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Quezon Kulinarya |
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Chef Alfonso Rafael "AR" Jose
Ranido |
April is Philippine Food
Month and this is a perfect time to head south and check out Quezon province’s
famous delicacies.
To showcase its cuisine, members of print and online media
were invited to the Makulay na Pamana ng Quezon Kulinarya, an event organized
by the Tourism Organization of Quezon Province (TOQPPI), Philippines Inc., led
by its president Chef Alfonso Rafael "AR" Jose Ranido, as part
of the Flavors of the Philippines 2017, a month-long (March to April 2017)
gastronomic celebration hosted by the Department of Tourism as the local
component of Madrid Fusion Manila.
This event will showcase the ingenuity and
abilities of Quezonian in the hospitality and food service industry as well as
learn from the experts in the field.
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Media group at Quezon's Best Niyogan Pasalubong and Coffee Shop |
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Breakfast fare |
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Lito and Maureen Pasciolco |
After a 2.5-hour drive from
Manila, we had our first taste of Quezon cuisine at the roadside Quezon's
Best Niyogan Pasalubong and Coffee Shop in Tiaong.
Here, the
down-to-earth and hospitable owners Lito and Maureen Pasciolco welcomed
us with a hearty breakfast of pan de sal, coconut jam (a best seller
varieties with pineapple, chocolate and salted caramel), macaroons, ginatang
mungo and bilo-bilo, pancit habhab and fresh mangoes
and suman.
These we downed with coffee, fresh buko,
or sweetened tuba. Opened in 1993, this coconut products
store sells export-quality nata de coco, virgin coconut oil, and coconut
vinegar to name a few.
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Rebecca Labit |
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Verna Esmeralda Buensuceso |
The grand launch of the
Flavors of the Philippines was held at the Atrium of SM Lucena where local
tourism officials welcomed us. The Master of Ceremony was Mr. Ramoncito
"Monching" Leynes.
Welcome messages were delivered by the SM City
Lucena Mall Manager Ms. Maricel Alquiros, and the TOQPPI 2016 - 2018
president AR Jose Ranido, follow by the opening remarks
by Event Chairman Mr. Niño V. Magararo (Operations
Manager of Rainsummer Travel and Tours).
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Jota Gumaqueña performed by Gumaca National High School Dance Troupe |
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Minanok |
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Sinantolan at Sugpo |
Also present during the grand
launching were Ms. Verna Esmeralda Buensuceso (DOT
Director for Market Development) and Ms. Rebecca
Villanueva-Labit (DOT Region IV-A Director) who both spoke on
the emergence of Filipino culinary tourism as an important segment
that has developed into an emerging international trend. During
the intermission, a dance number was provided by the beautifully
costumed Gumaca National High School Dance Troupe who performed the "Jota
Gumaqueña."
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Tagayan ritual presented by Mrs. Tina Decal (at left) |
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Minukmok |
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Pancit Habhab |
A tagayan (drinking
ritual to welcome guests), featuring Quezon's lambanog, presented
by Mrs. Maria Cristina "Tina" Diasanta-Decal (who
operates Kulinarya Tagala, a food and culture tour of southern
Tagalog) ended the celebration. Closing remarks were delivered by Quezon
Kulinarya Vice-Chairman Ms. Jean de Guzman (Senoritas Mexinoy
Kitchen) A delicious lunch was prepared by Mrs. Milada
Dealo-Valde of Koffee Klatch Bakeshop and Cookies and La Donna Anna
Restaurant and Catering Services of Lucban, Quezon. After lunch, a press
conference was held.
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Press Conference: L-R: Ms. Marissa Nallan, Dir. Verna Buensuceso, Dir. Rebecca Labit, Ms. Carmen Marasigan, Ms. Cristina Decal, Chef Cornelio "Cocoy" Ventura (Villa Escudero executive chef), Mr. Nino Magararo
and Chef AR Jose Ranido |
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Matamis na alang-ang na cassava |
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Pilipit |
Also held during the launch
were experiential and interactive cooking demos, by Quezon chefs (Chef Vincent
"Vino" Veluz of Buddy's Restaurant; Ms. Maria Luisa
"Malou" Martinez of F & M Restaurant; Ms. Ma. Carmen
"Chuchay" Marasigan of Luisa & Daughter, Ms. Cynthia
"Chi" Eleazar of Halina Hotel; Mr. Irvin Jae S. Wagan of Laksa
Restaurant; Ms. Milada Valde of ADV/Koffee Klatch; and Ms. Agnes
A. Luna of Samkara Restaurant & Garden Resort ), of simple and
straightforward heirloom recipes and heritage Quezon cuisine handed
down from generation to generation.
