215th Anniversary of the Basi Revolt (September 29, 1807)
Basi and Fruit Wine
Signature of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur Philippines
Heritage Zone of the North
(R.A. 11645, January 14, 2022)
Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog
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Basi wine keeps up with the evolving market. Related wine products from chico, mango, caimito and other native fruits), and the famous Ilocos Vinegar (Sukang Iloko) proudly stand among local and imported brands. Samples of San Vicente products in tourists shops in Vigan, UNESCO Heritage City, and recently one of the new seven wonder cities of the world. San Vicente town 3-km west of Vigan has been recently declared Heritage Zone of the North under RA 11645.
Personalized basi labels: Left, historical sites of the Ilocos
region labels; wedding gift
Part 2
Yeast - the Ubiquitous, Universal Fermenter
Bottled basi wine for tourists shops and for export. Basi was among the items carried between the Philippines and Europe via Acapulco, Mexico, during the Galleon Trade era (17th and 18th century) when the Philippines was a colony of Spain, so with Mexico. Old folks attribute the unique fine taste of basi to bubud (homemade yeast).
All kinds of alcoholic drink contain ethanol or ethyl alcohol - the only edible alcohol. Wine is as old as civilization. Serendipity must have led to early wine making techniques, the key being the domestication of the first microorganism - Saccharomyces, the ubiquitous yeast.Wine making is converting sugar into ethanol. Ethanol or ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) is universal in all alcoholic drinks from beer to table wine to liquor, irrespective of generic or brand name. The strength of wine is indicated by proof, which is actually twice that of its percentage content.
Thus, 80 proof is 40 percent ethanol, which is the strength of Vodka, some Brandy, Cognac, Whiskey, and the like. The strength of beer normally ranges from 3 to 5 percent, unless fortified with distilled ethanol to raise it to say, 7 percent. Fortified wine is also common.
Natural table wine such as Basi of the Ilocos region, table wine from grapes and other fruits, normally contain 10 to 12 percent ethanol. Beyond this level, the fermenting yeasts simply die off from the accumulation of ethanol - a biological phenomenon called autotoxicity. It means that the yeasts are killed by their own product, often leaving behind the unfermented sugar. It is this residual sugar that makes a wine sweet - naturally, that is.
Author shows ripe leaves of samat or binuga (Cananga tenarius)
used in making basi and table wine.
Yeast is found in ripening leaves. Here the leaves contain the highest level of sugar which the plant did not use or store. The yeast acts of the sugar and as the leaves fall to the ground, a myriad of microorganisms and animals (from fungi to earthworms and grazing animals) obtain their energy from them. Ultimately the organic matter left behind becomes part of the soil, releases the needed nutrients to the growing plants and those in the next generation.
Yeast is ubiquitous, it is found in flowers, ripening fruits, honeydew, ripening leaves. It comes in different species under the genus Saccharomyces, among them cerevisiae and ellipsoides. There are also other genera such as Brettanomyces and Debaryomyces. Not all yeasts make good wine. But one thing is universal to them. It is Nature's way of converting sugar molecules (C6H12O6) back to their elemental form. Oxidation often accompanies such process, thus converting ethanol to acetic acid (CH3COOH), which is vinegar. Vinegar actually is a term, vin-egar, which means sour wine.
Natural vinegar is oxidized ethanol, usually with the aid of bacteria, principally Acetobacter and Leuconostoc. The latter forms gelatinous capsule that accumulates into a transparent to white layer we call nata. This is the principle involved in making Nata de coco and nata de piña.
So, even before sugar ferments to vinegar, nata bacteria and other contaminants can spoil wine and vinegar making. A host of organisms are soon attracted such as Drosophila flies, blue bottle flies, wasps, moths and butterflies that feed on the spoiled must. This is happening to unharvested fruits in the field, to remnants of pollination and fertilization, It is true in ponds and lakes where biomass of algae die of algal bloom. Ultimately the product is simply water, evaporating into the air or settling down into a pool or seeping into the ground, and all the organic compounds once part of the living world are back to their elemental components ready to be reassembled into the next living generation. Indeed this a great wonder on how Nature keeps a dynamic balance of the environment called homeostasis.
