Pansit

Pancit canton, the most popular type of pancit
Alternative names	Pansít
Type	Noodle
Place of origin	China
Media: Pansit

Pancit (Tagalog pronunciation:[panˈsɪt]pan-SIT), also spelledpansit, is a general term referring to various traditionalnoodle dishes inFilipino cuisine. There are numerous types of pancit, often named based on the noodles used, method of cooking, place of origin or the ingredients.^[1][2][3] Most pancit dishes are served withcalamansi, which adds a citrusy flavor.^[1][4]

Noodles were introduced to thePhilippines byChinese immigrants. They have been fully adopted and nativized into the local cuisine, also incorporating Spanish influences.^[2][3] There are numerous regional types of pancit throughout the Philippines, usually differing on the available indigenous ingredients. Some variants do not use noodles at all, but instead substitute it with strips ofcoconut, youngpapaya,mung bean sprouts,bamboo shoots, 'takway' ("pansit ng bukid")^[5] or seaweed.^[1]

The termpancit (or thestandardized but less commonpansit) is derived from either of theHokkien terms 扁食 (Pe̍h-ōe-jī:pán-si̍t/pián-si̍t;lit. 'wonton (noodles)') or 便的食 (Pe̍h-ōe-jī:piân-ê-si̍t/pân-si̍t;lit. 'convenient food').[6] In the Filipino language,pancit is the generic word for noodles.^[7] Different kinds of noodles can be found in Filipino supermarkets which can then be cooked at home. Noodle dishes are also standard fare in local restaurants, with establishments specializing in them calledpanciterias orpancitans.^[1]

Pancit has evolved in Filipino cuisine to combine both Chinese and Spanish techniques, as well as use local ingredients. Pancit is most commonly cooked by sautéing (guisado inPhilippine Spanish) them with garlic, onions, vegetables (commonlycarrots,green beans,cabbage,bell peppers,chayote,bottle gourd,patola,oyster mushrooms, andcauliflower, among others), and meat (including different kinds of Philippinelongganisas) or seafood (including shrimp, fish, squid, crab,oysters, clams, andfish balls). Rarer ingredients includekamias,coconut milk,banana blossoms,mustard greens,okra,calabaza,tengang daga mushrooms, andshitake mushrooms.^[1] The ingredients of the sauce varies by recipe. These ingredients includesoy sauce (or salt),vinegar, fish sauce (patis),bagoong alamang (shrimp paste),taba ng talangka (crab fat),oyster sauce,bugnay wine,fermented soy bean paste, and various sweet sauces (includinginihaw sauces).^[1]

They can also be cooked in a broth or braised. Almost all pancit dishes are also uniquely served with sliced halves ofcalamansi, meant to be squeezed over the noodles (at the consumer's discretion) as the juice adds a tangy sourness. The most common other garnishings and condiments are flaked smoked fish (tinapa), fried garlic, crumbled pork cracklings (chicharon),labuyo chilis,shallots, groundblack pepper, glutinous riceokoy,kinchay,peanuts, and sliced hard-boiled eggs. Some regions may also add slicedbilimbi fruits (kamias).^[1][2][3][4]

Pancit dishes are generally named after the types of noodles used. The most commonly used noodles arecanton (egg noodles, usually round),bihon (rice vermicelli),lomi (thickegg noodles),miki (soft yellowegg noodles, usually square in cross-section),misua ormiswa (wheat vermicelli),palabok (yellow cornstarch noodles),sotanghon (glass noodles), andodong (yellow flour noodles). They can also be named after their method of cooking, their origin, and their main ingredients.^[2][8][9]

• Types of pancit noodles
• 
  Canton (egg noodles, usually round)
• 
  Bihon (rice vermicelli)
• 
  Miki (soft yellowegg noodles, usually squarish)
• 
  Sotanghon (bean vermicelli)
• 
  Odong (yellow flour noodles)
• 
  Misua ormiswa (wheat vermicelli)

Pancit is considered both an everyday staple and acomfort food. Pancit can be eaten alone, but they are also frequently eaten paired withwhite rice, bread (usuallypandesal), andputo (steamedrice cakes).^[1] Pancit dishes are commonly served during gatherings, events festivals, and religious activities, due to the ease in which they can be cooked in large quantities.^[1] Pancit is also commonly served at birthday celebrations and Chinese restaurants nationwide often have "birthday noodles" listed on the menu, as the length of the noodles are believed to symbolize a long life. This belief originates fromChinese Filipino customs.^[6]

