One of the "perks" of my work is you get to meet communities and knowing a bit about their culture, as well as get a chance to taste their food and try their drink. My fellow bloggers were raving about bahalina, a local wine, and I was wondering how does it taste. When I had the second chance to go to Sitio Ilaya in Inabanga, Bohol, the community served bahalina.



I thought it was tuba. I had the chance of drinking tuba when I was in Quezon. I did not like the taste that I almost puked. I did not give in but the leader of the community told me it is not tuba. To make the immersion "complete" I gave in to a half-cup of bahalina--and I could say it tasted so good! I would have wanted a second "tagay" but we had more project sites to visit (which meant work, and I should not get drunk while working. LOL!).

How does it taste? it tastes like Maria Clara Sangria (or a sweet grape wine like Mompo) -- bitter-sweet but with a stronger kick that you would feel hot (no, not that "hot") -- you would literally perspire a lot! So if you have a chance to drink bahalina, it has to be on a colder part of the day.

How a bahalina is made, please jump here.


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