We can only imagine the ingenuity of wine makers far back during the Egyptian civilization, and in the Orient, the Chinese civilization. I had a chance to visit the ruins of an Assyrian fort outside Tel-Aviv. There, our guide pointing at broken tall jars, said, "The Assyrians were among the best wine makers in the ancient world." The Assyrians were powerful, not even Ramses could conquer them, They had a flourishing economy. Their vineyards can be glimpsed from the vineyards around the place which is Lakish today. Lakish wine is well-known all over the world, perhaps as famous as the Bordeaux in France.
Without yeast, our world would be a less happy one. Perhaps many organisms wouldn't be around in the first place, including us humans.
Here's a toast to the wonderful yeast. Cheers! Kampai! Mabuhay!~
Closeup of bubud, homemade yeast complex.
1.Muega, N Basil (Ocimun basilicum), Debaryomyces,
Indonesian Queen - Justicia (Trichosporon genderossa),
Yeast is ubiquitous, it is found in flowers, ripening fruits, honeydew, ripening leaves. It comes in different species under the genus Saccharomyces, among them cerevisiae and ellipsoides. There are also other genera such as Brettanomyces and Debaryomyces. Not all yeasts make good wine. But one thing is universal to them. It is Nature's way of converting sugar molecules (C6H12O6) back to their elemental form. Oxidation often accompanies such process, thus converting ethanol to acetic acid (CH3COOH), which is vinegar. Vinegar actually is a term, vin-egar, which means sour wine.
Natural vinegar is oxidized ethanol, usually with the aid of bacteria, principally Acetobacter and Leuconostoc. The latter forms gelatinous capsule that accumulates into a transparent to white layer we call nata. This is the principle involved in making Nata de coco and nata de piña.
So, even before sugar ferments to vinegar, nata bacteria and other contaminants can spoil wine and vinegar making. A host of organisms are soon attracted such as Drosophila flies, blue bottle flies, wasps, moths and butterflies that feed on the spoiled must. This is happening to unharvested fruits in the field, to remnants of pollination and fertilization, It is true in ponds and lakes where biomass of algae die of algal bloom. Ultimately the product is simply water, evaporating into the air or settling down into a pool or seeping into the ground, and all the organic compounds once part of the living world are back to their elemental components ready to be reassembled into the next living generation. Indeed this a great wonder on how Nature keeps a dynamic balance of the environment called homeostasis.
We can only imagine the ingenuity of wine makers far back during the Egyptian civilization, and in the Orient, the Chinese civilization. I had a chance to visit the ruins of an Assyrian fort outside Tel-Aviv. There, our guide pointing at broken tall jars, said, "The Assyrians were among the best wine makers in the ancient world." The Assyrians were powerful, not even Ramses could conquer them, They had a flourishing economy. Their vineyards can be glimpsed from the vineyards around the place which is Lakish today. Lakish wine is well-known all over the world, perhaps as famous as the Bordeaux in France.
Without yeast, our world would be a less happy one. Perhaps many organisms wouldn't be around in the first place, including us humans.
Here's a toast to the wonderful yeast. Cheers! Kampai! Mabuhay!~
Part 3 - Preparation of Bubod – Yeast Complex
Closeup of bubud, homemade yeast complex.
Basi is aged from one to ten years in glazed jars (burnay) capped with clay.
Brewing, aging and bottling follow traditional and modern process.
Here is a list of yeast isolates from plants growing at the SPCQ garden. The author, in collaboration with a co-researcher and co-professor, Dr. Anselmo S Cabigan Ph.D. at St Paul University QC, developed the combined process of isolation, multiplication, identification and banking of yeast complex. Thanks to the biology majors who worked for their theses in this field of study.
