December 17, 2020
My latest article about Pilippines: The Home of Festivals shows the rich culture and vibrant traditions of the Philippines. I have also mentioned in that article that there are more than 42,000 festivals celebrated every year and I only tackled about the top 10 major festivals. Aside from religion-based festivals, the Philippines also have food festivals showcasing the main food products of a certain place in the country.
We, Filipinos are food lovers and that affinity along with the various food production abounding in every region, are made into distinct specialties that we all patronize. So if you are planning for a trip to a certain place, it is best to choose the date of their festival to enjoy your vacation more.
So let's start from the first month up to the last month of the year.
Vigan is so famous for its longganisa and the Ilokanos start their year by celebrating its existence. The Longganisa Festival is held every 22th of January just a few days before the fiesta of Vigan on the 25th day.
Longganisa (Longaniza in Spanish), is a sausage akin to chorizo which is flavored with a variety of local spices. The Vigan longganisa is a short and fat sausage that is made from a combination of spicy meat, their local sugarcane vinegar and lots of garlic giving it a distinct flavor.
In the Philippines, longganisa is typically served during breakfast along with tuyo (dried fish), fried eggs, and fried rice. Vigan City is not only known for it's longganisa but also for its sett pavements and unique Spanish architecture and it is also one of a few Spanish colonial towns left in the Philippines.
The Suman Festival is the biggest and grandest of all feasts in Baler, Aurora celebrated every 14th to 19th day of February. During the festival, there are parade of floats distinctively designed and houses are decorated with the suman or sticky rice cake.
Suman is a Filipino delicacy also known as a steamed rice cake. It is made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and wrapped in either banana leaves or buri (Corypha) palm. Suman serves as the locals' ritual offering of 'Hagisan', their practice of sharing prosperity. During the Hagisan, they will tie bundles of suman with bagakay (a kind of
bamboo), then throw them from their balconies or windows while the image of their patron saint - San Isidro passes by. Baler Aurora is also known for its spectacular geographic formations.
Balut Festival is celebrated in April in 'Balut Capital of the Philippines', Pateros Taguig. Balut (fertilized duck egg) is regarded as one of the Filipino original exotic food probably known to the world. It is the source of sustainable community livelihood and the centerpiece of the Pateros' food tourism.
During the festival, there are cooking contests between the barangays' top chefs, a balut eating contest, and more performances by students.
Kesong Puti Festival is celebrated in Sta Cruz Laguna every May 7-12 of the year. The kesong puti (white cheese) is the main product and native delicacy of Sta Cruz Laguna. It is a soft white cheese made from the milk of carabaos or water buffalos and is wrapped and fermented in banana leaves.
Kesong puti is best served with pandesal (a popular rounded yeast bread in the country) and tsokolate (hot chocolate drink) or coffee for breakfast. Aside from kesong puti, other products made from white cheese are also showcased at the festival.
Manggahan Festival is a month-long celebration of Guimaras Iloilo showcasing their rich culture and giving thanks for their rich production of delicious mangoes. The most famous event during the festival is the Php100 worth of eat-all-the-mangoes-you-can offered to both locals and tourists and the trade fair of mango products you can bring home.
Lechon Festival is celebrated in Balayan Batangas on the 24th day of June in honor of St. John the Baptist. Lechon is a Filipino term for roast pig and always the star of every buffet table.
Lechon is cooked using a bamboo spit over charcoal for a few hours. The process of cooking requires constant turning manually, a traditional way of cooking roast pig. The pig is roasted for several hours until all sides are done which resulted in a crisp skin, juicy meat, and a distinctive feature of the dish.
During the festival, the streets are filled with festivities, and the locals dancing together with the tourists and other people from all over the country. And the most exciting part is the parade of Lechon (roast pig parade) and basaan (water dousing). So if you will attend in this festival, make sure to bring extra clothes with you as you will be wet in the parade.
