Culinary gems and heirloom recipes
The Philippines is such a fascinating country, made up of 7,107 islands (7,100 at high tide, I think) and one can only imagine the diversity of culture, backgrounds and traditions. That’s why it was such an honor and privilege for me to be part of the “My City, My SM, My Cuisine†book launch held at the SMX of SM Aura Premier, which brought together foodies from all over the country who came to celebrate the exciting flavors of Philippine regional cuisine.
Published by People Asia, the book is a compilation of the “My City, My SM, My Cuisine†campaign that SM spearheaded from 2012 to 2013 in key cities around the Philippines. It is a takeoff from the previous “My City, My SM†campaign, which highlights tourism, with a roadshow that makes a stop in each city just in time to celebrate their festivals and local fiestas along with their amazing cuisine.
The book has a special focus on heirloom recipes, a treasure trove of culinary gems from prominent families from each city, who opened their homes and shared their prized recipes as well as heartwarming stories in the process: the Lijaucos and Tiongcos of Santa Rosa, the Pastors and Montenegros of Batangas, the Lazatins of Pampanga, the Aquinos and Yaps of Tarlac, the Escuderos of San Pablo, the Remullas of Cavite, the Gastons and Puentevellas of Bacolod, and the Aboitizes of Cebu.
Some of these families had heroes for ancestors, and descendants happily shared the favorite recipes of General Emilio Aguinaldo, Dr. Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, and Mariano Ponce. In Bulacan, the family of historian Mila Enriquez gave us the rare opportunity of sampling the food of the heroes, as well as the convent chefs and the women of Malolos.
At a time when chefs have become celebrities, chef Claude Tayag and his family, as well as Rosebud Benitez, Tibong Jardaleza, and Jomi Gaston, selflessly shared their heirloom recipes with us.
Local restaurants that have become foodie destinations participated as well Venues such as Pampanga’s Everybody’s Café, Pangasinan’s Matutina, Davao’s Binggoy’s Gourmet, Rizal’s Balaw Balaw, and Lucena’s Dealo Coffee Klatch all took part and highlighted their delightful specialties. Other culinary destinations were present as well, with the participaton of Naga’s Avenue Hotel and Baguio Country Club, through its GM Anthony de Leon.
Food is culture, and the reflection of our heritage and roots. Our origins are evident in the food we eat and the way we prepare it. The book highlights community cuisine from the Cordilleras, the Aetas of Olongapo, the Manobo and Maranao of Davao, the T’boli of GenSan, as well as from Barangay Iponan of Cagayan de Oro. The community spirit was made alive with a cook fest, where participants competed for the privilege to be named as one of the best signature recipes. One entrée and one dessert were allowed to be evaluated from each city. This drew a wide range of contestants, from students to family cooks, homemakers, even chefs from leading hotels and restaurants, and their winning recipes were published in the book.
The My City, My SM, My Cuisine book — and its launch — brings together these wonderful people and recipes, as well as food lovers from all over the country. The launch gave the guests an opportunity to sample four exciting culinary showcases: a Suman Bar from Antipolo, a Baraka station featuring delicacies from Laguna, Food of our Heroes from Bulacan, and Claude Tayag’s Bale Dutung station from Pampanga.
As the world continually goes into globalization, it’s very refreshing to see how we can continue to preserve our culture and our heritage by documenting important aspects of the Philippines through the collection of recipes in this book. Hopefully the next generation will continue to take care of and value heirloom recipes and the tradition and culture that goes along with it.