Researcher/Plant Source/Wild Yeast
Researcher/Plant Source/Wild Yeast
1.Muega, N Basil (Ocimun basilicum), Debaryomyces,
Indonesian Queen - Justicia (Trichosporon genderossa),
and kamuning Kloerckera
(Murraya pinnaculata)
2.Valdez, M.M Guava (Psidium guajava) Brettanomyces
Powderpuff (Calliandra cergenila) Debaryomyces
Aratilis (Muntigia calabura) Saccharomyces,
Trichosporon
4. Ngo, LM Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Cryptoccocus,
Hansenula
The isolation of these wild yeasts was made possible using a technique developed in the laboratory of SPUQC. Food Development Center of the National Food Authority (NFA) analyzed and identified the yeast isolates.
The Rotor-Cabigan Protocol is summarized in three parts, as as follows:
Part 1 - Isolation and Identification of Wild Yeasts from Plants
1. Determination of possible sources of wild yeasts. Since yeast is ubiquitous, it is likely found in places where there is a ready supply of sugar. Pollen and nectarines of flowers offer such as an ideal place.
2. Yeast cells are isolated from these floral parts and inoculated in a 15 percent sucrose solution contained in sterilized bottles (3/4 volume). Beer bottles are preferred because their brown or green color protects the isolates from UV radiation.
3. The bottles are plugged with sterilized cotton and are kept in a dark, cool chamber for at least three days.
4. As fermentation takes place, carbon dioxide evolves and in the process creates a CO2-rich chamber in the bottle that serves as an aseptic blanket especially against aerobic bacteria.
5. The culture is then analyzed in the laboratory. Identification of the yeast isolates is done using the standard procedure of FDC. Yeast isolates by Muega et al at SPUQ were obtained using this procedure.
6. The next step is the isolation and culture of the desired yeast isolates for specific purposes. However, the yeast complex as a whole, after proper identification, can be propagated for commercial use.
Part 2 – Propagation and Banking/Storage of the Yeast Isolates
1. The yeast complex is allowed to multiply for another 5 days in the culture bottles. Detection of any contaminant necessitates discarding the culture, and the procedure is repeated.
2. Rice flour is heated to 100 degrees Celsius and allowed to cool to 50 to 60 degrees Celsius (equivalent to pasteurization). The fermenting sugar solution is the mixed with the flour to make dough. Ground dry ginger is added at the rate of 1 part to 4 parts rice flour. The dough is mashed thoroughly and made into balls, two inches in diameter.
3. The balls are laid on cheesecloth, lined with clean rice straw, and incubated in a wooden box for 5 to 6 days in a dark, enclosed chamber, at 35 to 40 degree Celsius.
4. The balls are air-dried for 3 to 5 days, or until they are dry enough to be pulverized. Direct sunlight may kill the yeast cells. This is now the inoculant that is used in basi and fruit wine making. The rate of inoculation is equivalent to 10 balls to a standard size jar (burnay).
5. The powdered inoculant can be stored in an airtight glass container and placed in the vegetable section of a refrigerator. Viable storage time is around 6 months.
Part 3 – Alternative Procedures and Other Applications of the Rotor-Cabigan Protocol
1. Substrates may vary, according to the microorganisms to be propagated and banked. Papaya pulp is commonly used for Aspergillus niger as shown in the experiment of Marasigan, 1995.
2. Papaya pulp is also recommended in the preparation of Rhizobium inoculant for soybeans and other legumes (Jacob 1997)
3. Other fruit pulps such as citrus and mango have been tried successful in the propagation of food-fermenting organisms such as Leuconostoc mesenteroides (nata de coco), Lactobacillus (yogurt), Micrococcus and Pediococcus (patis), and other Halobacteria (bacteria responsible in bagoong making). (8)
4. Other alternatives the protocol can adopt are in the propagation of
cellulose-breaking bacteria such as Trichoderma, and biological pesticide such as Bacillus thuringiensis.
(Murraya pinnaculata)
2.Valdez, M.M Guava (Psidium guajava) Brettanomyces
Powderpuff (Calliandra cergenila) Debaryomyces
Aratilis (Muntigia calabura) Saccharomyces,
Trichosporon
3.Lacap, DC Duhat (S. cumini) Saccharomyces
Saccharomycodes, Debaryomyces,
Hansenula
Kloeckera
Nematospora
Saccharomycodes, Debaryomyces,
Hansenula
Kloeckera
Nematospora
4. Ngo, LM Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Cryptoccocus,
Hansenula
The isolation of these wild yeasts was made possible using a technique developed in the laboratory of SPUQC. Food Development Center of the National Food Authority (NFA) analyzed and identified the yeast isolates.
