Camote and the Rice Crisis

I bring packed lunch of sandwiches to work but with the rice crisis, I decided to put the wheat bread on hold. I may not be a heavy rice eater but I’m trying to include rice in all my meals now. At least, when the time comes that rice will already be boxed like breakfast cereals, and no longer a staple but a luxury, I can say, it’s okay, I’m past my rice phase. Marami na akong kinaing (nakaing?) bigas.

Boxed Rice like Kellogs
But really, should boxed rice happen, even the soggiest rice gruel could be at the mercy of a Michelin-rated chef and fed only to the richest of foodies. During this time, while the rich nibble the grains out of the rice husks (milling would also be very expensive), what then would our—the common tao’s—staple be?

Camote on Kalalaw?!!!
It would be very sad to stock the kitchen with camote. The kalalaw would have no use anymore but as a tray for more camote. I’m not quite ready yet to eat camote three times a day. Beyond starch, it doesn’t have a wee bit of a resemblance with rice! Not in its shape, size, taste, color, texture, or personality. Rice can be valenciana, paella, pilaf, morisquetta, risotto, jambalaya, yang chao. Even burnt rice tastes good. But camote? The best that camote can be is boiled and then buttered! Not even the camote cue is fun enough to eat. Street food vendors are just too kind, sympathetic and innovative to slice up the sugared bulky root crop julienne so that they’d look daintier, sweeter, more inviting. But please, camote is nothing more but something you go home to for planting when you don’t make any sense!