I’m sure you know how the song goes. I mean, even if you hadn’t been born yet when The Sound of Music first came out, you must have heard My Favorite Things. No? Okay, click here, read the lyrics and listen to the melody.
This is the tropics and my feel-good memories just don’t include “sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles”, “snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes” nor “silver-white winters that melt into springs.” Now then, if I were to substitute my favorite things for those in the song’s lyrics, I’d retain the “whiskers on kittens” but for the “schnitzel with noodles”, it’ll be suman at mangga. And much as I love “crisp apple strudels”, I think I’ll have fresh coconuts — meat and juice — instead.
We were back in the Philippines recently, and at a restaurant I ordered “puto maya” which looked to me like “suman at mangga.” It was very good. I think I can have that with “buko” pretty much everyday. But I’m curious. Why is it called “puto” when it isn’t? And how did it get attached to “gaya-gaya?” Thanks.
Long story about “puto”. Some people think that the Spaniards played a joke on us because “puto” is the masculine term for “puta.”
“Gaya-gaya” is just a rhyme thing, I think.