FLAVORS OF ANTIQUE. Chicken Papisik, a famous cuisine of the Municipality of Tibiao will be featured at the DOT's Kaon Ta! webinar from September 8 to 9. Chef Jose Ramlo Villaluna said the Kaon Ta! is being held to promote the local cuisines not only of Antique but also of other provinces in Western Visayas. (Photo courtesy of Jose Villaluna)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Famous local cuisines in this province will be featured during the Department of Tourism (DOT) Western Visayas Kaon Ta! (Let’s Eat!) to be held next week.
DOT accredited resource person for Kulinarya training, Antiqueño chef Jose Ramlo Villaluna, in an interview Friday, said a webinar for the yearly food and travel expo will be held from September 8 to 9 where several famous cuisines of the province will be showcased.
“We will showcase the menus Binabak, Papisik, Pinindang Salad, and Tinuom na Makul,” he said.
“Binabak is a shrimp delicacy that is famous in the municipality of Pandan,”Villaluna said.
Binabak has pounded river shrimps locally known as “patuyaw” as main ingredient, he added.
He said for desserts, they will feature muscovado specialties such as Bukayo, Butong-Butong and Himugo.
Chicken Papisik, on the other hand, is Tibiao’s well-known delicacy.
“The native chicken is stuffed with local herbs and spices and then cooked in the ‘dabahan’ or the earthen cooking pot locally produced by the town’s potter,” Villaluna said.
Another menu is Patuyaw, which is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed along with young coconut meat and ginger.
A very simple Antiqueño food that will also be featured, Villaluna said, is the Tinuum nga Uhong also locally known as Makul or mushroom.
“Tinuum nga Uhong is very easy to prepare,” Villaluna said.
He said a slice of fresh uhong or makul should be mixed with sliced onions, tomatoes and a pinch of salt. It should be wrapped in a fresh young banana leaf, tied with a string and broiled.
Villaluna said during the two-day Kaon Ta! the other provinces in Western Visayas will also feature their own cuisines as a way of promoting their culinary offerings.
“Interested participants to the webinar that will be offered for free may register via the DOT Western Visayas page,” he said.
He said there are 90 slots available for interested participants who expectedly are tourism stakeholders of Region 6 as well as food enthusiasts who want to immerse themselves in the food culture of Western Visayas.
“The Kaon Ta! is a program of the DOT combining food and tourism,” he said.
He said with the yearly holding of the event, it was able to add a new component to the image of the tourist destinations to invite international and national visitors.
“Also the event had created an additional economic activity in and around the destinations,” Villaluna said. (PNA)
