PAMPANGA -- President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, December 7, led the inauguration of the Kapampangan Food Festival held here at Fontana Convention Center in Clark Freeport Zone.
The food festival coincides with the week-long celebration of Pampanga Day, which is celebrated from December 4 to 8.
Duterte had a tour of the food stalls that offered a variety of famous Filipino and Kapampangan dishes.
He was accompanied by Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda, Pampanga Vice Governor Dennis Pineda, and Pampanga Second District Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Main course featured at the event included the province's "lutong barrio" like Pork Belly Bringhe, Kilayin, Morcon, Maya-Maya Mayonesa, Chicken Galantina, Camaro Taco, Relyenong Batute, Pindang Damulag, Pancit Luglug, Asadong Dila, and Kalderetang Kambing.
Other dishes served were Pako Salad at the salad section; Bulanglang soup at the soup section; and Crispy Okoy, Sisig, Puto't Dinuguan, Buro't Hito Fillet, Pizza Kapampangan, and Tamales for appetizers.
At the dessert section, Bibingka, Puto Bumbong, Duman Kalame, Mochi, Tibok-Tibok, Ensaymada, Sampelot, Buko Pandan, Salad, Lelot Mais, and Tsokolate Batirol were served.
Sago't gulaman, ginumis and lemon grass coolers were likewise featured at the beverage section.
Some Filipino and Kapampangan street foods like ice cream, sherbet, taho, binatog, balot and penoy were featured on the dessert table.
The Pampanga Food Festival was initiated by Culinarya Pampanga, a network of chefs and restaurateurs in the province, in a bid to showcase Kapampangan's unique cuisine and make it more globally competitive.
In a statement, Pampanga provincial tourism Officer Arwin Lingat said the food festival was held to make Pampanga as the "Cuisine Capital of the World."
Apart from the first Kapampangan Food Festival, Pampanga is also famous for its Sisig Festival, which was celebrated last April in Angeles City.
In August, Duterte visited Pampanga amid the avian flu outbreak in the country. He led the boodle fight featuring chicken-based dishes to prove that poultry products were safe to eat. (SunStar Philippines)