VISMIN Schools to compete in the Ajinomoto Umami Culinary Challenge National Showdown

Two (2) schools from Visayas and two (2) schools from Mindanao were recently cited as representatives for the much-awaited National Cooking Showdown of the Ajinomoto® Umami Culinary Challenge (UCC). Apart from cash prizes and medals, said winning school teams will each get a chance to win more prizes and showcase their masterful culinary skills as Ajinomoto® flies them to Manila for the National Cooking Showdown set in the year 2015.

Rows of umami goodness!

Contenders for the Best Filipino Umami Dish Competition Category are Hercor College from Roxas City and Green Valley College from Koronadal City. Benedicto College from Cebu City and The Holy Cross of Davao will compete for the My Own Umami Creation Competition Category.

Competition Director Nancy Reyes-Lumen (middle) together with Ajinomoto® Umami Culinary Challenge – Visayas School Teams

The Ajinomoto® UCC is an interschool competition organized by AJINOMOTO PHILIPPINES CORPORATION (APC) that aims to help students realize the delicious potential of umami, the 5th basic taste. Since UCC was first launched in 2009, the event continues to grow in size and coverage, gathering the most creative and innovative foodies, culinary professionals and aspiring chefs in the Philippines.

The Ajinomoto® Umami Culinary Challenge - Visayas Cooking Arena showcased the culinary prowess of hundreds from 22 competing schools.

In the first 2 legs of this nationwide roadshow this year, the event already reached 34 universities and colleges, equivalent to 235 HRM or Nutrition student-competitors from Western and Central Visayas and Northern and Southern Mindanao. More schools from Luzon are expected to join making the Ajinomoto® UCC one of the biggest interschool culinary competitions in the country.

Delicious victory for the winning teams of the Ajinomoto® Umami Culinary Challenge – Visayas.

Ajinomoto® endeavors to bring this event to more people as it advocates culinary nutrition embodied in its slogan Ajinomoto® Eat Well, Live Well. The company works with leading technical experts in food, nutrition and medicine to facilitate the Eat Well, Live Well® Cooking Class and Discover Umami lecture to educate people about umami and its role in health and nutrition. Umami, the scientifically recognized and proven 5th basic taste alongside sweet, sour, bitter and salty, was first identified and isolated by Dr. Kikunae Ikeda of Tokyo Imperial University in 1908.

***

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) is an affiliate of Tokyo-based Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Established in 1958, APC lives by its promise to provide consumers products that will always give the delicious taste to healthy and nutritious meals as embodied in APC’s slogan Ajinomoto® “Eat Well, Live Well.®” APC’s complete line of quality food and seasoning products are produced by international affiliates and local toll manufacturers using Ajinomoto’s license, quality standards and technological expertise. APC’s products include AJINO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning, Ajinomoto® Brand Ginisa Flavor Seasoning Mix, Ajinomoto® Brand Chicken Powder, PORKSAVOR™ All-in-One Seasoning Mix, CRISPY FRY® Breading Mix, CRISPY FRY® Seasoned Crumbs, TASTY BOY® All Purpose Breading Mix, AJI-SHIO® Seasoning Mix, Ajinomoto® Brand Sinigang and FRES-C® Concentrated Powdered Drink Mix.

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

Search This Blog