Bam I Recipe
This Pancit Bisaya, or Bam I, is a prime example of how Cebuanos have taken classic Filipino dishes and truly made it their own.
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Throw together some sotanghon and canton noodles alongside a mix of different proteins equally tasty. Add your vegetables, sauces, and more, and you have the fantastic Pancit Bam I.
Pancit, as we know, is a beloved national treasure. Despite its Chinese roots, it’s truly found a home here within the Philippines Islands –– and plenty of homes, at that! All across the country, different regions, provinces, and people have made their own versions of this popular dish. This Bam I is a pancit that is native to Central Visayas (Cebu in particular), and is sure to be the pride of many Cebuanos.
What makes Bam I different from other pancit dishes?
One of the most interesting things that sets Bam I apart is the combination of noodles it uses. In most pancit dishes, you only see one kind of noodle, be it sotanghon, bihon, or the popular canton. But in Bam I, you get a combination of both canton noodles and sotanghon! The difference in thickness and textures adds to the harmony of flavors that brim on any plate of this dish. It’s definitely a pancit to love, not only because it’s delicious but it can fill you up with ease!
Another reason people love Bam I (myself included) is the various amounts of protein you can find in this dish. On one hand, Cebuanos definitely make use of their abundant access to the sea with all of their seafood dishes. By incorporating sumptuous shrimp into Bam I, you get to enjoy that aspect of island life that makes Cebu one of people’s favorite travel and food destinations.
But on the other hand — we love Cebuano for their pork dishes too, don’t we? Cebu lechon is a party favorite, no matter where in the Philippines you’re celebrating. In Bam I, you see the Cebuanos’ equally large love for meat in their portions of pork, chicken, and Chinese sausages. Meaty, savory, and hearty, Bam I and its ingredients are the gift that truly keeps on giving. It is, as the Cebuanos say, lami kaayo –– very delicious!
What ingredients do I need to prepare?
Bam I is quite an easy dish to make. That said, however, there are quite a number of ingredients to prepare. Don’t let this list fool you, though; the end result — a delicious and savory treat for any special day — will definitely be worth it!
Here’s what you have to do to prepare the ingredients for your Bam I:
- Slice half a pound of pork.
- Boil and shred half a pound of chicken.
- Slice 4 pieces of Chinese sausages.
- Shell a pound of shrimp, removing their heads in the process. From the head of the shrimp, extract half a cup of shrimp juice.
- Soak 4 to 6 ounces of rice noodles, or sotanghon, in water.
- Chop 3 cups of cabbage.
- Julienne ¾ cup of carrots.
- Soak half a cup of dried wood ear (or tenga ng daga), then chop them.
- Dice a medium onion.
- Clean, then chop a quarter cup of garlic.
- Mince a tablespoon of garlic.
- Also prepare half a cup of soy sauce; a chicken cube; 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken stock; salt and ground black pepper to taste; and 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooking oil.
Got all those ingredients ready? Good! Let’s get started and make this Bam I together.
How to Cook Bam I
The first step in cooking Bam I is pouring 2 to 3 tablespoons in a cooking pot. Once you’ve heated it up, sauté your garlic and onions. Add in your pork slices, then cook this for about 3 minutes. Then, toss in your Chinese sausages and chicken shreds. For about 3 to 5 minutes, let these cook, before adding some other ingredients, like your soy sauce and shrimp juice. Your chicken cube and chicken stock go in as well. Season this mixture with salt and ground black pepper then simmer, for about 5 to 8 minutes.
Afterwards, add your shrimp, cabbage, carrots, and wood ears. Let your Bam I cook for about 2 minutes more before adding your soaked sotanghon noodles. Cook this mix for about a minute, then add your pancit canton noodles. Stir well, cooking your blend of ingredients for about 3 minutes or until the liquid evaporates.
Once it has, turn the heat off the stove and transfer your Pancit Bam I to a serving plate. Top your noodles with green onions, and place a calamansi on the side for that extra zest. Serve your Bam I hot, and share and enjoy it! Mangaon na Ta!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!
Bam-I Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb pork sliced
- 1/2 lb chicken boiled and shredded
- 4 pieces Chinese sausage sliced
- 1 lb shrimp shelled and heads removed
- 8 ounces flour sticks pancit canton noodles
- 4 to 6 ounces rice noodles sotanghon soaked in water
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups cabbage chopped
- 3/4 cup carrots julienned
- 1/2 cup dried wood ear soaked in water and chopped (also known as tenga ng daga)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1/4 cup parsley cleaned and chopped
- 1/2 cup shrimp juice derived by pounding the head of the shrimp
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 piece chicken cube or bouillon
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cooking oil
Instructions
- Heat a cooking pot then pour-in cooking oil.
- Sauté garlic and onions then add the sliced pork and cook for 3 minutes.
- Put-in the Chinese sausage and shredded chicken and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add soy sauce, shrimp juice, salt, ground black pepper, chicken bouillon, and chicken stock then let boil. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Put the shrimps, cabbage, carrots, and wood ears in then cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the soaked noodles then stir. Cook for a minute.
- Put-in the flour sticks then stir well. Cook for 3 minutes or until the liquid is gone.
- Top with green onions and place calamansi on the side.
- Serve hot. Share and enjoy! Mangaon na Ta!
Roxanne says
Hi LaMi KaaYu!!! Tank U!
Vanjo Merano says
Welcome 🙂
Khai says
…and dont forget the squidballs! Lami na kau.. 😀
KbyanDave says
i let the sotanghon soak in the broth instead in water, mas malasa. I also use chinese sausage and fry it separately and use it as garnish… this is good stuff, thanks chef
vanessa says
kuya anong alternative sa chinese sausage?
KT says
I made this during my birthday party yesterday and it tastes really good! There were no leftovers! I didn’t use parsley… I added baby corn. Adjust the taste first b4 adding noodles and if there were a lot of liquid after adding the noodles, just drain it. Planning to make it again!
Maybel says
Wow lamia oi….
johnny says
we don’t actually use chorizo de bilbao for bam-i as it is a Spanish Sausage and usually we use bilbao for spanish dishes.
What we use is the Chinese Sausage which gives more of chinese flavor to bam-i. Chinese sausage are commonly sold in supermarkets in the Philippines and they are dry sausages and tied and bundled and packed in plastic and sometimes you get the real deal in a chinese deli in cebu and they are hung like chorizo bisaya you see in the meat section.
FARRAH says
I’m born and raise in Lahug, Cebu City. I loved this Bam-I but I did not really realized how much until I came to the US and haven’t eaten it for years. I tried to research it everywhere but I could not find it. Bad thing about it, I live in a place where there’s no Filipino foods around. It’s hard to find chorizo bilbao, so, everytime I visit my cousin in Virginia, I go to their International store and get as much noodles and bilbao as I can.
jill says
what is a chinese sausage?
judith says
yummy