Makulay na Pamana ng Kulinarya ng Quezon
The Department of Tourism Region IV-A, headed by its regional director Rebecca Villanueva-Labit, and the Tourism Organization of Quezon Philippines Inc., led by its president AR Ranido of Lucena City, launched the first Flavors of the Philippines event in Lucena, a prelude to the Madrid Fusion 2017 at SMX, MOA, Pasay City. The launch of “Makulay na Pamana ng Kulinarya ng Quezon” was held at SM Lucena last March 24. The event was a showcase of heirloom dishes of Quezon Province tracing back its heritage to the Spanish times passed on from generation to generation.
Highlighted during the event were Minanok consommé, a favorite soup dish of the Tagalogs, which is beef stew mixed with garlic, onions and mustard leaves. Appetizers were prepared in the fashion of rural folk, such as trio of alang-ang in kalibkib galletas (mashed boiled cassava mixed with salt and sugar), Dona Aurora with latik (grounded glutinous rice in caramelized sugar) and bikang, dulong (small fish fritters) with coco vinegar. The main courses were adobong baboy (pork) simmered in the local sukang niyog, and bingangi (grilled) shrimp topped with sinantolan (grated santol simmered in rich coconut milk).
The culinary event closed with the generous serving of bukayo (caramelized coconut strips) puto bao, tinutong ng monggo (sticky rice cooked in coconut milk mixed with crushed broiled beans) and saging na niyupak (boiled bananas, peeled and mashed with sugar, grated coconut and margarine).
“This event allowed us to go back in time and realize the richness of our flavors, where ingredients are taken from the surroundings of the home and families gather together to celebrate and bond,” said Labit.
The Tourism Organization of Quezon Province Inc. envisions making Quezon Province the next ultimate gastronomic destination and culinary capital of the South.