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12/08/2010

ballaiba/balleba, eel grass, tape grass, ribbon grass (Vallisneria) salad

There are some websites on and about the Ilokano (people) that feature the supposed traits and characteristics of a true, genuine Ilokano, ala-"You're a Filipino if....," and one goes that "maysaka a pudno nga Ilokano no nakasida wenno nakaramankan (wenno ammom ti maipapan)  iti ballaiba." You're a truly G.I. (genuine Ilokano) if you know ballaiba, especially if you've eaten it.

But what the heck is this ballaiba (also balleba, ballayba)? First, I'll show you here a photo of a ballaiba salad, courtesy of a friend, Ms. Leilanie, to prove, even if it's only in a photograph, that it's indeed edible and being prepared best as a salad:


Let me then quote Dr. Abercio V. Rotor, a famous Ilokano professor and scientist and writer, on what's a ballaiba: "Balleba (Vallisneria) is an aquatic plant growing in clear streams, ponds and lakes, whose leaves appear like ribbon, hence it is also called ribbon grass. The leaves are gathered and served fresh with tomato, onion and salt."

Here are some photos of the ballaiba. It is commonly propagated and used as an aquarium plant. Its Wikipedia entry simply says it's an aquarium plant, period, and not mentioned (even in numerous websites that feature it) that it's also edible and prepared as food or viand. I want to believe that probably, only we Ilokanos are the ones eating it! Although I'm not that sure if it's also eaten by other Filipinos.

(Photo from http://www.moje-akvarium.net/en-plants-vallisneria-gigantea.php.
You can see a lot of ballaiba photos by googling it.)


I surely and sorely miss ballaiba. It's been decades that I didn't see or have eaten this Ilokano delicacy. I think it's becoming rare (one reported cause of its becoming extinct in ponds and rivers is that ballaiba was a favorite snack by the voracious golden kuhol). As a boy in a farming village or barrio in Nueva Vizcaya, I am used to eat ballaiba because there are ponds and lagoons (called "kulos") in our place then where ballaiba grows abundantly. In hot summer days, when we children go and swim in these ponds, we also gather snails, wild balangeg, young lotus stalks, and ballaiba so we could have some food to bring home to appease the anger of our parents who discourage us to frequent the ponds for fear that we might got drowned, the sirena (mermaid) living there might pull us into the deep because we are gathering her hair. Yes, ballaiba is also called "buok ti sirena" (mermaid's hair). And yes, it's also called "I shall return" by some because of the fact that it's a kind of WYSIWIG--what you see is what you get--what you ingest is what you "undigest" is what you get! Get it?

Preparing ballaiba salad is simple. It's a kinilaw, in fact, because you don't have to cook it. Clean the tender leaves throughly in tap water. Then cut it into about a half-inch pieces. Then lapayen iti asin or squeeze it with rock salt to get rid of some of its galis or slipperiness. Rinse well. Then flavor it with a squeeze of calamansi and salt (and some MSG, if you like). Garnish it with tomato and onion slices. You can use bugguong instead of salt, if you prefer. Just add a little because the ballaiba would then be salty as it was first squeezed with salt.

13 comments:

  1. i tried to taste this food a kas sidaen when we were on our selling adventure at Burgos town in Pangasinan wayback in 2004.. Taste is simple and since i like salad as sidaen i like this exotic dish too.. It was done with kamatis sibuyas and a hint of bagoong pangasinan ...Nagimas la ngata!!!!

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  2. wen naimas detoy...dagitay kababagyak dj bacarra ilocos norte ti madalas mangmangted kanyami nga taga batac, IN

    I shall return nga talaga

    Vhert
    From US naval Base

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  3. naimas pay nga ilaok ti balatong,lalo nu panawen ti panaggagapas,kadalasan isut ibalon da nukua a sidaen ti pangngaldaw,,sus permi imas na with KBL pay...dekadan a jak naramanan dayta su makapailiw met...thnks for the post kabayan..

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  4. Merly Dizon HaemmerleJuly 15, 2016 at 10:42 PM

    I used to eat Ballaiba yearly when i took vacation in Philippines...i bought this sweet water grass in our Barrio Market every Wednesday..we prepared this by slicing it thinly,kneading it with salt and rinse it from tap water,then mix it with sliced tomatoes,thinly sliced ginger and red onions,bagoong sauce and a bit of Monosudium Glutamate ( AJINOMOTO)only if you wish!!!... as a borned Ilocana,this is one of my Ilocano favourites,aside from talbos ti kamote, ar-arosep, puhpuhlo, kulet, balbalulang etc....I love it...proud being an Ilocanians.

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  5. Naimas dayta kuskusan ti mariklog nga mangga sibuyas sili Ken bagoong with sardinas nanam apo hehehe

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  6. How to prepare ballaiba as kilawin?

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  7. How to prepare ballaiba as kilawin?

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  8. Makapailiw ti balleyba. Aggatgatang dati daydi mamang ku ti kasjay tapos aramiden na nga salad. Haan ammu tay kadwak ti balleyba. Siguro dagitayu lang talaga nga ilocano ti mangmangan tu balleyba. Haha.

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  9. naimas data apo,

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  10. Ballaiba from Solsona, Ilocos Norte is an original Ilocano exotic food that could be served deliciously as a salad (with ginger too), and...as an additive for native mongo recipes.

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  11. The place where I last saw and gathered this freshwater eel grass is in Solsona Ilocos Norte. Thst was in 1976 to 1978. We have many bengcag and rice fields in Kapurictan but these were sold to rich hayawanos who have the money. Sadly I missed those life we hsd as a young boy who loves rice planting prior go school opening in June.

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  12. Hoping govt officials in Solsona Ilocos Norte will preserve and protect this vanishing eel grass becaude it is one among the lsgendary food in Ilocandia.

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