BAGUIO CITY (PIA) -- In celebration of Filipino Food Month in April, the Department of Tourism is inviting everyone to the Cordillera food fair at the Rose Garden in Burnham Park from April 24 to 29. 

The 2024  “Mangan Taku! Food & Wine: Flavors of the Cordillera” features the finest flavors and wines, and unique dishes and many more from around the Cordillera region.

All the Cordillera provinces have their own special offerings, and described by the DOT Cordillera as follows: 

• Pancit Laddit - a beloved dish in the Province of Abra, particularly in its capital, the Municipality of Bangued, is a flavorful noodle soup. It features sautéed garlic and onion, fresh handmade noodles, chicken and/or pork, and a delicious chicken stock tinted orange by annatto seeds. Toppings include chicharon or bagnet, along with a fresh or hard-boiled egg, all garnished with onion leaves. (Botiwey, 2019) 

• Pinalatan - "Sinilian" or "pinalatan," a distinctive dish from Apayao, features fragrant pomelo leaves and red chili for a subtle spicy flavor. The dish, which can be made with fish, poultry, pork, or animal intestines, relies on matured pomelo leaves known as "palat" and local hot chili called "tu'rang" for its key flavors. The "palat" contributes a minty aroma to the dish, complementing the spiciness favored by the Apayao people. (Travel Trilogy, 2017)

• Sinursur - The Sinursur can be an appetizer or a main dish and prepared using available meat from tuká (frog), iwat (eel), or hito (catfish). It is slow cooked inside a bamboo shoot and in the process the tender meat is crushed making the delicacy a delicious slush mixed with sili and gabi leaves. (Bajenting & Gom-os, 2017)

• Pinanltit – An Apayaoan dish mixed with “Paltit”, a local term for fermented fish from the Apayao river. (Dani’s Pizza, 2024)

• Binanayan - An Apayaoan dish mainly of “Banay” a local term for an edible and ornamental plant growing in the mountains of Apayao. (Dani’s Pizza, 2024)

• Kinuday - is the traditional way of meat preservation among the Ibalois since time immemorial. Locals who practice the tradition do it by hanging chunks of pork on the ceiling of their dirty kitchen or in the backyard above the area where food is cooked. The smoke produced from the firewood preserves the meat, but not any firewood is used, not pinewood especially, unless it has dried up completely to not discharge a drip of its sap. (Del Rosario, 2020)

• Tapuey- is a traditional beverage from the Cordilleras, and crafted from glutinous rice that undergoes cooking, fermentation, and aging in clay pots for a period of two to three months. Traditionally used in ceremonial occasions, festivals, and gatherings, Tapuey holds significant cultural value among these communities. (Tui, 2017)

• Benguet coffee- Benguet's renowned coffee, grown in Atok, Itogon, La Trinidad, Tuba, Kibungan, and Tublay, thrives in the upland climate, producing the nation's top blend. Cultivated organically without pesticides, farmers also practice multi-cropping, planting anthurium, strawberries, and vegetables between coffee trees for added income. During the November to March harvest, only ripe coffee beans are handpicked, ensuring exceptional quality. (Philippine Coffee Company, 2022)

• Strawberries - Benguet is celebrated for its high-altitude climate, ideal for cultivating strawberries. La Trinidad, its capital and dubbed the Strawberry Capital of the Philippines, hosts the lively La Trinidad Strawberry Festival during March. Adjacent to Baguio City, visiting its vast strawberry fields is a delight, where visitors can indulge in local treats like strawberry taho and ice cream. The prime strawberry-picking season is from February to April, with harvesting typically occurring from November to January. (Ceasar, 2023)

• Pinunnog - has chopped meat the same way that the native longganisa is stuffed with ground pork. The pinunnog rests on the hay-ungan (a compartment above the fireplace) for smoking. (Quitasol, 2016)

• Pako salad - Pako, also known as wild ferns, flourish abundantly along pathways and in fields, particularly during the rainy season. They are commonly consumed raw in salads, paired with tomatoes and onions. (Philippine Task Force for Indigenous People’s Rights, 2019)

• Inlagim- Tradition requires chicken to be butchered by a mumbaki (indigenous priest or ritual leader) who reads its bile to determine the pleasure of the ancestral gods. Inlagim translates to “burning the feathers of a butchered chicken.” (Quitasol, 2016)

• Inandila - A type of suman (rice-cake) made from pounded sticky rice galapong; it is a delicacy native to the Kalinga people, and is usually served in special occasions like in a wedding or during a bodong or a peace pact session. Inandila is short for "sinandila" which means just like a tongue. (Life Is A Banquet Blog, 2014)

• Binungol - The local binungol (pronounced binungor by other tribes) uses beans, local bitter gourd, agurong (water shells), coconut milk, onions, garlic mixed with rabbong (bamboo shoots) and the most important ingredient, sichut (chili) which you may add on to or lessen, squash, mushrooms (tengang daga); banana blossoms or any leafy vegetable you may want to add; chicken or pig meat sautéed and cooked to your liking. (Bajenting & Gom-os, 2017)

• Bugnay wine - or Bignay Wine, made from the delicious berries of the native Bugnay or Bignay tree. This crimson-colored drink isn't just a beverage; it's a representation of Filipino culture and its abundant natural resources. Crafting this wine starts with picking the ripest bugnay berries by hand to retain their delicate flavors. Then, through careful fermentation, the berries' natural sugars turn into alcohol, giving the wine its unique mildly sweet flavor. (Nipino, 2023, Photo by: Travel Trilogy)

Patupat - is a type of rice cake traditionally enjoyed in Bontoc, often served during special gatherings and celebrations. It is made by wrapping sticky rice in cone-shaped banana leaves and then cooking it. This delicacy pairs perfectly with a cup of brewed coffee, adding to the festive atmosphere of the occasion. (Photo by: Nico Anastacio)

• Linapet - Sticky rice bread filled with sweetened ground peanuts and wrapped in banana leaves, holds deep cultural significance for the Agawa community. Before the panag-do-dowwa, or the exchanging of linapet, the elders start with a traditional ritual in the dap-ay. One should give a linapet first to one’s closest relatives, especially in-laws, parents, grandparents, and siblings as an act of respect and honor,  fostering a sense of respect and kinship among community members. (Igorotage, 2023)

• Balatinaw - sourced from the Mountain Province Heirloom Rice Farmers Agricultural Cooperative in Bauko, Mountain Province, is a unique variety harvested at around 6 tons annually from July to August. With its deep purple to black color, medium whole grain, and slightly sticky texture, this rice offers a subtle fruity and chocolatey flavor and aroma. (Dy-Zulueta, 2017)

The Mangan Taku also showcases the skills of individuals in concocting drinks featuring Cordilleran wines in the Mixology competition, and the cooking skills of amateur cooks and chefs in the region in creating authentic, traditional, and innovative grubs in the Mangan Taku Cook Fest. (PIA-CAR/DOT-CAR)