The Department of Tourism has christened April “National Food Month.” This gastronomic food festival month, held nationwide and dubbed “Flavors of the Philippines,” aims to highlight the range of culinary dishes available in the country by showcasing activities that range from cook-offs, special dinners with the stars, food and market tours, gourmet weekend markets, food fiestas, agri festivals, culinary exhibits and expos, foodie events in malls, pub crawls, ruta de tapas, a world street-food congress/jamboree and special menus in participating restaurants.
Held simultaneously in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the events aim to create a cultural bridge through food as well as promote the country as a gastronomic destination.
“With the recently concluded second edition of Madrid Fusion Manila 2016 and its theme ‘East Meets West,’ the country continues to be recognized as a gastronomy destination in Asia,” said MFM2016 project head and DOT director Verna Covar-Buensuceso. “We are so happy that with Flavors of the Philippines, we can continue to highlight the range of culinary experiences every region of the country has to offer. This is like a coming-out party for the Philippines. In the past, we have been told that our cuisine was one of our best-kept secrets. With this month-long celebration, we are showing the world the wealth and range of culinary treats available in the country.
“We have unique Filipino dishes from folk to fine, interesting ingredients and food products that our visiting chefs have discovered and have appreciated,” she continued. “And we also have many wonderful restaurants all around showcasing the gastronomic traditions of other countries of the world. While we attract tourists to visit the Philippines for our world-class attractions, they can now discover that the Philippines is food heaven and the capital of fun foodie experiences, too!”
If there is a place in the country that embodies the phrase “East meets West,” it is Zamboanga. Inhabited by the Badjao, Samal, and Tausug tribes before becoming a Spanish stronghold in Mindanao, with influences from nearby countries Malaysia and Indonesia, Zamboanga has a culture that balances Eastern and Castilian inspirations. This mix extends to Zamboanga’s food fare, also known as Chavacano cuisine.
Mixing Spanish, Southeast Asian, and indigenous, Chavacano cuisine uses a lot of olive oil in some fish dishes on the one hand, and a lot of Indonesian and Malay flavors such as lemongrass, coconut milk, and bambawig (a basil-like herb) on the other. Gaining popularity among foodies, Chavacano cuisine is closely associated with the best dishes in the region.
“Flavors of the Philippines, through our event tonight, ‘Savores,’ aims to showcase the country’s rich cultural heritage through food and further establish the Philippines as a center of culinary excellence in Asia,” said DOT regional director Mary June Bugante at the opening of “Savores.” “Tonight we bring you a wide array of local cuisine, from spicy to sweet to flavorful and colorful — with each of the dishes featuring the Spanish influence, Zambuangeño, Chinese-Chavacano fusion and traditional Muslim cuisine.”
Bugante told us that eight of the top restaurants in Zambo participated in this first-ever food show. “I asked them to prepare dishes that they remembered from their childhood. Dishes that were cooked by their parents and grandparents.”
She added that she made sure that cuisine that had Chinese influences, Zambangueño cuisine and Muslim cuisines, would be represented at the food fair.
But, beyond food, the whole evening was a showcase of everything that represents Zamboanga. The program that we watched as we ate represented the history of Zambaonga through dance.
“I have been pushing to bring back our traditions here, “ added Bugante. “Because my memories as a child, where there were many activities I witnessed that showcased Zamboanga culture, no longer exist today.”
Fresh Seafood, Satti & More
Many of the dishes that filled the tables at “Savores” featured fresh seafood. Surrounded by the Sulu Sea, Sibugay Bay, Illana Bay, and Moro Gulf, Zamboanga is best known for its fresh lobster, fish, prawns and other seafood. A must-try is the curacha, a species of deep-sea crab found only in its waters. Alavar’s Seafood Restaurant upped the ante by serving its famous special sauce of coconut milk and various local and Malay spices.
Another notable dish is satti. With Sabah and Indonesia nearby, Zamboanga has a cuisine infused with some of Malaysia and Indonesia’s most popular dishes. Satti, adapted from the Indonesian sate or Malaysian satay, is one of these. Chicken or beef pieces marinated in a sweet-spicy sauce, are skewered and grilled before being served with tamuh, rice cooked inside woven palm leaves reminiscent of Cebu’s puso. What makes the grilled meat special is the satti sauce, a sweet-spicy, thick concoction of spices, which also coats the entire dish. The dish is, overall, a taste of Indonesia and Malaysia without ever having to bring one’s passport.
With its rich Spanish influence, Zamboanga is also known for its Paella de Anadalucia, which uses garbanzos abundantly, giving it a heartier, richer feel. Chavacano culinary icon Anacleta Garcia-Orendain has created the best-known recipe for this dish, which cooks consider very hard to copy.
And for vegetarians like me, there was a resto called Planet Vegis, which served all things vegan, from veggie-meat dishes cooked caldereta style to pasta to fried cauliflower and chop suey, too.
I was stuffed, and felt that the only way I could make up (for all the food I had eaten that day) was to walk back to our hotel.
“We are not yet done,” smiled Bugante. “You need to taste our Knickerbocker.”
The Knickerbocker is Zamboanga’s own version of the traditional halo-halo. Invented at the iconic Hacienda de Palmera restaurant, the cool dessert features sliced fruit, gelatin, and cream. What makes the Knickerbocker extra-special is the generous scoop of strawberry ice cream that tops it.
And, yes, I was so happy that I still had a little more room for the Knickerbocker. This halo-halo mix is one for the sweet lover’s books, definitely not to be missed.
“We hope to have more events like Savores, which will help attract tourists to come to Zamboanga,” added Bugante through spoonfuls of Knickerbocker. “I have met guests who, the first thing that they look for when they get here is a particular dish that they ate that they can’t forget.”