THE DAILY DOSE

On days when I find myself working from home, I cannot get by writing without my daily meryenda of turon. I have long been a fan (a close second to banana-cue) but it’s just recently I came to know of a sari-sari store a few steps away from my house that sells the precious stuff.

Just the way I like it –  not-too-big slabs of banana inside the wrapping, just the right amount of that caramelized brown sugar. Others go crazy for barbecue or isaw (grilled pig or chicken innards), the unassuming turon harks me back to my grade school days. There was this cheerful lady (in fact, a distant relative) who never fails to greet me whenever I pass by from school evert afternoon. She’ll flash me that toothless yet winsome smile and shout to me gleefully, “Oi apo, bisa kang turon?” - in my local dialect, that simply translates to offering me my favorite meryenda. And apo is a sort of term of endearment that means I’m such a handsome little boy (okay, forget the first adjective).

Many years forward,  I’ve witnessed my precious banana confection promoted to restaurant fare say, turon with ice cream. For me, though, I like my turon the way I’ve known it since – little pieces I could munch on happily with not a worry in the world.