Baguio City’s formula seems simple enough: Get a product closely associated with the city – in their case, fresh vegetables – and serve this in a spectacular way sure to command attention. "Spectacular" is no understatement here – a staggering three-ton tossed salad was prepared and served at the event dubbed BAHAI Baguio Tossed Salad Festival: Your Second Serving at the Baguio Convention Center last Sept. 29.
On its second year, the event drew a crowd of 15,000 who partook of the salad. Baguio Association of Hotels & Inns (BAHAI) president Jeannie Chan and her hardworking executive committee team of Dr. Might Gupit (logistics), JT Gonzales (production), Gerry Beltran (media) and Jal Martires (secretariat) were visibly pleased by the turnout, a 200 percent increase from last year’s. BAHAI members fervently hope that the salad will, in time, make it to the Guinness Book of World Records.
This writer was part of the print media group brought in by Fly Ace Corp., local distributor of Pietro Coricelli olive oil and Federici pasta, one of the event sponsors, to witness the biggest one-time presentation of a tossed salad in Baguio. Asked why their company joined the festival, Fly Ace’s Mike Villanueva replied, "If you’re going to dine on the world’s largest salad, you might as well eat it with the world’s best salad dressing." Mike and Fly Ace PR consultant Amor Maclang led the media group billeted at the swank Baguio Country Club, one of the BAHAI member-hotels, where BAHAI officers warmly welcomed us in a dinner highlighted by an orientation on the salad fest.
Attesting to the mass appeal of food among Filipinos, the salad fest attracted visitors of all ages who also enjoyed a lively musical-variety program and treats from booths set up by sponsors around the venue. The event was the culmination of what was a week-long affair held in line with Baguio’s Tourism Month. Preceding the creation of the one-of-a-kind salad were competitions aimed at encouraging student participation – on-the-spot painting, an essay writing and a Convergence Challenge where Hotel and Restaurant Management students competed for awards in Bartending and Cocktails, Cold Dish/Appetizer, and Best Dressed Salad.
To be sure, the preparation of the tossed salad required massive logistics and preparation. Salad production – from the washing to the weighing to the distribution – was done in 20 stations, where those involved noticeably adhered to a strict code of hygiene by donning caps, masks, gloves and aprons. All participants had been required to obtain permits from the City Health Office. City Tourism Officer Benny Alhambra, through the General Services Office, ensured the cleanliness of the venue.
Representatives of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Department of Agriculture, Baguio Market Plaza Multipurpose Cooperative, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Tourism did the weighing and the authentication of the salad. The gigantic boat-like salad container was specially designed for the event by MC Villalon.
The salad itself, following the recommendations of Chef Paul Poblador of Salud Bistro and Chef Quiambao of El Cielito, consisted of 15 percent cucumber, 18 percent carrots and 43 percent lettuce, all from Benguet; 15 percent tomatoes from Sagada; and nine percent bell peppers from the surrounding farms of the mountain province.
Many organizations pitched in to make the festival a success, proving that a massive tourism undertaking such as the salad fest can only succeed with multisectoral cooperation. The Baguio City government lent its support, so did the DOT and the Baguio Tourism Council. Major sponsor was Krafts Food Corp. A host of the country’s top food brands also sponsored the event.
With the huge success of this year’s festival, expect a third serving (and a fourth, and a fifth....) of Baguio’s tasty salad. In its own way, the festival has helped sate the Filipino’s legendary appetite for anything fresh, crisp and delicious, as well as that of a tourism industry hungry for ideas on how to boost local tourism.