16 chefs vie for best cuisine in NegOr

by Jennifer Catan-Tilos

DUMAGUETE CITY, October 11 (PIA)     The annual indigenous foods cooking challenge dubbed as ‘Lutong Garbo sa Negros Oriental’ matches 16 menus for this year from each towns and cities in Negros Oriental on Saturday, October 15 at 9:00 a.m. at the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO), this city.

All 16 chefs are set for the battle of local culinary food and create originality using native ingredients abundant in their respective areas.

The cooks also expected to prepare delectable food using native techniques and ingredients in style.

From the set of choices of fisherman’s delight with sweet potato rolls of Amlan; stuffed chicken with coco cream sauce of Bacong; binoro rice topping ala busay of Basay; banana blossom and santol shrimp, Bayawan City; mantalip fish and bindoy express, Bindoy; pinausbungang manok, Canlaon City; native chicken halang-halang, La Libertad;

From Jimalalud, bukolaknok; coco chicken with banana blossom of San Jose; eggplant split, Sibulan; paksiw na utan, Sta. Catalina; chicken surprise,Valencia; dabong buko bam-I of Vallehermoso; while Dumaguete City, Dauin, and Zamboanguita have not submitted yet its final menus as of this writing but its entry forms are duly endorsed by  respective mayors.

According to the Committee Chair of Lutong Garbo Sylvia Uy, these lists of options will be judged by local culinary experts from Dumaguete City.

“It’s exciting to watch these local master chefs at work, as they sift, chop, sauté, reduce, and garnish indigenous ingredients to create artistic, mouth-watering delicacies, right before our eyes,” said Uy.

The use of ingredients such as monosodium glutamate, canned goods, imported products, and artificial seasonings are disallowed. 

The competition banners the theme, “Discovering Developing and Promoting Oriental Negros Culinary Heritage.” (PIA/JCT)