Cebu Culinary Festival Starts Thursday

The Cebu Provincial Tourism Office will hold its annual “Eats Meets West” Culinary Festival on November 16-19 at the Cebu Provincial Capitol here.

However, the grand opening on Thursday will be held in Tuburan, Cebu to give the municipality the opportunity to showcase its homegrown coffee.

Governor Hilario Davide III and Vice Governor Agnes Magpale are expected to grace the opening ceremony in Tuburan along with other invited guests.

The four-day 2017 “Eats Meets West” Culinary Festival features a “Food Forum” on Friday and a cooking competition among participating municipalities on Saturday and Sunday at the Capitol Social Hall.

Seven food experts have been invited to speak on different topics during the whole-day forum, which is open to the public.

Food experts Dr. Ame Garong of the National Museum, Chef Mike “Tatung” Sarthou, Teresa Ruelas, Eleonor Rivera, Vince Cinches, Cristino Villamor, and Ige Ramos from Manila will talk about the ancient diets of the Cebuanos, what Cebuano cooking really is, healing with food, organic farming, and food design, among other topics.

In the culinary competition, participating towns will vie for top honors in best appetizer, welcome drinks, dessert, main course, welcome lei, table set-up, and packaging. They will also compete for best interpretation of a Cebuano recipe from a 1923 cookbook of Maria “Señora Inday” Rallos.

“Eats Meets West” is a product of the Cebu Community-based Eco-Tourism Project of the Provincial Government that was started two years ago. (with reports from Michelle Bugtai/PNA)