In every simmering pot of meat or fish and rice hand-wrapped in leaves, in every treasured recipe whispered across generations, lies the soul of a region. For Eastern Visayas — a region shaped by colonization, trade and tradition — food is not just sustenance. It is history all its own and a cultural identity that is now being fought hard to preserve.
According to homegrown-chef Mark Reynan Sabayan, Eastern Visayas is indeed rich in culinary heritage, traditions and strong gastronomy where locals and their produce play a vital role in shaping the culinary identity of the region.
“It is our obligation to record, document, archive and practice the traditional and heritage treasures to be inherited by the next generations as our traditional bearers are already old and slowly leaving,” Sabayan said.
Food stories in the community have a deep sense of history, flavor, seen and unseen traditional food practices that need to be revived in the competitive world of gastronomic experience.
In the food mapping started in 2022, Sabayan said, a number of traditional dishes that date back to Spanish colonization have been tediously documented from the island of Leyte, Samar and Biliran.
Walking into a traditional kitchen in Leyte will find one with the “kerabu or kinarabu” in Palo town, a unique and rare type of salad of fern leaves (local name “pako”) with dilis, onion, tomato, vinegar or “sooy,” and grated charred coconut meat.
Another is the “inutok” of Carigara town, made from small freshwater shrimps, minced, mixed with young coconut and local spices. The mixture is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.
In olden times, big gatherings and special occasions served rice wrapped in leaves. This is called “budbud nga kan-on,” a different way to serve rice native to Alangalang town.
Then there’s the whole chicken minced with no part spared, sauteed in onion and spiced with a liberal amount of chillis – a dish found in Inopacan town. A cracking sound (locally termed “taguto”) is made while diving into the dish, thus the name.
In Samar Island, aroma from the freshly baked bread “presko” still wafts through the air in Calbiga town, a humble bread that becomes an enchanting pair to a steaming coffee for breakfast or with hot choco for a delightful afternoon snack experience.
The Mexican-inspired “tamalos” of Catbalogan City that takes a laborious three-day preparation, still graces the local table during family and special occasions. While going further north in the island is the “sinaraban nga puso” in Mapanas, and another version of “inutok” in Lapinig, both of Northern Samar.
These are just some of the traditional dishes that have been mapped through a project initiated by the Department of Tourism in the region.
While many fight to preserve the traditional ways, modern chefs, including Chef Mark, are breathing new life into old recipes, using local, sustainable ingredients while embracing innovation.
Mapping the region’s culinary heritage, he said, is honoring tradition while embracing change, ensuring that it remains alive and preserving regional identity. (ACR/PIA Leyte)
