4 Local Cuisines Of Ilocano In Fiesta Day

Taste the best of local cuisine of Ilocano; showcasing the dishes that define the taste of what early Ilocano have in the table called dulang.

Taking pride to the traditions and history of cooking.

Cuisines of French, Japanese, Chinese, Mexicans and among others might caught the taste buds of people of the world but the Ilocano of Northern Philippines can also showcase the recipes like sapsapuriket, kilawen, pinakbet, sinigang (of local fishes). The distinctive taste soothe from the ingredients that mostly harvested in local farms and waters.

The Candon City’s Tobacco Festival is not only to celebrate the number one cash crop of the people here; or the sweet calamay that become the synonym of the city when regards to food. Candon also boost the agriculture and aquaculture industry being an agriculture base city of the country. The fiesta is also showcasing the natural gift of cooking of the local cuisines of Ilocandia.

Four dishes were assigned to the four groups: pinakbet dish to Rural Improvement; sinigang na Malaga and kilawen to Fishermen’s Association; and sapsapuriket to Farmer’s association.

Sapsapuriket— a native chicken cuisine cooked with its blood, coconut milk, ginger, garlic, ground pepper among others. The dried dish could be as hot as you want depending on the amount of chili you want to put. Of course sapsapuriket will not be without the blood of the chicken. The golden to brownish color of the dish could be the best for young and adults.

Sinigang Na Malaga—Malaga is a kind of commonly found in brackish water. The flat fish with the tiger-like print of fish but just the dark color is one of the tastiest fish in Ilocos. In fact this is not a cheap fish, it will cost you. Sinigang is sour-based soup dish which Ilocano love so much. The sinigang na malaga is using the natural sour ingredient like tamarind, pias fruits, mango among others. Instead of young kangkong or kamote young leaves, the young leaves of chili is much preferred.

Kilawen—not only the Japanese love the uncook dishes. We do love the kilawen. In fact, kilawen recipes are lining cookbook: kilawen could include meats of goat, cow and pig; fishes may include almost kind of fishes and aquaculture and that includes the best tanggigi or susay fishes (blue marlin and blue fin tuna). Bring in the table the most delicious dishes including a platter of kilawen—that kilawen will gone in 60 seconds.

Pinakbet—who wouldn’t know pinakbet? This one rocks in the table. It’s synonyms to Filipino taste. But the most important of Ilocano pinakbet is using the  bagnet, pork cracklings and even lechon as the main ingredient. Of course the local vegetables are as important as the bagnet. Vegetables that include okra, squash, string beans, eggplants and many more.

Maybe, this is what fiesta means—the traditional way, when all the people gather together in the table and shared the dishes prepared by family.

That is what we did. The competed in cooking these and after the judging, it were all lined up in the table and eat together.