The food most associated with Argao in Cebu is the Torta. The recipe for the torta is known to almost all families in Argao but Chitang’s Torta sells all year round in singles and boxes. So we headed to their branch near the poblacion.
The ingredients of the torta are similar to a cupcake recipe except for the lina or early morning tuba and lard extracted from the preparation of the humba (another culinary specialty in Argao) which are mixed into the batter.
The flavor is enhanced when cooked in a hudno using coconut husks as charcoal. A hudno is an improvised oven where the top and bottom of the batter mold are heated similar to how a Christmas bibingka is baked.
Like a fruitcake, the torta tastes best when it’s allowed to stay in the shelf longer as indicated in sides of the box of Chitang’s Torta:MAGKABAHAW, MAGKALAMI, which translates, the longer it lasts, the tastier it gets.