Iloilo City: Where Love, History, and Flavor Dance in Every Bite (and Sip of Coca-Cola)

The City of Love named as the next Coca-Cola Foodmarks Epicenter in the Philippines

The golden afternoon sun casts long shadows across Iloilo City’s Calle Real, where the scent of sizzling chicken inasal mingles with the salty breeze from the nearby Iloilo River. It’s a symphony of aromas, a feast for the senses, and a testament to why this vibrant city in the Philippines has earned its moniker as the ‘City of Love’. But love isn’t the only thing brewing in Iloilo; it’s a culinary cauldron where history, tradition, and a dash of the unexpected create a flavor profile that is uniquely Ilonggo.

After the successful debut of Coca-Cola (Philippines) Foodmarks in the world’s oldest Chinatown in Binondo, Manila last May, it’s no wonder that Iloilo City, with its vibrant culinary heritage, has been chosen as the next destination for this campaign.

Coca-Cola®, a long-time companion at Filipino tables, recognizes the magic woven into Iloilo’s food culture. Their Coca-Cola Foodmarks campaign, a celebration of the world’s most iconic culinary destinations, has set its sights on this city, the first in the Philippines to be crowned the ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The distinction underscores Iloilo's vibrant culinary traditions, use of indigenous ingredients, sustainable practices, and rich festival and food culture.

"Iloilo’s culinary heritage is a living tapestry,” says Pablo Medina, Senior Director for Franchise Operations, Coca-Cola Philippines as he raises a glass of the iconic beverage, its cool surface glistening in the warm light. "It’s about families bonding over La Paz batchoy, friends toasting over sizzling platters of kansi, and communities coming together to celebrate the harvest with hearty feasts. And an ice-cold Coca-Cola drink? Well, it's the perfect note to complete an unforgettable gastronomic adventure."

Medina emphasizes that naming Iloilo City as the second Coca-Cola Foodmarks epicenter in the Philippines is a fitting tribute. The Foodmarks experience in Iloilo unfolds like a culinary treasure map, beginning in the heart of K-Town, Festive Walk Iloilo, where a ceremonial ribbon-cutting marked the official launch. Coca-Cola executives and local officials alike were eager to share their city’s bounty, inviting visitors to embark on a food crawl throughout the neighborhood.

Follow your taste buds to bustling markets overflowing with fresh seafood, vibrant food parks serving up innovative Ilonggo street food, and cozy family-run eateries where recipes passed down through generations are lovingly prepared. Stop by Coca-Cola Foodmarks-recognized restaurants like Balay Bisaya Batchoy, Jeara’s Tinu-Om, Kap Ising Pancit Molo, and Mat-Mat Talabahan. Whether it’s the rich, slow-cooked flavors of stews like KBL (a hearty stew of pigeon peas or kadyos, pork, and unripe jackfruit) or the smoky char of grilled specialties like chicken inasal, every plate reflects a story. And with every bite, a sip of Coca-Cola elevates the experience, its bubbly fizz cutting through the savory notes, creating a harmonious balance of flavors.

“This gastronomic collaboration with Coca-Cola Philippines is not only a celebration of Iloilo’s culinary diversity, but also a promotion of our local food industry,” says Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas. “We are happy to further Iloilo City’s status as a hub of culinary innovation that is complemented by the perfect partner: ice-cold Coke.”

The Coca-Cola Foodmarks journey doesn’t end with a single meal. Coca-Cola is hosting two weekends of Food Fests at K-Town, scheduled on August 9 and 10 and August 16 and 17. So come to Iloilo and join Coca-Cola in this culinary adventure, where every bite is a story, and every sip is pure magic.

Embark on an epic culinary journey with Coca-Cola Foodmarks. For more information and updates, visitcocacolafoodmarks.timeout.com or the official pages of Coca-Cola Philippines: Facebook,Instagram, and https://www.coca-cola.com/ph/en.

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 (

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.

Easy Century Tuna Recipes

If you're looking for simple, easy and delicious Century Tuna recipes online, congratulations, you've found it right here! How about spicy tuna sisig or tuna sinigang ? Maybe stir fried tuna with pickles or just yang chow fried rice . I love Century Tuna from its flakes in oil variety, the spicier the better, but when I discovered the versatility of its solid variant, it became an obsession. At first I was just into the usual tested recipes; pasta and sandwich filling, but then it got simpler – I just eat it straight from the can! Usually with a piece of bread or an apple. I just add a few drops of vinegar to spice it up a bit. Then came the experiments. Yup I got tired of that habit that one day, I decided to test my skills in the kitchen. Serendipity, you might call it yet most of them turned into good recipes that I have shared now and then. Satisfying my Palabok cravings had me experiment on this recipe on the spot. With Century Tuna in lieu of the usu

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

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?"

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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