Anything Pinoy

The sizzling “Bicol Express”, delectable “pinangat” and mouthwatering dessert courses made with pili nut are Bicol region’s delicacies tourists would be savoring on under the Kulinarya Tour program developed by the Department of Tourism (DoT).

The program, designed under the Culinary Tourism concept would as if corroborate the saying “the surest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” was recently launched by the DoT under the stewardship of Secretary Joseph Ace Durano.

Dubbed as Kulinarya Filipina as part of the Cultural Tourism, the program hopes to introduce the Philippine flavors to domestic and international scene and promote the country as a culinary destination.

Included in the itineraries of the program is the Kulinarya Bicol Tour that offers visits to the provinces of Albay and Sorsogon to allow tourists to enjoy the region’s specialties such as “pinangat”, Bicol Express and pili nut sweets.

Pinangat is a native concoction of vegetable called “laing” and pork cooked in coconut milk while Bicol Express is a popular Bicolano cuisine of coconut milk, alamang, pork and lots of chili that provides a mouth-burning sensation.

Pinangat is most popular in Camalig, a small Albay municipality that sits at the southwestern foot of Mt. Mayon while Bicol Express is common feature of almost every dining table in the entire province.

Pili sweets, on the other hand, are famous in all parts of the Bicol region but the leading source of pili nuts is the province of Sorsogon from where a variety of delicacies made out of this product originate.

Kulinarya Filipina proves that aside from the country’s well-known diverse natural and man-made attractions, the Philippine foods remain one of the country’s best-kept secret which is relatively unknown in many parts of the world, according to Bicol DoT regional director Maria Ravanilla.

Ravanilla explained that the Philippine cuisines feature a spicy blend of various cultures — a legacy left by past colonizers. The mixture of Malay, Chinese and Spanish influences have complemented the Filipino’s way of traditional cooking style, which resulted in a uniquely Filipino gastronomic treasure.

Popular Filipino dishes adopted from Chinese are “lumpiang shanghai” and “pancit” while several traditional dishes still retain their Spanish names such as “mechado,” “menudo,” and “pochero,” Ravanilla added.

There are only few destinations in the country that are well-known for its food. For instance, Bicol, Pampanga, Bulacan are famous for their sweets, while Negros, Iloilo and Cebu are known for lechon (roast pig) and otap.

On the other hand, Antipolo is popularly known for its suman, kasoy and mangga and Ilocos for its longganisa, and pinakbet.

Each region has its own treasure to boast, such as the freshest fruits and vegetables grown in nearby Trinidad Valley in the Mountain Province. Pampanga is known for its sweet meat, such as “tocino,” Batangas is famous for its tender juicy meat “bulalo” and robust Batangas coffee beans, Ravanilla said.

Bicol’s most popular cuisine “laing” and “Bicol express” is known for the use of coconut milk and lots of spices. Cebu and Palawan serve fresh seafoods, seaweed salad; and sweetest mangoes. Iloilo is popular for its “pancit molo” and “la paz batchoy.”

Davao is famous for its “inihaw na panga” and exotic fruits like “durian,” “pomelo, ” mangosteen” and “rambutan” while Zamboanga serves some of the most delicious prawns, crabs, lobsters and “curacha.”

One of the recently developed Kulinarya tour packages focuses on Quezon Province which is already a popular tourism destination.

Quezon Province, Ravanilla said, is not only well-known for its harvest festivals during May but also for its culinary specialties such as longganisang Lucban (native sausage), Pancit Habhab (native noodles eaten directly from a banana leaf), the kiping (both a delicacy and ornament during the Pahiyas festival) and Broas (local ladyfingers).

Also worth watching is the Pandanggo-Awit, a traditional practice to welcome guests that features the lambanog — a local vodka-like drink which is one of the province’s most popular products.

Other modules being developed is the Kulinarya Batangas which will have two modules—Lipa, to feature lomi (native noodles soup) and sinaing na isda (steamed fish) with an optional visit to The Spa at San Benito and Taal which will feature tawilis and the various sweets such as panutsa (caramel peanuts) and the bukayo (sweetened coconut).

Likewise, the DoT also explores the possibility of launching and marketing culinary tours to other well-known culinary centers of the country such as Manila, the Ilocos Region, Pampanga, Bulacan, Iloilo, Negros and Davao, Ravanilla said.

These projects are being undertaken by the Department of Tourism in coordination with the Philippine Tour Operators’ Association (PHILTOA), Phillippine Tourism Agencies Association (PTAA), the Local Government Units, and various local tour consolidators.

The program had two components which include the Product Development and the Marketing/ Promotions Components. This is due to the fact that DOT sees the need for interventions initially, on the product development side as Culinary Tourism is a new product offering, Ravanilla said.

The product development module includes, among others, the identification of signature Filipino dishes and standardization of recipes, presentation and styling for international promotion, inventory of restaurants in the country featuring native and regional specialties and upgrading of the quality of Filipino restaurants both in the country and abroad, she added.