Manyaman Food Fair, the showcase of the best food products and delicacies of each municipality and city in Pampanga, opened today at SM City Pampanga.
The ribbon cutting rites were led by Governor Dennis ‘Delta’ Pineda, Board Member and Manyaman Foodfest Committee Chair Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab, Department of Tourism Region 3 Director Richard Daenos, Provincial Administrator Angelina Blanco, Board Members Fritzie David-Dizon, Jun Canlas, Nelson Calara, and Benjamin Jocson and Clark Development Corporation Director Nicolette Henson-Hizon.
The Manyaman Food Expo, which runs from December 4 to 6, is one of two parts of the Manyaman Food Festival, one of the projects of the Pampanga Provincial Culinary Council aimed at strengthening, enlivening and preserving the exceptional food culture of the province which by popular acclaim is considered as the Culinary Capital of the Philippines.
More than 20 Yuletide-decorated booths (with sellers also in Christmas costumes) shall be installed to also feature notable Pampanga restaurants in this culinary showcase of delicious proportions. Other stalls may be used for other notable Pampanga products. Prizes await the winners of the best booth and costumes. In addition, cultural performances shall be showcased during this three-day food expo, to create a celebratory mood aligned with this gastronomic festivity.
The second part of the Manyaman Food Festival is the series of cook-offs which will be held at the Capitol Grounds, CSFP from December 05-06, 2023.
A cooking demonstration featuring celebrated chefs in Pampanga shall cap the two-day cook-off, this time adding innovation and allowing cuisine fusion to Kapampangan dishes, without losing the essence of the signature Kapampangan flavor, all in the spirit of global sensivity and inclusivity.
For the said series of cooking competitions, senior high school students and culinary/HRM students shall have their separate cook-off categories. The involvement of the academe and the young generation in this gastronomic undertaking is an effective way to ensure the perpetuation of the superior culinary practices of the Kapampangans.
This province-wide food festival shall be participated in by the twenty-two (22) Pampanga LGUs wherein their respective heirloom/iconic dishes as well as their best food products and delicacies shall be displayed and sold during the food fair while their best home cooks shall battle it out during the cook-off, for the Best Heirloom/Iconic Dishes category.
The Manyaman Festival, undoubtedly a historical cultural milestone as the first-ever province-organized annual festival that celebrates food, is expected to grow bigger, better and more delicious every year.
