Kapampangan theater group to stage 11th Duman Festival

KAPAMPANGAN theater arts group or the “Arti.Sta Rita” will host the 11th Duman Festival on December 1, 2012, highlighting duman, local delicacy, in front of the Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish Church.

Andy Alviz and his group Arti.StaRita started the festival in 2002, which originated from the long-standing tradition of pounding and winnowing unripe glutinous rice (lacatan) and turning it into a light pale gold or green delicacy called “duman.”

The festival features alfresco dining in front of the Sta. Rita Church patio where rows of delicacy stalls would sell various pastries and native dishes of the town namely sansrival, masa podridu, mamon and mamon tostado with duman being the major highlight.

Sta. Rita town is known as a pastry town with a strong culinary tradition. The festival has attracted a steady following of local and international tourists.

The Duman Festival is held in the evening and features festive dining until the wee hours of the morning.

“The festival always aims to offer native delicacies and dishes of the town to the people of Pampanga and to inspire awareness on Kapampangan culinary traditions among the younger generation and among those who have lived outside of the province for so long,” Alviz said.

Alviz said the event will feature a cultural performance from the musical group ArtiSta.Rita that will present their latest musical “Ing Tauling Sarsuela.”

The program for the event is expected to start at 5 p.m. and is open to food enthusiasts and tourists who would like to sample native Kapampangan cooking and delicacies.

Duman, which is eaten with hot chocolate or milk, is, according to Food critic Claude Tayag, adding that unlike the regular rice variety, which can be planted and harvested three times a year. (Ian Ocampo Flora)