Iloilo Dinagyang 2011 - A festival of faith and food

Weeks from now, Iloilo City will again dance to drum beats and get into a frenzy as it welcomes everyone to Dinagyang 2011. A top tourism event and among the most popular festival in the country, Dinagyang is a 3-day of non stop fun, activities, events and it's one of the best times to eat, drink and be merry in Iloilo City.

Apart from the ati-ati contest and cultural presentation, among the highlights of the festival is the annual Dinagyang Food Festival held along Delgado St. Here, everyone can savour the best of Ilonggo cuisine as more than 40 participating hotels and restaurants showcase their best dishes in tune with the celebration. Two years ago, I wrote this article for a local daily and it can still serve as guide of what and where to eat for Dinagyang 2011.

So mark your calendars now an get ready to experience on of the best festivals in the country. See you in Iloilo City for Dinagyang 2011.

Dinagyang Festival 2011 Schedule of Activities:

October 14, 2011, Friday
2:00 P.M. LOCAL LAUNCH Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2011 Freedom Grandstand

Tribu Pan-ay from PAMUKAW held last Monday, Dec. 20.

December 20, 2010, Monday
2:00 P.M. PAMUKAW Assembly Area: Promenade passing Iznart, J.M. Basa to Freedom Grandstand

January 4, 2011, Tuesday
2:00 P.M. Model Ati Dinagyang Warrior 2011 Presentation

January 7, 2011, Friday
2:00 P.M. Model Ati Dinagyang Warrior 2011 Talent Competition

January 9, 2011, Sunday
1:00 P.M. Model Ati Dinagyang Warrior 2011 Finals

January 14, 2011, Friday
2:30 P.M. Mass for Opening Salvo of Tribe Dancers San Jose Parish Church
3:00 PM OPENING SALVO Judging Area

January 14-16, 2010
Iloilo Dinagyang Golf Competition 2011 Sta. Barbara Golf Club

January 15, 2011, Saturday
7:00:00 AM SQUEAK Parade Route

January 16-23, 2011
Dinagyang Photo Exhibit

January 16, 2011, Sunday
10:00AM – 3:00PM DRESSING UP DAGOY

Scenes from the Dinagyang Food Festival

January 19-23, 2011
2:00 P.M.-12 MN Iloilo Hotel Resort & Restaurant Association (IHRRA) Food Festival Delgado St., Iloilo City

January 21, 2011, Friday
8:00:00 AM TAMBOR TRUMPA MARTSA MUSIKA Freedom Grandstand
7:00 PM LUCES IN THE SKY Part I

January 22, 2011, Saturday
7:00:00 AM Mass for Kasadyahan San Jose Parish Church

Tribu Kasag - 2010 Kasadyahan Champion (from ExploreIloilo)

8:00 A.M. 2011 KASADYAHAN Competition Freedom Grandstand and other stages
2:00PM SPONSORS MARDI GRAS Judging Area #4 to Freedom Grandstand
7:00 PM LUCES IN THE SKY Part II
7:00 PM Religious Sad-sad to Sr. Sto. Niño San Jose Parish Church

January 23, 2011, Sunday
6:30 a.m Concelebrated high mass for devotees, Tribes, Gov’t. Officials, LOMAS in attendance San Jose Parish Church

Dinagyang Street Dance along the main streets of Iloilo City (c/o Google)

8:00 A.M. 2011 Dinagyang Ati CONTEST Freedom Grandstand and other stages
7:00 P.M. Awarding Ceremonies Freedom Grandstand

January 24, 2011, Monday
5:30 P.M. Thanksgiving Mass with all members of 2010 Iloilo Dinagyang Festival Working Committees

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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