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🚂🔥 Who Really Drove the “Bicol Express”? Spicy Stew Sparks a North-vs-South Food Fight! 🌶️ The Philippines’ most lip-numbing comfort food isn’t just about pork, chilies, and coconut milk—it’s a tale of pride, trains, and a decades-long tug-of-war over who gets to claim the first simmering pot. 🌶️ Two Tales, One Stew The Bicolano side insists the dish is a hand-me-down classic called gulay na may lada—“veggies with chilies”—once ladled out by roadside vendors to hungry rail passengers heading for Legazpi. The Manila legend says Laguna restaurateur Cely Kalaw coined “Bicol Express” during a 1970s Malate cook-off—and heard the name literally roar past her window as the Tutuban-to-Bicol train rattled by. “It’s a tricky matter of your memories versus my memories,” shrugs one Bicolano food writer, capturing the sting behind the stew. 💬 Voices From Both Kitchens “I just wanted a punchier name for a punchy dish,” Kalaw once quipped, turning a regional staple into a national superstar. Proud Bicolanos fire back: “We were burning tongues long before Manila slapped a ticket on it!” 🌍 Global Sizzle British firebrand Gordon Ramsay recently dubbed Filipino food the “sleeping beauty of Asia,” nudging chefs worldwide to wake up and taste the spice. YouTube phenom Ninong Ry pours gasoline on the chili flames—his Bicol Express clips rack up millions of views and counting. 📊 Big Numbers, Hot Facts Heat index: Up to 100,000+ Scoville units when siling labuyo goes wild Protein punch: Pork-packed bowls can hit 20g per serving Fat warning: Coconut milk drives saturated fat north of 25g—guilty pleasure alert! Regional reach: 7+ mainstream variants, from seafood to vegan, now circle Manila menus and TikTok feeds 🔥 What’s Next? With railway revival plans and pop-up Bicol Express bars hitting Makati, expect the origin feud to flare anew—especially if Ramsay or Netflix drops by for a taste test. 💣 Bottom Line Whether born on a sweltering Bicol platform or christened in a chic Malate bistro, Bicol Express proves one thing: Filipinos will battle to the last chili for culinary bragging rights—and the world’s finally ready for the heat. 📚 Quick Backstory 1890s–1930s: The southbound rail—later nicknamed the Bicol Express—connects Manila to the chili-loving Bicol region. Pre-1970s: Bicolano vendors hawk anonymous coconut-chili stews to train travelers. 1970s: Cely Kalaw slaps the rail line’s name on her competition entry in Malate, Manila, and wins hearts (and tongues). 2000s–today: Viral chefs, OFW nostalgia and Ramsay’s shout-out catapult “Bicol Express” into global foodie lingo—while the origin story stays as fiery as ever.