I’ll never forget my first taste of authentic La Paz Batchoy during a business trip to Iloilo City. After a long day of meetings, a local colleague insisted we skip the hotel food and head to a small, bustling eatery in the La Paz district.
That steaming bowl of noodle soup changed everything I thought I knew about batchoy – the rich bone marrow broth that had been simmering for hours, the perfectly chewy miki noodles, tender pieces of pork, and that magical moment when the raw egg yolk melted into the hot soup.
I spent weeks perfecting this la paz batchoy recipe, calling my Ilonggo friends for their family secrets, and now I’m thrilled to share my version of this Ilonggo classic that’s as close as you can get to the streets of La Paz.
While it takes a few hours to make, most of it is hands-off simmering time – perfect for lazy Sunday cooking when you want to fill your home with the mouthwatering aroma of garlicky bone broth. Once you try this homemade La Paz Batchoy, there’s no going back to instant versions.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic taste straight from Iloilo’s kitchens
- Rich, complex bone broth developed over hours of slow cooking
- Perfect balance of textures from silky noodles to crunchy chicharon
- Deeply satisfying and comforting, especially during cold weather
- Complete meal in one bowl
- Customizable toppings to suit your taste
- Freezer-friendly broth for future meals
La Paz Batchoy
Equipment
- Large stock pot (kaldero) For making the rich bone broth
- Fine-mesh strainer (salaan) For achieving clear broth
- Sharp knife (kutsilyo) For precise meat cutting
- Cutting board (Sangkalan) For preparation work
- Kitchen scale (timbangan) For accurate measurements
- Soup Bowls (Mangkok) Traditional deep bowls for serving
- Spider Strainer (Sandok Butas) For blanching noodles
- Ladle – sandok For serving hot broth
Ingredients
For the Broth (Sabaw)
- 3 pounds pork bones buto ng baboy
- 2 pounds beef bones with marrow buto ng baka na may utak
- 1 whole red onion minced (sibuyas)
- 2 whole garlic heads minced (bawang)
- 1 tablespoon sautéed shrimp paste ginisang bagoong alamang
- 2 tablespoons sugar asukal
- Rock salt asin and pepper (paminta) to taste
- 14-16 cups water tubig
Main Components
- 2 packages 16 ounces each fresh miki noodles (sariwang miki)
- ½ pound pork shoulder kasim
- ½ pound cleaned pork intestines bituka ng baboy
- ½ pound pork liver atay ng baboy
Toppings (Sahog)
- Crushed pork cracklings dinurog na chicharon
- Fried garlic bits sinangag na bawang
- Green onions chopped (sibuyas dahon)
- 8 whole raw eggs hilaw na itlog
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add your pork and beef bones, then boil them for 10 minutes. While boiling, remove any grayish foam that floats to the top. Drain the bones and rinse them well under running water. Clean your pot before continuing.
- Put the cleaned bones back in the pot and add fresh cold water until the bones are covered. Bring to a boil again, then lower the heat so the liquid just gently bubbles. Cover and let it cook slowly for 2 hours. Occasionally skim off any foam that forms on top.
- Pour the broth through a strainer. Pick off any meat stuck to the bones and save it. Using a small spoon, scoop out the white marrow from inside the beef bones and set aside. You can throw away the cleaned bones now.
- Pour the strained broth back into the pot and bring it to a boil. Add the pork shoulder and intestines. Cook for about 30-40 minutes until they’re tender. Take them out, let them cool a bit, then slice them into thin strips.
- Add the liver to the broth and cook for 7-10 minutes. Take it out, let it cool slightly, then slice it thinly.
- Add your chopped onions and garlic to the hot broth. Cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Stir in the sautéed shrimp paste until it’s mixed well into the broth. Add sugar, then season with salt and pepper until it tastes good to you.
- In a separate pot, boil water for the noodles. Cook the fresh miki noodles for just 30-40 seconds. Drain them well and divide them between your serving bowls.
- Pour the hot broth over the noodles. Add the sliced pork, intestines, liver, and saved meat from the bones. Put some bone marrow in each bowl if you like.
- Top each bowl with crushed chicharon, fried garlic bits, and chopped green onions. If you want, crack a raw egg into each bowl. Serve right away while it’s very hot.
- Always serve extra hot broth on the side for refills, and keep your toppings nearby so everyone can add more as they eat. Remember, La Paz Batchoy is best enjoyed steaming hot – this helps all the flavors come together and lets the egg gently cook in the hot broth.
