The winning dish “Ginataang Bake Talong Rice Toppings with Filipino Style Paella” (photo from the Department of Agriculture – Western Visayas Facebook page)
ILOILO CITY (PIA) – In celebration of National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) this November, the Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas hosted the “Pinasarap na Kanin Cooking Challenge” on November 5 at the Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center in Iloilo City.
The challenge, which supports one of the NRAM’s key messages encouraging the consumption of rice mixed with other staples like adlay, corn, banana, taro, sweet potato, and cassava, saw six teams from Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo compete with their rice-mix dishes.
Teams were judged based on taste and nutritional value (40%), visual appeal (30%), originality and creativity (20%), and overall presentation (10%).
The winning dish, “Ginataang Bake Talong Rice Toppings with Filipino Style Paella” by Susan Tespoer and Brenda Hansson from Guimaras, took home a P10,000 cash prize and a 60-liter electric oven.
Melrose Panganiban and Jerry Yturiaga from Malinao secured second place with their “No Bake Rice and Lasagna with Samosa,” earning a P7,000 cash prize and a three-liter air fryer.
Barbara Venus and Jacqueline Faderon from Dumalag, Capiz, placed third with their “Rickma Arrez Concaldo with Veggie Balls and RMS Blend,” receiving a P5,000 cash prize and a multi-purpose rice cooker.
Non-winning participants each received P3,000 and induction cookers.
The cooking challenge aimed to showcase the diverse culinary possibilities with rice, the Filipino staple, and encourage the use of rice-mix recipes.
To note, NRAM promotes four key messages:
Adlay, mais, saba, atbp. ay ihalo sa kanin
Brown rice ay kainin
Kanin ay huwag sayangin
Dapat bigas ng Pilipinas ang bilhin
Under Proclamation No. 524, series of 2004, the NRAM celebrated every November, seeks to raise public awareness about rice-related issues.
This year’s celebration emphasizes the #HalfCupFullHeartChallenge, which encourages the public to consume a half-cup of rice to reduce wastage. (AGP/ PIA 6 with reports from DA Western Visayas)
