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The faces of Salcedo Community Market (and the stories behind their food)

Article (news)

Joaquín Carlos U. de Jesús

<p>Community and family. These are the two words that were commonly used by the four Salcedo Market vendors profiled below. Every Saturday, through rain or shine, you’ll most likely find them at their respective stalls, exchanging pleasantries with regular customers, explaining their products to new ones, and cheerfully greeting fellow vendors as they pass by. That’s how this outdoor market rolls, with well-heeled patrons interacting with farmers and entrepreneurs in a neighborhood setting—despite the lack of air conditioning. And that is precisely the intent of the founders—to create a regular community event around which families could converge—when they established the market 15 years ago.</p><p>This Saturday, August 31, 2019, the Salcedo Community Market commemorates the occasion with a morning filled with fun games and activities, with prizes and treats for all the family. Whether you come on that day, or visit any other Saturday, you may just encounter the following friendly faces there:</p><h3>You may also like:</h3><ul>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/food-drink/features/08/16/19/turning-15-salcedo-market-remains-the-metros-greatest-outdoor-weekend-market">Turning 15: The success story of Salcedo Market</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/food-drink/features/08/23/19/from-black-cuchinta-to-a-grandmas-tapa-an-insiders-guide-to-salcedo-market">From black cuchinta to a grandma’s tapa: an insider’s guide to Salcedo Market</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/03/23/19/your-beloved-legazpi-market-has-moved-to-a-new-location">Your beloved Legazpi market has moved to a new location</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/food-drink/features/video/10/03/18/chef-richard-ekkebus-visits-manilas-best-market">VIDEO: Michelin-starred chef gets a Marketman tour of Farmer’s Market</a></li></ul><h3> </h3><h3>Tita Ope Lopez, Tita Ope, 14 years</h3><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/22/1faces.jpeg"/></figure></div><p>Perhaps it’s nostalgia for the Filipino-Spanish dishes of our childhood that makes Tita Ope a longtime favorite among marketgoers since 2006. “I am here to make Filipino heritage dishes readily available. Most of my customers do not have the staff, equipment, or space needed to prepare these dishes,” the gracious Tita Ope Lopez explains.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/22/2faces.jpg"/></figure></div><p>Indeed, trying her food is like being transported to the kitchens of your doting <em>lolas</em>, <em>titas</em>, and moms. Even the <em>bandehados</em> or serving platters look like they came from your mom’s cupboard. What draws people to Tita Ope is the comforting familiarity of her Lengua con Champignon, Callos, and Albondigas. Her Meat Lasagna is also very popular, with its hefty layers of pasta, ground beef, and cheese. For sweets, there’s her fluffy and light Tortitas (a smaller cousin of the <em>ensaimada</em>), Fresh Milk Pudding, and Ensaimada.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/22/3faces.jpg"/></figure></div><p>Well-coiffed, standing straight, and exuding an air of relaxed elegance, Tita Ope doesn’t seem like your typical market vendor. However, she shares with a smile, “Being around people is what I love most about the Salcedo Community Market. The other vendors, most of them, are now my friends. Likewise, I love relating with customers who are very pleasant. The customers here are a different kind—they appreciate good food and are just very good people.”</p><div> </div><h3>Lawrence and Iya Cua, Bun Appetit, 4 years</h3><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/22/6faces.jpeg"/></figure></div><p>A relative newcomer to Salcedo Market, Bun Appetit is nevertheless one of those success stories that was nurtured there, before hitting it big in one of Makati’s premiere malls. Owners Lawrence and Iya Jimenez Cua give all the credit to the market as the launch pad of their now famous Lobster Rolls.</p><p>“This was an ‘accidental’ business. Back in 2013, my husband Lawrence and I were traveling in New York and got to try a lobster roll. After replicating it as a kitchen experiment, my husband posted a picture on social media and that’s how it all started. People asked how they could order, so we began with a home-and-office delivery service, but it was when we opened in Salcedo in 2015, that was the real game changer,” Iya Cua recounts.</p><p>Like any young business, the Cuas had their fair share of memorable mishaps. “Our supply for fresh lobster wasn’t as stable as now so there were a couple of times when we’d run out and the customers would be disappointed because they trooped to our stall from places as far as Pampanga!” Cua admits. Nonetheless, people were willing to literally line up for the couple’s Lobster, Shrimp, and Crab Rolls.