Chicken Inasal now officially Bacolod's important cultural property
BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — One thing that is noticeable when one gets to roam around Bacolod's city proper are its Chicken Inasal places. They are everywhere — like the litson manok roasters in other parts of the country.
It is no surprise then that Bacolod City passed last November 16 an ordinance that declared Chicken Inasal as an important cultural property.
It's more than a reprieve for the hungry; it's a way of life, said Councilor Em Legaspi Ang to Philstar.com a few days before the ordinance she authored was passed on its third and final reading.
Since the 1970s, Bacolodnons have been enjoying Chicken Inasal back to its original hub along Cuadra Street, where rows of marinated chicken are grilled over hot coal. Thus, the term "inasal" or the act of cooking or barbecuing meat over a grill.
These days, many of the Inasal vendors are found in Manokan Country, just across SM Bacolod. Come lunch to late evening, people troop to this lane where their "suki" or favorite inasal place are located.
Councilor Ang said that even though Bacolodnons like herself know how to make Chicken Inasal at home, they still go out of their way to Manokan Country.
"That is where people go. Kami dito when we miss eating Chicken Inasal, we go to that place. Even if we know how to do it at home, iba pa rin 'yung mga galing sa Manokan Country," she said.
She even recalled that back in the days when restrictions were not in place due to the pandemic, people would troop to Manokan Country after a night of partying.
"People start coming in at 5:30 all the way through the night or through the morning. 'Yung mga galing sa bar, sa inuman," Councilor Ang said while noting how other nations, and even people from other regions, would usually have their notable hangover food.
"You know why it's the hangover food of Bacolodnons when they come from drinking? Because it's the only thing that's open for 24 hours. 'Pag galing ka sa inuman and then you're hungry, it's your best bet," she explained.
Even the cab driver this author conversed with after a night of testing out the offerings in Manokan Country said that it is a good choice to eat there for the experience and the taste of the Chicken Inasal that he and many Bacolodnons come to know.
How to make good Inasal
The secret, Ang said, lies in the marinade, grilling method and ingredients used in their Chicken Inasal.
"We marinate it with coconut vinegar. It has lemon grass, a little bit of sugar, salt, atsuete. It also has a lot of ginger and lots and lots of garlic. So, it's very fragrant when it's grilled," Councilor Ang shared.
It is the common formula, she added, but there have been other experiments even with their Inasal "sukis." In the end, they are still amazed that many Inasal versions still turn out perfectly succulent, tasty and tangy, which many Bacolodnons approve of.
The councilor, who is the chairperson of the Committee on History, Culture, and Arts, said that even though their Inasal has been copied in other places, Bacolod's Chicken Inasal still maintained its unbeaten recipe.
Competition
She is aware of the reactions she garnered when she initially proposed the ordinance after finding out that Bacolod's Chicken Inasal was named the fifth best chicken dish by food and beverage web site Taste Atlas.
"People from Iloilo said that this particular Inasal started in Iloilo. People from Dumaguete also said that they also have Inasal. Other places would claim that theirs is much better. In general, the Chicken Inasal is really identified with Bacolod City. Our Chicken Inasal here is simply the best Inasal there is," the councilor said.
She noted that proponents of other Inasal varieties can also take measures to have theirs declared as their cultural property just like what she is doing with Bacolod's Chicken Inasal.
The purpose of the ordinance was to recognize and include Chicken Inasal in the repository of all cultural properties in the Philippines. As such, she and the City Tourism Office are working on having it registered with the Philippine Registry on Cultural Properties (PRECUP), established and maintained by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as mandated by the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 10066).
Apart from the Chicken Inasal, Bacolod also has four pending applications with PRECUP. These include the Bacolod Plaza Bandstand, the bells of San Sebastian Cathedral, Nuestra Senora De La Consolacion/La Consolacion College, and the Luzuriaga Cemetery.
"It will become part of our cultural identity. It will help us promote our city, promote tourism. Of course, the registry is being used for many purposes such as historical, educational. We can, at least, have a contribution there and Bacolod will be in the books," Councilor Ang said.
RELATED: Inasal na manok voted fifth best chicken dish in the world