Tips from Lola’s Kitchen
- Para sa malinaw na sabaw (For clear broth):
- Always blanch bones first
- Simmer, never boil
- Skim regularly
- Strain through fine mesh
- Para sa masarap na lasa (For best flavor):
- Toast garlic until golden brown
- Use fresh, not frozen, miki noodles
- Don’t overcook the liver
- Add shrimp paste gradually to taste
Nutrition
Traditional Serving Suggestions (Tradisyonal na Paraan ng Pagsilbi)
- Serve piping hot
- Offer extra broth on the side
- Accompany with:
- Puto (Filipino rice cakes)
- Fresh pandesal
- Calamansi halves
- Additional chicharon
- Extra fried garlic
Troubleshooting (Solusyon sa Mga Problema)
- Cloudy Broth
- Solution: Blanch bones properly, maintain gentle simmer
- Tough Meat
- Solution: Extend cooking time, maintain lower temperature
- Mushy Noodles
- Solution: Cook briefly, serve immediately
- Bland Taste
- Solution: Add more shrimp paste, adjust salt, enhance with fried garlic
Ingredient Alternatives (Mga Alternatibong Sangkap)
- Fresh miki → dried egg noodles (adjust cooking time)
- Pork intestines → extra pork meat
- Raw egg → poached egg
- Shrimp paste → fish sauce (patis)
- Bone marrow → additional meat
Storage & Reheating (Pag-iimbak at Pag-iinit)
Storage
- Broth: 3-4 days in refrigerator, 3 months in freezer
- Cooked meats: 2-3 days in refrigerator
- Assembled bowl: Best consumed immediately
Reheating
- Broth: Bring to full boil
- Noodles: Prepare fresh
- Meats: Add to hot broth until warmed through
Variations
- Seafood Batchoy
- Add shrimp, squid rings
- Light Version
- Skip intestines, reduce fat
- Special Batchoy
- Add beef tendons, tripe
- Modern Batchoy
- Add mushrooms, baby bok choy
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make the broth ahead?
- Yes, it keeps well frozen for 3 months
- Is raw egg safe to eat?
- Use pasteurized eggs if concerned
- Optional component
- How do I clean intestines properly?
- Soak in vinegar water
- Rinse thoroughly
- Boil with ginger first
- Can I use instant noodles?
- Fresh miki is traditional
- Results won’t be the same
- Use only as last resort
The Story Behind La Paz Batchoy
In the bustling streets of La Paz, Iloilo City, a culinary legacy was born in the 1930s that would forever change Filipino soup culture. La Paz Batchoy, the iconic noodle soup that captures both hearts and palates, traces its roots to the Chinese community that once thrived in the historic La Paz district. The dish’s name itself reveals its fascinating origins – “Batchoy” evolved from “Ba-Chui,” a Hokkien Chinese term meaning “pieces of meat,” reflecting the soup’s hearty, meat-rich character that defines it today.
Federico Guillergan Sr., often credited as the father of modern La Paz Batchoy, transformed this humble Chinese-inspired soup into what Filipinos know and love today. Working as a butcher in the La Paz public market, Guillergan experimented with combining Chinese noodle soup traditions with local Filipino ingredients and flavors. His innovation? The addition of guinamos (shrimp paste) to the bone broth, creating that distinctive umami depth that sets La Paz Batchoy apart from other Filipino noodle soups.
What began as simple market fare has evolved into a cultural phenomenon. The original recipe featured only pork organs and broth, but over time, the soup acquired its signature elements: miki noodles, bone marrow-enriched broth, tender meats, crushed chicharon, and that crowning glory – the raw egg that creates a luxurious finish when stirred into the steaming soup. Today, countless batchoy houses line the streets of La Paz, each claiming to serve the most authentic version, but all paying homage to this remarkable fusion of Chinese and Ilonggo culinary traditions.
While modern interpretations abound, traditional La Paz Batchoy remains a testament to Filipino ingenuity in transforming foreign influences into something uniquely our own. From its humble beginnings as a market worker’s meal to its current status as a celebrated Filipino comfort food, La Paz Batchoy embodies the rich tapestry of Philippine cuisine – where every bowl tells a story of cultural exchange, innovation, and the timeless appeal of a well-made soup.
The dish’s evolution continues as new generations discover and reinvent it, but the soul of La Paz Batchoy remains unchanged: a hearty, satisfying bowl of noodle soup that carries within it the flavors of history, the warmth of community, and the pride of Iloilo. Whether enjoyed in a humble carinderia or an upscale restaurant, each bowl of La Paz Batchoy serves as a delicious reminder of how cultural connections and local creativity can create something truly extraordinary.
