Kain Na! Food and Travel Festival (Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental)

Kain Na! Food and Travel Festival

“Kaon Ta” (“Let’s Eat”), the Northern Mindanao leg of the Department of Tourism’s Kain Na! food and travel festival, is part of a nationwide series designed to create awareness and interest on Filipino cuisine and tourism destinations.

The Northern Mindanao Region (Region 10) is known for its abundance of agricultural products, especially lanzones, pineapple and organic peanuts, on top of producing 31 varieties of banana. 

DOT data states that more than 90% of tourists engage in unique food and beverage experiences and food comprises one-third of their expenditures.

L-R: Mr. Decius L. Esmedalla (DOT Supervising Administrative Officer), Mr. Ian Mark Q. Nacaya (City Councilor), Mr. Roberto Alabado III (DOT Asst. Secretary) and Ms. Dorothy Pabayo (Chairperson of City Tourism Council)

The 3-day festival, held at Seda Centrio Mall, officially opened last November 22 and will run until November 24.  City Councilor Hon. Ian Mark Q. Nacaya (representing CDO Mayor Oscar S. Moreno) delivered the welcome message. 

Also speaking at the opening were Centrio Mall Manager Hammer B. Roa while DOT Asst. Secretary Roberto Alabado III delivered the keynote speech.  

DOT Supervising Administrative Officer Decius L. Esmedalla and former DOT Region 10 Director and now City Tourism Council (CTC) Chairperson Dorothy “Dotie” Pabayo also graced the event. The Parade of Food and the official opening of the festival followed.

Parade of Food

One of the highlights of the opening ceremony of Kaon Ta Food and Travel Festival was the Flavors of the Region Degustacion where a whole yellowfin tuna was carved and the slices served kinilaw (literally “eaten raw”) to guests. 

The festival featured 32 exhibitors, all tourism stakeholders of sustainable and inclusive tourism program sand specializing in wonderful food holidays.  

They include hotels and restaurants, all belonging to Cagayan de Oro Hotel and Restaurant Association (COHARA), as well as farm resorts, agro industry groups, eco-farm adventure parks, transport operators, universities and local government unit (LGU)  tourism offices.

Flavors of the Region Degustacion

Dennis Coffee
Garden

Agriko

Presented were organic vegetables, juices, local herbs, concoctions, crop-based delicacies, handicrafts and culinary tour packages. The regional offices of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry also set up their respective exhibits. 

Some of the region’s favorite dishes are the Camiguin favorite chicken surol (a soup dish made with free-range chicken cooked in coconut milk),  roast beef, the famous binaki (a local delicacy made of yellow corn, cream, butter, milk and sugar), beef rendang (spicy,rich and creamy Malaysian/Indonesian stew made with beef, spices and coconut milk), humba de oro (a sweet pork dish that resembles the famous pork adobo), sinuglaw, (a dish composed of grilled pork belly and fish cerviche),  inun-unan na pidlayan (the Visayan version of paksiw na isda or boiled pickled fish) and the  Maranao staple chicken piaparan (a dish that is cooked with chicken, coconut milk, turmeric, and a special paste called palapa).  

Biko and chicken ham

Vinagrette and
natural honey

Organic
vegetables

The region’s specialty food products such as Iligan City’s wide selection of unique coffee blends, Camiguin’s coffee blends and classic Vjandep pastel  (a soft bun made of sweet yema which is best eaten accompanied with a cup of freshly brewed coffee or hot cocoa), the famous kiping (a crunchy snack made of cassava drizzled in latik, a syrup made of caramelized coconut milk) and palapa (a specialty, popular in Islam culture, is used to add flavor to curry rice and any kind of viand)

There's also suman from Clarin, Neneng’s Buko Pie from Linamon, , local tea (turmeric, ginger, etc.), cassava chips, local wine (mangosteen, guyabano, dragon fruit, roselle), coconut vinegar, black, brown and red rice, turmequillos, natural honey, tuna chicharon, vinagrette, egg-white cheese puto, sukang pinakurat, etc.

Kinilaw

Local wine

Alomah's Farm

The festival also featured prominent chefs from prominent hotels and restaurants from different regions who featured, in a demonstration series, their wide array of special, exotic and authentic recipes for the degustation of special guests.   

They were Queny Villarante from Region 9; Rowel Gomez (Jet 7 Bistro Executive Chef) and Barlow Neal Roa (Chef de Partie of Seda Centrio) from Region 10; Dina Tuan and Precious Pearl Portia Mendoza-Valdez (owner of Sushimoto, an online business) from Region 12; Leo Calub from Region 13; and Roseller Fiel III (Executive Chef at Soy Café and Diner and a culinary instructor at Sweet House Pastry School) from Lanao del Norte.

Lanao delNorte booth

Department of Tourism Regional Office X: DOT Bldg., Limketkai Center 9000 Cagayan de Oro City.  Tel: (088) 880-0172.  Fax: (6088) 856-4048.  E-mail: dot10@tourism.gov.ph. Website: www.tourismregion10.co.cc. Director: Ms. Marie Elaine S. Unchuan.