ALIMANGO FESTIVAL OF STA. MARGARITA, SAMAR and LANAO DEL NORTE
Alimango Festival is celebrated on July 19 in Sta. Margarita Samar and March 22 in Lanao Del Norte as thanksgiving for the abundance of alimango (mud crabs raised in fishponds) as well as to promote the crab industry which is the main source of livelihood in the town.
The same with other festivals, there is a parade and street dancing where participants are dresses with colorful fisherfolk garb performing the process of raising and harvesting the mud crabs, and of course, some are wearing mud crab costumes.
The main highlight of the festival is the tasting of specialty crab dishes from the region where an estimated 600 kilos of crabs are caught and cooked and served on lined-up tables for the visitors and in Lanao Del Norte, tons of crabs are also cooked and given to the people for free. Visitors can enjoy the crab bingeing with their choice of savory sauce and using their bare hands makes the eating more fun.
Durian is a fruit known worldwide and is regarded as the 'King of Fruits'. Despite its unpleasant smell, the spiky fruits have a distinct taste that many love to eat. The month-long celebration of the Durian Festival is held every August in Tagum City. The festival is a celebration for the bountiful harvest not only of Durian but also the other varieties of fruits that Davao City is rich in.
Tourists and visitors can participate in the Durian eating competition where they can Durian for free.
General Santos is one of the world’s leading exporters of sashimi-grade tuna. It is responsible for a large portion of the town’s revenues. The festival is a weeklong celebration every September of the year.
Activities in the festival include a tuna float parade where the townpeople showcases the province’s abundant catch with colorful, ocean-themed floats. Another is sugbahan sa dalan where many grills are lined on the streets and tons of tuna are grilled on fhe spot where everyone are free to eat. Water parade and different water sports are some of the highlights in the festival. General Santos is also the hometown of our famous World's Boxing Champion -Manny Pacqiuao.
The Lanzones Festival celebrated every October and a hallmark event in the Philippines. Mambajao Camiguin is known to have the sweet lanzones and the festival is held to celebrate bountiful harvests of the fruit as well as to feature the different beautiful agricultural cottages and industrial products.
Lanzones came from Lansium Parasiticum that belongs to the species of Mahogany. And aside from having sweet lanzones, Camiguin is also an Island with an abundance of heritage and culture, food and arts, and natural wonders.
TOSSED SALAD FESTIVAL OF BAGUIO
Tossed Salad Festival is celebrated every November of the year in the 'Summer Capital of the Philippines' - Baguio City. It is a celebration of bountiful produce of fresh vegetables in the province. One of the main highlights of the festival is the making of the record-breaking attempt of the heaviest tossed salad served in a GIANT salad bowl and tourists and visitors are free to eat the giant tossed salad.
Kapeng Barako Festival is celebrated every December in Lipa Batangas every year. Lipa is the official coffee granary of the Philippines. This festival is perfect for coffee lovers as it showcases freshly harvested and rich in flavor coffee beans. Kapeng barako (strong coffee) is a famous coffee brand of the country. Its rich flavor has a pungent aroma that is well balanced by its strong robust flavor. This is one of the reasons why the locals call it ‘matapang’ or 'strong'.
If you want to enjoy either a smooth or strong coffee, you can visit Lipa Batangas on its festival day and taste its rich flavored coffee. And while in the place, you can also visit the Fantasy World famous in the province.
In every festival in the Philippines, any tourists and visitors are welcome to have a memorable feast along with the locals. And of course, food stalls and exhibitions are everywhere, there are a variety of shows and competitions, and grand parades and street parties are always present.
The Philippines is not only famous for its beaches and other captivating natural features, but also food and hospitality. So if you have a plan to visit the Philippines, why not make your vacation more memorable by booking your next trip to any of the aforementioned festival destinations instead? Experience the rich culture of the Philippines and satisfy your trip with the “food trip!”
Thanks for reading @Jane
The bangus festival tho OwO ahh but i went to the food festivals in batangas and laguna! They were so funn and so delicious OwO i didn't even wanna go home