Proven Kagay-anon

“Tara, didto na ta mangaon sa ‘probenan’ sa Divisoria kay bag-o pa to didto na prito...” (Let’s go, we’ll be eating at the ‘probenan’ in Divisoria since those are newly-fried there.)

I thought I had a hearing gap, or my friend was too excited to explain where we were heading next for a food trip. But it was clear: “probenan” or the spot where chicken “provens” were cooked as a street food delicacy.

Back in 2010 where I was back in Cagayan de Oro, the Divisoria “Night Cafe” then was the central spot every weekend, and definitely, the night was incomplete without the street food stalls whose vendors are cooking chicken “proven.”

“Proven,” or short for proventriculus, is part of a chicken’s innards just top of the gizzards. It usually prepared by mixing it with flour and spices and then it will be deep-fried. It was new to me before, and no wonder most of Cagayan de Oro’s populace are enamored to eating this street food delicacy.

Had I been a food or lifestyle writer, I would like to cover the food the masses usually eat. That means tasting street food and ‘carenderia’ contrasting the creme ala creme places that’s usually being highlighted in “society” pages in newspapers and magazines.

Until now, fried provens are still a go-to food option for people who are on a tight budget. The Night Cafe might be over but they are still thriving in portions in Pabayo Street, Cogon Market, and near schools.

Cagayan de Oro is finding a niche of being known as the haven for unique “Sinuglaw” or Sinugba and Kinilaw, with special ingredient to make it outstanding in other places, mixed into “tabon tabon” and lime. But it would not hurt probably by acknowledging that chicken provens have become part now of the city’s foodscape.

Because why not? Let us have an optimistic take that the city can develop its tourism identity through that street food delicacy. And probably by developing it, food innovations may come in that local restaurateurs through the talented chefs and cooks could improve more proven-based dishes that can become an industry in itself.

And by highlighting fried chicken proven as a unique identifier for the city for the world to remember, we can have the opportunity to improve the training of street food handlers to make sure that food safety procedures are observed. This would not only secure the safety of the public’s health, but it can be a potential that the city may lead in standardizing a national policy on public health towards street foods.

But like in any food, provens are no exempt from potential health risks if we consume too much of it, as it also has fats and cholesterols that might trigger some illnesses, that is why caution should be observed.

(Nefluczon@gmail.com)