Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the book “Negrense Heritage Cooking” is a testament to the region’s culinary traditions through recipes that tell stories of ingenuity, creativity, and passion.
“It is a legacy that will be passed down to generations who will remember forgotten ingredients and keep heirloom dishes alive,” she said, at the launching of the book at Casa Gamboa in Silay City, Negros Occidental, today, January 19.
Romulo-Puyat also thanked the Slow Food Community of Negros, who despite the COVID-19 pandemic, were able to come out with the book.
The book that is a project of the Slow Food Community of Negros documents Negrense heirloom dishes, culinary traditions, recipes of local ingredients that have been forgotten, as well as recipes in times of crisis.
“It’s not just a cookbook, it is a documentary of dishes that are soon to disappear if we don’t tell everybody to keep on serving them,” Reena Gamboa, Slow Food Community of Negros president, said.
“We came up with this cookbook because many people now have forgotten dinumaan (old) dishes,” she said, adding that includes how to cook frogs, buriring (puffer fish) and carabao meat.
She said the response to the book has been good, they have had to reprint copies.
“I think people realize the importance of our heritage. It’s not just a cookbook, it’s really making us know who we are as Ilonggos, as Negrenses,” she said.
“It’s a book that all Negrenses can be proud of,” she said.
She said hopefully they will come out with another book because there are still many more recipes to preserve.
“We welcome anybody who can give us recipes so we can compile more,” she said.
Gamboa said the slow food movement encourages the whole world to form communities that advocate good, clean and fair food.
The 82-page book sells for P750 and those interested in buying can send messages on the Slow Food Negros Facebook page, she said.
Gamboa did the recipe research, while the cover design and book layout is by Julie May Calderon, illustrations by Georgina Camus, recipes were written by Jackie Gamboa and Charisse Lugay and edited by Mia Lizares Gonzaga.
Also present at the launching were Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, mayors Evelio Leonardia of Bacolod City and Mark Golez of Silay City, and Board Member Ryan Gamboa.*