Sundays I usually go to the wet market to get week’s supply of seafoods. I usually go to the main wet market in GenSan (GenSan has three wet markets!) although there are times I go to the market in Polomolok, the town next to GenSan. It is actually nearer my place but sometimes public transpo is incovenient.
Whenever I am in Polomolok, I never fail to drop by the magtuturon just opposite the main entrance. I love eating freshly cooked turon. Often, I would sit beside the seller and her assistants and spend some time chatting. What’s unusual about the turon is that they use yellow-colored lumpia wrapper unlike the white ones I am familiar. These are usually made fresh and when in luck, you can buy them still warm.
Here is a video of how turon is made by the turon vendor in Polomolok. Her assistant wraps the bananas, jackfruit and sugar and she does the cooking. Turon is already available by 9am, perfect timing after I’m done with my marketing. I do remember one time they were late, apparently her assistant did not report as he went to GenSan at dawn so he could audition for the Pinoy Big Brother!
Sawadee kha! My name is Gay a.k.a. A Scientist in the Kitchen. Science and cooking are two of my passions. I'm a corn breeder who also loves to eat and cook. My kitchen is in Phitsanulok, Thailand where I am based together with Pasta (yes, I love Italian food!) my black labrador retriever.
I wonder what they put to make the lumpia wrapper have the yellow color. Turon sounds good right now.
That, I will have to find. Might make a good research…
I can eat turon everyday. That’s how much I love this Filipino snack. There’s something about the banana + jackfruit combo that makes it so good.
theoris on yellow lumia wrapper:
1) add annato oil, so it would be a non-self sticking wrapper with natural lubricant. but if this is done probably it is more difficult to seal the turon.
2) a little food color… i mean realistically pinoys love vibrant coulors courtersy of the food color. cheap and fast and surely would be attractive,
3) other natural coloring ingredients having yellow appeal like a] saffron – too expensive, but a very gourmet turon, b] turmeric powder – indianesque taste; or c] casubha or safflower- the one they use in making arroz caldo, slow roasted or oil drenched it makes a a very light color but less distinct flavor like saffron, at very cheap too when it comes to philippine standards.
Gay, would you try experimenting on making turon wrappers with these different coloring material theories? hehehe.
Lyle, turon is also something I could eat everyday!
Neil, the thought of experimenting on wrappers crossed my mind. Maybe. Or just really research and talk to people who make them. Did you that in Los Banos there is lumpia wrapper maker? You can get freshly made wrapper from then at the Bayan market. Personally I still prefer the wrapper we use in Luzon. It’s stronger and cooks well.
Gah! I want turon right now! Sometimes someone from our department, on impulse, would just go out and buy food for everybody, and turon is one of the top favorites.
In LB, the best turon has to be the one sold at Reith’s bread house, which has the same owners as Tony’s Grocery. They use their own homemade preserved jackfruit, if fresh isn’t available.
NeilTG had some great theories on how the lumpia wrappers were colored. I thought it might be safflower, too since saffron is a little expensive and turmeric will give it a pungent smell. Achuete might give it a more orange tint but all these spices makes it worth replicating at home but probabaly the easiest way will be to just ask the vendor
I just hope it’s not artificially colored :/ That would ruin these wrappers for me, haha.
yellow… white. doesn’t matter for me. love ko pa rin turon!
di mo ako naipasyal dyan sa polomolok market…
whenever im in the store of mamang mely”s turonon,i can a eat alot of turon.i like so much the sweet taste of banana and the crispy of the lumpia wrapper…