• Batchoy – a noodle soup made with pork offal, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock, beef loin and round noodles. Its origins can be traced to the district of La Paz, Iloilo City in the Philippines

• 

  Maki mi – thickpork tenderloin soup originating from the Chinese-Filipino community ofBinondo,Manila.
• Pancit Abra – common inNorthern Luzon, particularly in the province ofAbra. A variant ofPancit Miki, in either soupy or fried version.
• Pancit alanganin – originated fromBocaue,Bulacan. It is made similarly to pancit canton but has a soupy broth with addedmilk.^[7]
• Pancit Bam-i – also known asPancit Bisaya. A specialty originating inCebu, with a combination ofbihon (vermicelli) andcanton (wheat) noodles sautéed together.
• Pancit batchoy – Iloilo's stir-fried version of batchoy.
• Pancit Bato – is local to the Bicol Region; especially the town of Bato in Camarines Sur. The noodles are slightly toasted while it's still dry.
• Pancit bihon guisado – or simplypancit bihon (traditionally and historically also spelled asSpanish:bijon) is the type usually associated with the word "pancit", very thinrice noodles (rice vermicelli) fried withsoy sauce somecitrus, possibly withpatís, and some variation of sliced meat and chopped vegetables. The exactbihon composition depends on someone's personal recipe but usually,Chinese sausage andcabbage are the basic relish.
• Pancit Cabagan – served inCabagan, Isabela and nearby towns. Stir-fried and served either dry with separate soup, or "wet" or soup and noodles combined.
• Pancit canton – Filipino adaptation oflo mein andchow mein. Either in instant or stir-fried versions. It is named after the type of noodle used.^[10]
• Pancit canton Ilonggo
• Pancit chami – fromLucena City, Quezon
• Pancit choca (orPancit pusít) – a blackpancit fromCavite made withsquid ink andbihon.
• Pancit habhab – ALucban, Quezon specialty. Served in banana leaves, eaten directly without utensils, the name is anonomatopoeia of eating it, like a pig snorts.
• Hi-bol – A noodle soup dish originating from the Ilocos Region that is similar to a mami, but the distinguishing specialty ingredient is tripe from livestock. The name reportedly comes from "high voltage".
• Pancit kinalas –Naga City, Camarines Sur's version ofpancit, in soup or dried form. It consists of noodles garnished by scraped meat from pork or beef's head and other parts, enhanced with a thick deep-brown sauce coming from the brains of a cow or pig. The dish is further flavored with spices (sili and pepper) and served in hot broth. Boiled egg added is optional.
• Pancit lanu – Found only along San Vicente Street inSan Pedro, Laguna
• Pancit lomi – Originally fromBatangas,pancit lomi is usually sold in eateries across the province. With the mobility of the Filipinos; however, other people got wind of pancit lomi and now differentlomihán (eateries servinglomi),panciterias, andcarinderias (eateries serving a wider variety of viands with rice) offer it.
• Pancit luglúg orLuglóg – aKapampangan version ofpancit palabok that is essentially the same dish. The only difference is that it uses thicker cornstarch noodles. The name comes from its traditional method of cooking, which uses a bamboo skimmer to submerge the noodles briefly in boiling water.
• Pancit lusay – anIlocano stir-fried noodle dish made withmiki orlusay noodles, flavored withbugguong (fermented fish paste) or bagoong na isda, and typically paired withLaoag orVigan longganisa. It also includes other ingredients such as garlic, onion, tomatoes, and bell peppers.^[11]
• Pancit lucban – a type found inLucban. The noodles are mixed in with generous toppings and ingredients.
• Pancit Malabon – Thick rice noodles with different toppings that originated inMalabon. Early versions of this dish usesbamboo shoots.^[1]
• Pancit mami – round egg noodle soup
• Pancit mayaman – found inGuinayangan, Quezon
• Pancit miki – round egg noodles, or flat yellow noodles, or dusty white noodles either stir-fried or in soupy version.
• Pancit míki-bíhon guisado – round egg noodles withbihon, a hybrid type of stir-fried noodle.
• Pancit odong orOdong – Japanese-Visayan noodle dish fromMindanao and theVisayas that uses yellow round flour noodles calledodong, canned sardines in tomato sauce, and vegetables (usuallybottle gourd orpatola).^[9]
• Pancit Olongapo –pancit miki prepared withsarsa (sauce) made of thickened chicken and pork broth, darkened with a little soy sauce.
• Pancit moròng
• Pancit palabok – uses thinner cornstarch noodles (sometimes substituted withbihon). It is topped with a shrimp-based sauce dyed bright orange withannatto seeds, shrimp, crushed or groundchicharrón,tinapa (smoked fish) flakes, hard-boiled eggs, and green onions.
• Pancit pula – a variation ofpancit miki fromBatangas City
• Pancit sotanghon – acellophane noodle soup with achicken broth base. It may include some kind of meat and vegetable. A typicalsotanghon is made withcalamansi, sliced straw mushrooms, slivered dark-meat chicken andgreen onion.

