Iloilo City Joins UNESCO Creative Lists in the Field of Gastronomy

I was not surprise to read last month that Iloilo City, my place of birth and college years won the UNESCO Listing as a Creative City in the Field of Gastronomy. It now joins cities not only known but also respected for gastronomy, such as Phuket in Thailand and Alba (the land of truffles) in Italy. To date, there are 54 Cities of Gastronomy around the world.

The famous Batchoy of La Paz and Pancit Molo dishes (above photo)mentioned in the news are the two dishes my taste buds are familiar with since my childhood days. Batchoy is a Filipino noodle soup of pork offal, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock, beef loin, and round noodles. Pancit Molo or Filipino pork dumpling soup is a type of soup using wonton wrappers which originated from Molo district in Iloilo City, Philippines. It consists of a mixture of ground pork wrapped in molo or wonton wrapper, shredded chicken meat, and also shrimp

The Kadyos, Baboy, Lanka(KBL)- the dish that my mother's maid use to cook for the family also was listed as one of the local dishes, Iloilo is famous for because of its originality and creativity.  KBL is Peas, Pork and Jack Fruit. The Peas and Langka are grown in our Farm in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, This dish is one of the pleasant Food Memories in my childhood and teenager years,   

From the Local News:   A significant trading port, Iloilo City boasts a diverse cuisine influenced by Chinese, Malay, and Spanish cultures. Iloilo City is known for its delicious dishes, such as La Paz Batchoy and Pancit Molo. New restaurants and food businesses have emerged, showcasing the city's rich culinary heritage and innovative dishes. Iloilo City is also home to a number of food festivals and events, especially during January's Dinagyang Festival, which attracts visitors from all over the world. In addition to its culinary excellence, Iloilo City is also committed to sustainable food practices.

The news is a huge win for Iloilo City as it joins the list of Creative Cities for Gastronomy of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco)! This is under the initiative of Unesco called the Creative Cities Network launched back in 2004, wherein they promote cooperation among cities that have recognized culture and creativity as a strategic driver of sustainable urban development.

There are actually seven fields under the Creative Cities Network: crafts and folk art, design, film, media arts, literature, music and gastronomy. Baguio was named Creative City for craft and folk art in 2017 and Cebu as Creative City for design in 2019.

Here are the 7 most Popular Ilonggo recipes that is known all over the Philippines. 
https://www.yummy.ph/lessons/cooking/ilonggo-recipes-a00261-20190121

Read more: https://business.inquirer.net/430072/hail-to-iloilo-unesco-city-of-gastronomy#ixzz8J466HNCk

For a Collection of Recipes of popular Ilonggo Dishes read this web site: 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/19/cook-bible-flavors-of-iloilo-makes-its-debut/

Personal Note: Other regional ethnic Dishes popular to Filipinos are the Sisig of Pampanga Province, the Pinakbet from the Ilocos Region (Northern Philippines) and the spicy coconut dishes from the Bicol Region of the Philippines. Pampanga Province is known as the Culinary Capital of the Philippines.

Sisig is by far the most famous Kapampangan dish. It is made from chopped-up pig face, cheek, and ears, cooked with chicken liver, and seasoned with calamansi juice and chili peppers. 

Marinduque-my second home have several local dishes that are sought by tourist and must be tasted if you are in Marinduque. https://outoftownblog.com/the-best-native-delicacies-visitors-must-try-in-marinduque/