Take a bite of Tarlac

MANILA, Philippines - The food gods might have been smiling on Tarlac when they were deciding what glorious dishes to bestow upon the province. Tarlac’s local cuisine is truly a melting pot of various flavors from Ilocos, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga. Here, you can find bagnet, chichacorn, sisig, and maja blanca, but with that deliciously unique Tarlaqueño twist.

Appetite magazine’s first regional issue for the year reveals the different flavors from this land of vast sugarcanes and ricefields.  Three successful female caterers in Tarlac share some of their family recipes. Get tips on where to find the most delectable Tarlac pasalubong. Find out what makes Victor’s Sisig in Tarlac, one of the best in the Philippines.

Emerging from the ashes of Mt. Pinatubo’s destructive eruption in 1991, Tarlac has also turned adversity into a relaxing opportunity. Head off for a detoxifying lahar spa in Capas and soothe your senses in a hilltop monastery in San Jose, where the relic of Christ’s holy cross can be venerated.  Tee off at the Luisita Complex and get a sumptuous breakfast while you’re at it. Sit back and relax in Nay’s House, where Tarlac’s undisputed culinary matriarch, Ima Ninay, will regale you with her kitchen stories. Billionaire David Rockefeller Sr.’s former personal chef, Tita Baby Escalona, shares her stories about being a Kapampangan cook for the rich and famous.

Also, Janice de Belen interviews the ageless Rio Locsin, who cooks a mean Italian-style chicken barbecue. Plus, chef and Biggest Loser Asia first runner-up Carlo Miguel talks about his appetite for healthy living in the August issue of Appetite.