IF THERE is one thing every Filipino loves its food, and they will celebrate the fact even when a pandemic ranges. So Filipino Food Month (officially celebrated over the entire month of April thanks to 2018’s Presidential Proclamation No. 469) will still go on — online, that is.
The month-long annual event — which is spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement — will be celebrated virtually this year via Philippines on a Plate, a series of online talks. They will be held every Tuesday and Thursday, 5 p.m., on the Facebook page of the Filipino Food Month (facebook.com/FilipinoFoodMonthOfficial). Some of the talks will be held on the Facebook page of the Department of Agriculture (facebook.com/dacentralphilippines/).
The webinars, which have the theme “Iba’t Ibang Luto, Pinoy ang Puso,” range from Meat Processing (Focusing on Alternative Protein Sources) to Beyond Buko, Exploring Coconut Products That Have Become Invaluable in Flavoring Philippine Cuisine; Produkto Mula sa Rehiyon Uno: Tupig at Puto, Panalo! to Lutong Manyaman: Burong Kapampangan; from Preserve the Bounty of Your Garden to Moringa, Queen of Philippine Vegetables. Many talks focus on singular dishes — Bibingkang Lalaki, Pinakbet, Pancit, and Binaki, among several others.
Other have a wider scope, like The Quest to Promote Filipino Food in the World, Understanding the Food: Muslim Mindanao and Its Power to Connect, Appetite for Freedom, and Kakaw Bean to Chocolatier Bar.
For the complete schedule, visit the Filipino Food Month Facebook page. — JLG
