MANILA, Philippines - Hundreds of food lovers all over the country participated in the recent “My City, My SM, My Cuisine Cookfest,” showcasing some of the best regional recipes.
The SM-Philippine STAR partnership drew professional cooks, homemakers, culinary students, businessmen, and even tricycle drivers who had one thing in common — their love of good food, especially their homegrown cuisine. It showcased traditional as well as new ways to cook well-loved recipes.
“People with a proud sense of regional identity have brought forth Philippine regional cuisine,” says Metropolitan Museum of Manila director Cora Alvina. “Our scattered archipelagic geography sustains varied cuisines. Culinary styles evolved among the major regions of the archipelago, the variations traceable to our rich natural resources, and to the gustatory tendencies and communal practices of families and communities. Contact with foreigners also flavored native cooking practices.”
Cookfest recipes included hearty entrees — Cebu’s humba, Batangas’s kaldereta, Lucena’s hardinera, Clark’s tidtad; as well as light merienda fare — Bacolod’s fresh lumpia, Cavite’s tamales, Marilao’s pancit Marilao.
It also brought together the best regional special recipes — Naga’s laing, Cagayan de Oro’s sinuglaw, Davao’s tuna, Iloilo’s pancit molo, Pampanga’s bringhe, and Santa Rosa’s puchero.
Desserts were to die for, showcasing the freshest produce in the city — the mangos of Iloilo, the exotic durian fruit of Davao, pineapple from Cagayan de Oro. The very inventive contestants also brought a new spin to traditional desserts — Marilao’s pastillas, Cavite’s sapin sapin, Pampanga’s tibok-tibok, Santa Rosa’s puto maya, Lucena’s bukayo and Naga’s pili nuts. Both the judges and guests loved Clark’s tocino del cielo, and Batangas’s barako dessert entries.
The search for the best regional recipes continues this year as SM and The Philippine STAR launch the second season of “My City, My SM, My Cuisine.” It begins this April at SM City Rosales where the cookfest will feature a search for the best bangus entrée and tupig dessert. It will then make stops at SM City Masinag in May to celebrate cuisine from the province of Rizal and search for the best binbayasan hipon at alimango entrée and suman sa ibos dessert; at SM City Calamba where the search for the best ukoy or Jose Rizal’s favorite chicken soup with chestnut entrée and buko pie dessert; and SM City Lipa, where foodies will compete for the best bulalo and pinindot recipes.
“My City, My SM, My Cuisine” will then make stops in General Santos, Baguio, Baliwag, Tarlac and Olongapo, before it makes a grand finale in San Pablo, Laguna in January.