The Rotor-Cabigan Protocol is summarized in three parts, as as follows:
Part 1 - Isolation and Identification of Wild Yeasts from Plants
1. Determination of possible sources of wild yeasts. Since yeast is ubiquitous, it is likely found in places where there is a ready supply of sugar. Pollen and nectarines of flowers offer such as an ideal place.
2. Yeast cells are isolated from these floral parts and inoculated in a 15 percent sucrose solution contained in sterilized bottles (3/4 volume). Beer bottles are preferred because their brown or green color protects the isolates from UV radiation.
3. The bottles are plugged with sterilized cotton and are kept in a dark, cool chamber for at least three days.
4. As fermentation takes place, carbon dioxide evolves and in the process creates a CO2-rich chamber in the bottle that serves as an aseptic blanket especially against aerobic bacteria.
5. The culture is then analyzed in the laboratory. Identification of the yeast isolates is done using the standard procedure of FDC. Yeast isolates by Muega et al at SPUQ were obtained using this procedure.
6. The next step is the isolation and culture of the desired yeast isolates for specific purposes. However, the yeast complex as a whole, after proper identification, can be propagated for commercial use.
Part 2 – Propagation and Banking/Storage of the Yeast Isolates
1. The yeast complex is allowed to multiply for another 5 days in the culture bottles. Detection of any contaminant necessitates discarding the culture, and the procedure is repeated.
2. Rice flour is heated to 100 degrees Celsius and allowed to cool to 50 to 60 degrees Celsius (equivalent to pasteurization). The fermenting sugar solution is the mixed with the flour to make dough. Ground dry ginger is added at the rate of 1 part to 4 parts rice flour. The dough is mashed thoroughly and made into balls, two inches in diameter.
3. The balls are laid on cheesecloth, lined with clean rice straw, and incubated in a wooden box for 5 to 6 days in a dark, enclosed chamber, at 35 to 40 degree Celsius.
4. The balls are air-dried for 3 to 5 days, or until they are dry enough to be pulverized. Direct sunlight may kill the yeast cells. This is now the inoculant that is used in basi and fruit wine making. The rate of inoculation is equivalent to 10 balls to a standard size jar (burnay).
5. The powdered inoculant can be stored in an airtight glass container and placed in the vegetable section of a refrigerator. Viable storage time is around 6 months.
Part 3 – Alternative Procedures and Other Applications of the Rotor-Cabigan Protocol
1. Substrates may vary, according to the microorganisms to be propagated and banked. Papaya pulp is commonly used for Aspergillus niger as shown in the experiment of Marasigan, 1995.
2. Papaya pulp is also recommended in the preparation of Rhizobium inoculant for soybeans and other legumes (Jacob 1997)
3. Other fruit pulps such as citrus and mango have been tried successful in the propagation of food-fermenting organisms such as Leuconostoc mesenteroides (nata de coco), Lactobacillus (yogurt), Micrococcus and Pediococcus (patis), and other Halobacteria (bacteria responsible in bagoong making). (8)
4. Other alternatives the protocol can adopt are in the propagation of
cellulose-breaking bacteria such as Trichoderma, and biological pesticide such as Bacillus thuringiensis.
Part 4
Table Wines from Local Fruits
Living with Nature Products
San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
Table Wine products from 16 different local fruits growing in the Ilocos region
Table fruit wine making is a continuing project of developing
table wine from local orchard and wild fruits in the region.
House guests at the old cellar. "It's like living in the time of the Galleon Trade (16th to 18th century) when basi wine was one of the products carried by ships to Europe via Acapulco, Mexico."
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An 18th Century Basi Cellar
Living With Nature Center, San Vicente Ilocos Sur ~
738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday~
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