TABUK CITY, Kalinga – To further improve the skills of Rural Improvement Club (RIC) members in making local delicacies, the Office of the City Agricultural Services (OFCAS) held a “Training/Seminar on Food Processing and Cooking Contest on Filipinos/Kalinga Kakanin or Delicacies” at the Golden Berries Hotel.
During said contest, 12 RICs from all over the city participated and entered different rice-based delicacies such as inandila, diket/dekot, tinibarong, and patupat, among others.
The 12 RICs are: Balawag RIC, Sunflower RIC, Timpuyog RIC, Bagumbayan RIC, Pollecak RIC, Morning Glory RIC, Matang Lawin RIC, Dupag Roadside RIC, Naneng RIC, Banagan-Bagumbayan RIC, Lucog-Balani RIC, and Binongsay RIC.
At the end of the contest, the Bagumbayan RIC, Naneng RIC, and Pollecak RIC were hailed as the top 3 winners respectively.
All 3 winners received Php 4,000.00 worth of cooking utensils and the 9 other participants received Php 1,300.00 as consolation prizes as well as certificates.
Some contestants also wowed the judges by introducing new techniques in making inandila such as steaming the glutinous rice instead of boiling it, etc. According to the participants, steaming makes the glutinous rice tastier and softer and will increase shelf life.
The judges advised all contestants to improve their presentation and innovate using available raw materials as it is the key to competing with other products in other places and markets.
They also suggested that the participants should ensure that their rice cakes/kakanin recipes are consistent to maintain the texture and taste which is what loyal customers look.
In his message, City Mayor Darwin Estrañero, through City Public Information Officer Aurora Amilig, congratulated all the participants and assured them of the city government’s support in their endeavors.
In the message relayed, he also urged that they should patronize local ingredients to help our local farmers and for OCAS to ensure that glutinous rice farmers, cassava growers and other growers of products being used to make delicacies and other goods shall be given the needed support.
This, he said, will encourage them to propagate more crops and process the same which can be a great help to RICs and other small entrepreneurs in the city, as well as the province, to compete in bigger markets and other nearby provinces as well. By Edward Joseph Gacuya
