Pancit choca


Pancit choca is a Filipino black seafood noodle dish made with squid ink and bihon. It originates from Cavite, Philippines, and is originally known as pancit choca en su tinta in Caviteño Chavacano. It is also known more commonly as pancit pusít in Filipino. It is a type of pancit.

Names

The aesthetic significance of Luzon pancit is visible in the use of squid ink by Caviteños in Tanza, Cavite City and Trece Mártires. The dish is mainly sourced from cuttlefish, an archetypal Chabacano dish, Choko being the Chabacano for cuttlefish. Its black color led to its initial consumption only during Lent or funerals. It is topped with the complementary green of kamiás and the orange-brown of fried garlic.
In original Caviteño Chavacano, the dish is known as pancit choca ''en su tinta, literally "noodle with squid in its own ink", commonly shortened to pancit choca or pancit choco. Choca or choco means "squid" in Chavacano.
Pancit choca is also known as pancit pusít ; as well as pancit itím, pancit negra, pancit estación negra, pancit bihon à la negra, fideos negros, and "black pancit''" among other names, chiefly referencing its color.

Description

Pancit choca is initially cooked similarly to adobong pusit. First, the ink sacs are removed from the squid without puncturing these and set aside. The squid is cleaned and diced into rings and sautéed along with garlic, onion, bay leaves, and labuyo chili. Vinegar, soy sauce, a bit of water, and the squid ink are then added and brought to a boil. Additional spices may be added to taste, like patís and salt. The bihon is added last with reduced heat until it is soft but still al dente. Some versions soften the bihon in hot water and mix it at the very end of cooking.
It is traditionally garnished with crushed chicharrón, scallions, kinchay, and thinly sliced kamiás. It is served with calamansî and labuyo chili. Dayap or biasong may also be used instead of calamansî.
Some variants of the dish use sotanghón instead of bihon. Others also add mussels or shrimp, and/or cook the dish in shrimp stock instead of water.
Cavite's pancit choca is a combination of sotanghón with squid, its ink, vinegar, seasonings and aromatic spices garnished with green kamiás slivers.