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Ms. Malou Martinez demonstrates how to make alang-ang |
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Puto bao |
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Suman |
They include pansit
buko (noodles, made of buko strips, sautéed with fresh
vegetables); adobo sa puti (simmered in local sukang niyog); bingangi (grilled
shrimp topped with sinantolan, grated santol simmered in rich
coconut milk); minanok consomme (a soup dish using beef
instead of chicken, mixed with garlic, onions and mustard
leaves) and hardinera (their version of embutido).
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Gourmet tuyo and tinapa, suka, alabing, banana loaf and sampinit jam |
Appetizers prepared
include minukmok, kaliblib galletas (mashed boiled cassava mixed
with salt and sugar), Dona Aurora with latik (grounded glutinous rice
in caramelized sugar) and bikang dulong (small fish fritters).
Generous servings of bukayo (caramelized coconut strips); tinutong
ng monggo (sticky rice cooked in coconut milk mixed crushed broiled
beans); puto bao; and saging na niyupak (boiled bananas peeled
and mashed with sugar, grated coconut and margarine) were served to
guests.
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Ouan's Worth Farm Resort |
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The resort's swimming pool |
After the launch, we were
checked in at Ouan’s Worth Farm where, prior to dinner, we were shown around
the family museum by no less than retired PNP Chief (during the Ramos
administration) Director-General Recaredo A. Sarmiento (PMA Class
1966), who is from Buenavista in Marinduque. The 3-hectare resort farm
also offers a lot of activities such as picnicking, swimming, wall climbing,
rappelling and zip lining.
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Retired Gen. Recaredo Sarmiento |
Dinner that night was to be
al fresco at the Halina Z Compound along Red V Road where we experienced
Quezon’s Mercato dining. Here we feasted on local Quezon cuisine as well as
familiar grilled favorites coming from 17 different stalls. The next day,
after breakfast at Ouan’s Grandma’s Kitchen, we were driven to Verdana Farm in
Brgy. Balubal within the nearby town of Sariaya.
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Mercato dining at Halina Z Compound |
Here, we were to have
an encargado lunch, an authentic farm dining experience with roots
from the Spanish Colonial era, with Mt. Banahaw as our backdrop. The encargado (or katiwala)
were the people who looked after the affluent middle-class’ plantations.
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Verdana Farm |
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Ginangang tambakol sa kamias |
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Inadobong baboy sa sukang niyog |
The dishes were cooked and
presented by TOQPPI pillars Mrs. Chuchay Marasigan, Mrs. Chi
Eleazar, Mrs. Malou Martinez (Vice-President of TOQPPI) and Mrs. Tina
Diasanta-Decal; followed the theme of the event – Pamana (Heritage).
They were assisted by Chef AR Jose Ranido and committee members Mr. Irvin Jae S. Wagan, Ms. Jean de Guzman, Niño Magararo and Ms. Maria Luisa
"Mariz" C. Villabroza (of Myles Travel and Tours).
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Inihaw na sugpo stuffed with sinantolan thermidor |
Several of the locally-made
dishes served to us mostly used coconut as its key ingredient - inadobong
baboy sa sukang niyog and adobong manok sa gata.
Other dishes include inihaw na sugpo stuffed with sinantolan thermidor; ginangang
tambakol sa kamias; minanok consommé and bulanglang na
gulay with bagoong isda. These we partook of using our
hands (kamayan) on plates fashioned out of the trunk of banana trees.
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Ingredients and tools for making minukmok |
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Pinais |
After lunch, we witnessed
how buri (or buli) is made into threads as well as how local
delicacies such as the sticky an sweet kalamay (a family staple every
Christmas, it is a mixture of glutinous rice flour, coconut milk and muscovado
brown sugar, steamed until set and of chewy consistency), pinais (a
dish made out of prawns, pork and coconut meat, wrapped in banana leaf then
cooked in coconut milk) and minukmok (made from a variety of banana
called saba).
Long ago, before the age of the "texting,” young men
can get a chance to spend time with the women they were courting when
protective parents of the girl ask them to make minukmok using the
traditional large mortar and pestle.
Prior to our
departure for Manila, we dropped by the Rodriguez House (also called Villa
Sariaya), a luxurious ancestral home owned by former Mayor Catalino Rodriguez
(the town’s presidente during the American Occupation). On May
14, 2008, it was declared by the National Historical Institute as one of the
three Heritage Houses of Sariaya. Now transformed into a museum, here we
did photo shoots wearing Commonwealth Era period attire for - Filipiniana
costumes for the ladies and priestly garb for the guys.
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The author (left) and media colleague Randy Valiente dressed up as priests |
Quezon's Best Niyogan Pasalubong
and Coffee Shop: 1358 Capistrano St. Lusacan 4325 Tiaong, Quezon. Tel: (042)
545-6173. Email: quezonsbest@yahoo.com.ph.
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