Grandest Philippine food festival to run throughout April

APRIL being the Philippine Food Month, the country is in for a delightful gastronomic road trip as Flavors of the Philippines 2017 showcases once again the best of NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao culinary fare through with various activities such as cook-offs, food bazaars, food tasting, and market tours.

Organized by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) of the Department of Tourism (DoT), Flavors of the Philippines is now on its third year of promoting different food and local cuisines from the different regions through activities held simultaneously across the country.

The festival was kicked off by the “Paella Gigante” recently held at Greenbelt 3 Park, Makati City where chefs from Les Toques Blanches (LTB) Philippines cooked an 11-foot diameter paella, completos recados with chorizo, chicken, and seafood cooked the traditional way over charcoal and firewood. The fund-raising proceeds are earmarked for the benefit of Sociedad Española de Beneficencia (SEB)

Here are among the gastro events in line with Flavors of the Philippines, that will run throughout April.

In National Capital Region (NCR), there are two simultaneous events are ongoing until April 30: “Smokey Tour” will walk visitors through the market area of Old Manila with merchandise ranging from medicinal herbs, birds and clothing to digital gadgets, open every day except Wednesdays. Glimpse of Filipino Culture is a cultural exhibit in Art Gallery Sining Kamalig in Quezon City. Other events include “Sabado Mercado” in San Juan City, “All Natural Health Fair” and “Vegan Fair” in Lucky Chinatown, weekend fair “Cheese and Deli Festival” and international cuisine fair “Taste the World at Eastwood City” at Eastwood City.

There will also be “Culinary Weekend Fair” at SM North EDSA, as well as culinary sessions and food tasting with outstanding chefs called “Food Meets Fun: Chef Creations.” There will be a “Tapas Night” at Green Sun Hotel in Makati City; “Dessert,” an extraordinary confectionaire dégustation at Le Petit Souffle at SM Megamall; and “Flavors of Brunch at Forbes Town” that aims to draw attention to the brunch dishes and pairings on the menu from participating restaurants within Forbes Town in BGC, Taguig.

The Cordillera Region will mount “Flavors of Cordillera” wherein their local dishes will be fused with mainstream recipes. The Ilocos Region will host several bangus-related activities like “Bangus Rodeo” and “The Search for Ms. Tisang Bangus’” in Dagupan, Pangasinan.