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/22/7faces.jpg"/></figure></div><p>Biting into buttery bread topped with hefty chunks of fresh lobster claw flown from the US is an indulgent treat, making their sandwiches stand out from the rest. They’ve kept the sandwich menu concise, adding avocado for example, or doing a grilled cheese version. As side dishes, the Hong Kong-style stir-fried Garlic Noodles and Mexican Grilled Corn with <em>cotija</em> cheese and chili are great to pair with the sandwiches.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/22/8faces.jpg"/></figure></div><p>In 2018, the Cuas opened a permanent store at The Grid in Power Plant Mall in Rockwell, Makati, making their seafood sandwiches available every day of the week. Cua says, “At The Grid, all the other stalls are known for being those of famous chefs or bigger names we admire. However, for Bun Appetit, Salcedo Market was always part of our introduction.” And so, despite their expansion, the Cuas are happy to keep coming back every Saturday to serve marketgoers. “We look forward to more years here at Salcedo,” she promises.</p><div> </div><h3>Gil Carandang, Herbana Farms, 15 years</h3><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/22/9faces.jpg"/></figure></div><p>With a chuckle, this longtime organic farmer likes to call himself a professional <em>tianggero</em>. Gil Carandang of Herbana Farms admits that he’s been in the market scene for decades but it is in Salcedo Market that he is most comfortable. He has been selling his produce there for 15 years, and is considered one of its pioneer stalls. “I’ve seen my customers’ children grow. Imagine, 15 years! Some customers would come up to me and introduce their kids as an ‘organic baby’,” he fondly shares.</p><p>Carandang was one of the first to grow exotic or trendy organic produce such as kaffir lime, kale, galangal, curry, Vietnamese coriander, and because of this, chefs and gourmands have been flocking to his stall for years. “Kale? Everyone’s into kale now. When I started growing and selling it years ago, only a few knew of it,” he says. “The big difference between when I started to today is that people these days are more knowledgeable and open to newer products. I grew wild arugula before and now, everybody’s growing it too because the demand has increased.”</p><p>Every Saturday, Carandang and his team start setting up as early as 5 or 6 in the morning, with many of his regular customers coming the moment the market opens at 7 am. “Here, vendors and buyers are able to talk, have an interaction and even learn from one another,” he volunteers. He especially appreciates how professionalized the market is. “It’s about standards, discipline, quality, and most importantly, service.”</p><div> </div><h3>Jennie Orros, Jaq’s Kitchen, 11 years</h3><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/22/4faces.jpeg"/></figure></div><p>If you pass by Jaq’s Kitchen displaying its bottled sauces and spreads, you may wonder what is so special about them. But one conversation with its dynamic owner, Jennie Orros, and you’ll be convinced to pick up a bottle or two. “Everything I make features vegetables and seafood and I use coconut oil,” describes Orros who doesn’t eat beef and pork. “I do not use MSG and all my creations are first consulted with a nutritionist.”</p><p>Yes, her products are made to be healthy, but the real draw is her ingenuity in combining local ingredients to create one-of-a-kind spreads, salad dressings, pasta sauces, and even rice toppings. Her Tinapa and Vodka mixes the smoky flavor of <em>tinapa</em> with a hint of vodka coming at the end. Her Santol Rum combines sour, sweet, and umami, perfect to spread over toast or spoon on top of a piping hot bowl of rice.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/22/5faces.jpg"/></figure></div><p>Orros recounts, “Eleven years ago, we began with Tuyo with Eggplant and Tuyo with Red Egg, but my products have also evolved to adapt to our customers’ changing demands. Without compromising my commitment to creating healthy food, I introduced new creations like the Tinapa con Malunggay with <em>buto ng langka</em>. It’s high in calcium, magnesium, and zinc and it’s basically a power food.” With plans of exporting her products, Orros wants to showcase Filipino flavors and ingredients at par with the best globally.</p><p>While Orros is busy working on exporting her products, she has no plans of leaving the market. “We started in Salcedo 11 years ago and I don’t want to stop being here with my Salcedo family… Salcedo’s a close-knit family and we promote each other’s products. We help each other grow,” she proudly shares.</p><div> </div><div><em>Salcedo Community Market, Jaime C. Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village, Makati City, open every Saturday, 7 am to 2 pm.</em></div><div><em>Photographs by Chris Clemente</em></div>

<p>As the market celebrates its 15th anniversary this Saturday, August 31, four vendors share what being a part of Makati’s premier outdoor market means to them</p>

As the market celebrates its 15th anniversary this Saturday, August 31, four vendors share what being a part of Makati’s premier outdoor market means to them