just to get some milk and butter.
To start making Tinapek, you have to grate the kamoteng kahoy. Grate it like it is cheese haha. We used the grater for when we make melon juice. Look at all those tiny strips of kamote.
Next you need to add the sugar. The amount depends on how sweet you want it to be. We just eyeball the amount so I cannot give you the exact value.
(I included another kamoteng kahoy here because it kinda looks like cheese without one HAHA)
After that comes the fun part. Pour some oil in a non-stick pan and see the stove on low heat. Once the oil is heated just right, get a ladle to scoop out some of the ingredients. Then push it gently to make a pretty shape as if making a pancake. Then when it reached the crispiness that you like, flip it using a flipper. And wait for the other side to cook.
This is the finish product. There are more Tinapek but we ate it already. Good thing that there were 2 left when I remembered that I needed a picture.
I decided against adding plating or making it look aesthetic. I wanted to share with you the raw atmosphere of how we make this and how we enjoy this snack. (Also I am just lazy.)
It kinda looks like a hashbrown, don't you think?
Closing words
This simple food brings back a lot of childhood memories. I felt so nostalgic as I was eating because of it.
I really hope that soon we can go back to the province. There our favorite is called Linupak. It is basically the same thing as Tinapek but instead of grating the kamoteng kahoy, you need to mash it well.
What are some foods that bring back your childhood memories?
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It looks really delicious 😍 and yes, I immediately thought of hashbrown when I saw the picture. So kamoteng kahoy is some kind of sweet potato? Or a fruit? Google didn't really helped me :D