MANILA, Philippines - Still on a Halloween high, I?m feeling a little bloodthirsty. But unlike politicians, who eat people for lunch (heh-heh), I think I?ll just settle for good ol? dinuguan!

Having roots in Bulacan (mother?s side of the family), I grew up with this Pinoy classic: a stew of pig?s meat and innards swimming in pig?s blood. In our province, dinuguan is a little ?soupy? and is served with white puto, the starchy kind, to temper the rich taste of the blood, and a cup of native hot chocolate. Vinegar is used in cooking this dish (my own grandaunt, Nana Meng, uses tomatoes, onions, garlic, salt and vinegar) to make it last for a week. What we like to do is freeze the cooked dinuguan then scoop out the fat the following morning so that it?s not too much of a heart attack waiting to happen.

Like many Filipino delicacies such as the lechon or the kinilaw, however, there are regional variations of this unique favorite. In Ilocos, they call it dinardaraan, from the root word "dara? which also means blood. This version is a little drier than the creamy dinuguan we Tagalogs are used to. In Pampanga, they offer tidtad, which is ?soupier.? According to Des Rodriguez of the culinary shop Pamangan, this version is less thick because instead of pureeing the pig?s blood, it is coagulated into a little bouillon then dropped into the mixture. Pampangueños also have kilayin, which is dinuguan without the blood. Here, the same process as that for cooking dinuguan is used, but liver is added in lieu of blood for that rich texture.

In some parts of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, they call the dish tinumis. Instead of vinegar, sampaloc (tamarind) is used. In Bicol?and I honestly don?t know how they do this?I hear that they cook the dinuguan with coconut milk or gata. (Like red and white blood cells?) It comes out a little spicy. Maybe they can call it Dinuguan Express!

In Iloilo, they use chicken blood instead. Ilongga chef Pauline Gorriceta-Banusing shares that they use native chicken, which Iloilo is best known for, then serve it with puto manapla, also a white, bite-sized starchy puto. The color of this dinuguan version is on the brownish side instead of black, and the texture is much thinner because chicken blood is not as thick as pork blood. Chef Pauline theorizes, ?I think our being a ?manokan city? explains why we do chicken dinuguan instead of pork.?

According to Chef Ed Quimson, in the north, specifically in Tuguegarao in Cagayan, dinuguan is served dry and topped with bagnet. And in Metro Manila?s south, as in Alabang, a gorgeous little restaurant called Kanin Club serves an original version called Crispy Dinuguan. This is actually inspired by the dinardaraan of Ilocos, but made more appetizing with more blood sauce and by using a different pork part (which the owners refuse to divulge!). Mariela Cancio of Kanin Club shares: ?Our dinuguan is our take on the northern version of the dish that is made with bagnet. While we know it to be a soup in other places, which is usually served with puto, our version is on the saucy, dry side and is especially good with rice. On top of that, ours is crispy!?

What makes dinuguan a little scarier to eat, aside from the blood, are the innards that are mixed into the dish. In some parts of the Visayas, dinuguan is made strictly with just intestines and liver, which would make those not used to it shudder. Other provinces skip the innards altogether, using just pork meat and fat. In Bulacan, we use almost every part of the pig?from the brain to the rest of the head including the ears, to the lungs and heart, to other innards, to the meat?in our version of dinuguan. Fortunately, I like innards; I?m of the philosophy that it?s what?s inside that makes one special!

Now whether for Halloween or Christmas, as long long lost relatives and tourists alike come visit, I would suggest a serving of a bowl of dinuguan. With really good puto, I guarantee it?s bloody good!

Kanin Club. Westgate, Alabang. Tel 771-1400. Wheelchair accessible. Major credit cards accepted.

Pamangan. Contact Des Rodriguez-Torres. Tel. 0917-5399861; 810-6201 for orders.