THE rolled taro dessert course of Sibulan town and Mabinay’s passion fruit plus drinks both won first place in this year’s "Buglasan Festival Lutong Garbo" competition.
The competition, held recently at the Provincial Agriculture Office in Dumaguete City, featured healthy desserts and drinks.
For the dessert category, Sta. Catalina’s Sweetened Ala-Halaya got second place, and the Canistel Pop’s Skillet of the municipality of Bacong got the third spot.
For drinks, Bacong’s passion drinks in lemon scent and pineapple-ampalaya cooler of Pamplona placed second and third winners, respectively.
The culinary competition among local government units used locally-grown ingredients and prepared with a variation that focuses on healthy desserts and drinks.
Madonna Gay Licerio, first prize winner, presented her dessert with a tasty sweet and creative way of cooking with mixed pound taro or gabi, margarine, coconut milk, caramelized coco, and peanuts.
Licerio received a P6,000 cash prize and a trophy from Lutong Garbo Committee led by Sylvia Uy.
Lilibeth Cabalida of Sta. Catalina and Ervin Sargento of Bacong also received trophies and cash prizes worth P4,000 and P3,000, respectively.
Uy said the competition is designed to preserve the local culinary culture while addressing the nutritional needs of the Negrenses.
The winners for drinks are Mabinay (first prize, P4,000), Ervin Sargento of Bacong (second place, P3,000), and Carlito Calda (third place, P2,500).
The annual Lutong Garbo food contest had produced more than a hundred different recipes that are economically and nutritionally prepared, said Uy.
The Lutong Garbo had the theme "Discovering, Developing and Promoting Negros Oriental Culinary Heritage."
The food competition winners were proclaimed by the board of judges composed of local culinary experts Ariel Ronato of Teamskills Schools for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Inc.; Wilfreda Villalon, Home Economics instructor and Teacher III; and Pepita Villacora, accredited cookery NCII of Resda, and retired school principal of Tanjay City DepEd Division. (PIA)