Tag Archives: Pork

Food, Health & Medicine

Filipino Lechon May Prolong Your Life!

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Lechon
Lechon

ZURICH, Switzerland (The Adobo Chronicles) – Lechon is a signature item in the cuisine of the Philippines. It is a suckling pig roasted in an open fire pit. No celebration, fiesta or party is complete without this crispy and succulent Filipino delicacy.

But lechon has its health impact. It is high in cholesterol content and has been linked to high blood pressure, heart problems and weight issues among Filipinos.

But a new study from  ETH, an internationally-recognized institution of science and technology based in Zurich, Switzerland, may just have absolved lechon from its ill reputation.

Lechon, just like bacon, may have the ability to prolong life, according to a recent study by researchers from ETH.

The pork product is apparently full of niacin – also known as Vitamin B3 – which has been linked to a longer life span. Researchers tested the theory by feeding a selection of roundworms a good dose of niacin and their life lasted one-tenth longer.

You can also find the vitamin in paprika, sun-dried tomatoes and peanuts. But why bother? You can find niacin in lechon, which is all that really matters. So eat up!

Oh, and don’t forget the sauce. Not just any sauce, but lechon sauce by Mang Tomas!

Business, Food, Government, Health & Medicine, International, Politics

CALIFORNIA BANS ALL PORK IMPORTS FROM THE PHILIPPINES

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Philippine pork longganisa (sausage). Photo by The Adobo Chronicles
Philippine pork longganisa (sausage). Photo by The Adobo Chronicles

SAN FRANCISCO, California  (The Adobo Chronicles) – If you live in California and you like Filipino food, you had better stock up on your packaged tocino or longganisa.

Effective March 15, 2015, the state of California will impose a comprehensive ban on all pork imports from the Philippines. The ban covers livestock, frozen meat and packaged pork-based food items.

The Manila government immediately criticized the move, saying that California is merely retaliating for a recent ban on chicken imports from California imposed by the Philippines.  The chicken ban was a result of confirmed cases of Avian or Bird Flu found in several chicken farms in California.

But California Governor Jerry Brown told reporters that the state’s decision to ban Philippine pork imports was the result of a series of serious considerations which began after Filipino business people and senators were accused and jailed for the pork barrel scandal which defrauded taxpayers of some Ten Billion Pesos. The pork barrel money allegedly went into the pockets of the individuals accused of the massive scam.

“We’re simply taking precaution to make sure that our state government, especially our state legislature, will not engage in similar pork scams ” Brown said.

The price of pork in the world market currently averages $198.00 per barrel.

U.S. imports of agricultural products from the Philippines totaled $991 million in 2013 alone. The California ban on pork imports will hurt the Philippines’ overall revenue from its exports to the U.S., since California is recognized as having one of the largest economies in the world.

Business, Food, International, Politics, Religion, Uncategorized

PHILIPPINE POLITICIANS GIVE UP PORK BARREL FOR LENT

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Philippine Cardinal Tagle administers ash to the Catholic faithful on Ash Wednesday (file photo)
Philippine Cardinal Tagle administers ash to the Catholic faithful on Ash Wednesday (file photo)

Manila, Philippines – In his message to the Filipino people on Ash Wednesday – the beginning of Lent – Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle admonished the Catholic faithful to “fast and abstain not to be slim and sexy, and be charitable not to be popular.”

Many Catholics abstain from eating meat for 40 days during Lent in the spirit of sacrifice.

Responding to the cardinal’s appeal,  Philippine legislators in both the Senate and House of Representatives unanimously agreed to give up pork for the next 4o days – pork barrel, that is.

The decision by the politicians couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time in view of the current legislative investigation of the 10 Billion-peso pork barrel scandal which has linked several legislators to the scam of siphoning taxpayer money into fake non-govenmental organizations (NGOs) and into the pockets of certain businessmen and elected officials.

It wasn’t clear whether the politicians’ “abstinence” from pork will automatically be rescinded come Easter Sunday, the end of the Lenten season.