• 

  Pansit sabaw –Pansit miki with soup
• Pansit Tuguegarao orBatil Patong – not commonly known outside ofTuguegarao in the province ofCagayan in NorthernLuzon, Philippines. It is an unusual noodle dish with a sauce based on soy and"cara-beef" beef broth. It is served with two piquant side dishes: a cup of egg-drop soup made with the samecara-beef broth; and a dish of chopped onions, vinegar, orcalamansi,chili peppers and soy sauce. The noodles are usually wheat-based and are topped with groundcara-beef, pork liver, mung bean sprouts, and poached egg from whence the namebatil patong, literally "scrambled and placed on top" is thought to be derived. Sometimes, other vegetables, crushedpork-rind cracklings or chorizo are also added on top. The soup was served separately.
• Pansit sinanta – also from Tuguegarao, consists of flat egg noodles,bihon, clams and chicken, with broth colored withannatto and served with pinakufu, a variant of dango.
• Pansit langlang – a historical noodle dish from Cavite which is said to be the favorite ofJosé Rizal, to the point he mentioned the dish in his novelEl Filibusterismo.

Other variants of pancit do not usually use noodles. They include:^[1]

• Pancit buko – uniquely uses long coconut strips, instead of noodles.
• Pancit estacion – fromTanza,Cavite, usesmung bean sprouts instead of noodles.
• Pancit kilawin – a variety ofpancit which originated inRosario,Cavite. In lieu of rice or wheat noodles, shredded unripepapaya fruit is used cooked with vinegar and fish. Usually partnered withdinuguan, a dish made of pig's blood.
• Pancit labong – an early version ofpancit Malabon that uses juliennedbamboo shoots instead of noodles.^[1]
• Pancit lukot - noodle-like egg strands (lukot orlokot) of thesea hareDolabella auricularia (locally known asdonsul) sauteed and cooked similar topancit guisado^[12][13]
• Pancit Molo –wonton soup with wonton wrappers added to the broth, serving as its "noodles".
• Pancit papaya – uses julienned youngpapaya strips, instead of noodles.
• Pancit ng bukid - the young tenderrunners (known astakway,daludal,sagibsib, among other names) oftaro,swamp taro, and other related plants. It is peeled before cooking and resembles noodles, hence the namepancit ng bukid (literally "pancit of the countryside").^[14]
• Seaweed pancit – a noodle variant fromTiwi, Albay which usesseaweed. It is rich incalcium andmagnesium and the seaweed noodles can be cooked intopancit canton,pancit luglug,spaghetti, orcarbonara.^[15][16]

• Gallery of pancit variants
• 
  "Saucy"pancit canton, a commonbraised version
• 
  Chickensotanghon soup
• 
  Sotanghon guisado withcalamansi
• 
  Pancit habhab
• 
  Pancit lomi
• 
  Pancit Molo, which useswontons instead of noodles
• 
  Beefparesmami
• 
  Pancit choca

Pancit Puti with Toasted Garlic is known for its simplicity and wholesome ingredients. Its specialty is that it is made of toasted garlic and savory flavors. Pancit Puti is a mainstay of festive festivals because it can be enjoyed with family get-togethers.^[17]

Commercialinstant noodle versions of pancit are also available, and are popular due to their affordability. The most common flavors aremami andpancit canton, but other Filipino-style noodles are also being adapted for the Philippine market.^[1]

• Filipino cuisine
  • Filipino Chinese cuisine
• List of noodles
  • List of noodle dishes
  • Noodle soups

Wikimedia Commons has media related toPancit.

• PCIJ report on Pancit

• Filipino cuisine

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