Melo Villareal
Cooking in the Cordillera mountain ranges
There’s something cooking in the Cordillera mountain ranges, quite literally, as the Department of Tourism kicked off its first leg of its Mountain Cookout simulation tours in Abra and Kalinga to reboot the tourism industry in the highland provinces.
Held through its Cordillera Administrative Regional Office, the three-day countryside cookout is part of new tourism products and packages that the DOT-CAR is developing to explore and rediscover under-the-radar destinations.
The unique culinary expedition was held at Rancho Daguio Campsite in Baay-Licuan, Abra, Balbalasang-Balbalan National Park in Balbalan, and The Ranch ATV Adventure in Kalinga in Tabuk City, both in Kalinga.
The activities showcased traditional dishes such as Abra’s kinamatisang sinarabsab nga Oxtail, and Kalinga’s pinikpikan at pinuo-or nga native chicken sa coco-kalabasa, maskarapata ken bukel, nasukaang pulpog ti Tabuk, garlic Tabuk sausages, binungor, and the signature dessert inandila.
The cookout also emphasized the collaboration of Baguio-based trained chefs and community cooks in preparing gourmet-style native dishes to guests who would be part of a package tour that also covers elements of nature, culture, and adventure.
Chavi “Baguio Mountain Man” Romawac and Benz Dasalla of the University of Baguio teamed up with Abra’s Mark Banez, Tabuk’s Hazel and Gilbert Martinez, and the Balbalasang-Balbalan National Park community guides in whipping up great-tasting traditional cuisine while savoring the natural allure of the outdoor kitchens.
According to DOT-CAR regional director Jovi Ganongan, the Mountain Cookout highlights the Cordillera’s age-old indigenous culinary traditions which consist of among the country’s most exotic cuisines.
Similar simulation runs with tour operators are also slated in the provinces of Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Apayao in the coming months, to complete the Cordillera circuit and give visitors a complete picture of the upland cuisine.
She said that tourists will also get to interact with the local communities and experience their way of life during the actual implementation of the tour itineraries.
Ganongan noted that the program, which is part of the DOT’s national Tourism Recovery and Response Plan (TRRP), is also aligned with the thrust of Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco to strengthen food tourism, develop new products and explore the potential of untapped domestic destinations.
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