In the ancient times, people used lotre as a way to make their slaves free from the bonds. A slave who is possessed by lote is bound to obey him even in case of death. In other words, the lotre had control over his slave but in this case, it was not literal. Instead, the lotre would try to make his slave free by offering him a deed that he could sell to someone else, hence the phrase, “free man coming.” To date, voters still use this expression in their modern day context.
Lotre and the origin of baca juga come from the Philippines and it is also known as Membeli Dua Tika (meaning “lotus plant”. This plant is also called the bamboo lotre or baca juga. It grows in the same place that the bamboo does. The plant has leaves that are white in color and it looks like a lotrunkha. It is said that these plants grow in a specific place in the Philippines called Panglao along the banks of the Manila River.
The word “tika” means “bamboo” in Filipino. Baca jugae has its origins in Philippines, specifically in Mindanao Island. Aside from the bamboo plant, it is also used to produce ini, the kind of food that is made from rice. Although it has rice grains in it, there are several kinds of rice grains that can be added to the ini to make it more flavorful, thus the phrase, “siidulagay.”
Aside from rice, it also has nut pieces, various vegetables and even meat. Today, the ini is served as food of choice during special occasions like weddings, kaweh, Eid, and other festivals. If you want to give it away as a present to your loved ones, the best containers are the ones that are colorful. You can find them in any supermarket, especially in Oriental market. But if you want to make your own, you can use whatever containers you have at home.
Traditionally, when people are invited to dinner, they all bring a plate of food to eat. But if you want to spice up your meal, instead of bringing one plate, bring a whole lotrunkha or pile of rice and add it to your ini. If you like, you can serve other kinds of side dishes like boiled eggs, boiled chicken or beef, pork shoulder that is cut into strips and cooked, and fried plantains. And of course, you can always include your favorite condiments and your favorite drinks like coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, and coffee.
It would also be a good idea to include some snacks in your list. Since these are small things, you can include your favorite snacks. Try to serve your guests with some yang (hot spicy) condiments like hot pepper sauce and fried chili peppers. And of course, serve your guests some yang condiments like Chinese soy sauce and ginger.