If one seeks to truly understand the richness and the depth of the Cebuano culture, he/she must take an authentic Cebuano gastronomical adventure. For decades, Cebu has been known for its rich cuisine, but unsurprisingly, Cebuanos always seem to have something fresh to offer.
In order to support the existing skills of the Cebuano chefs and to upgrade Cebu’s culinary standards, Cebu Goes Culinary once again took place with the phrase ‘Fruits of the Earth’ as its theme for this year.
Cebu Goes Culinary is a yearly competition organized by the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu, Inc.(HRRAC). This year, the event was held at the Robinsons Galleria Cebu last week.
To formally start the event, Ms. Julie S. Najar of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu gave an opening remark. Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale followed after her and pointed out the importance of food for Filipinos. The Vice Governor pointed out that the role of the Cebuano cuisine goes beyond simply serving food. This time, it plays a crucial role in boosting Cebu’s tourism industry. She also parted some insights to inspire chefs and aspiring food connoisseurs to constantly outdo themselves.
The event highlighted a total of 20 cooking and some other culinary-related competitions which showcased the mastery and skills of culinary enthusiasts. The competition included in the event are the following: creative cake decorating, table and menu setting, speed cooking and bartending. All of which are divided into 3 subcategories: the professional, the culinary institution and the student or university category. Participants of the competitions certainly did their best to impress the set of judges which include some of the biggest names in the Philippines’ food industry like Chef Bruce Lim, Chef Robby Goco, Chef Louise Mabulo and Chef Jam Melchor.
The two-day event also organized a series of certified lecture/session for a food business and tourism caravan The lectures aim to aspire culinarians, academicians, gourmands and the like to create great food for something big. Among its topics is a lecture on modernizing the Filipino Cuisine Using Local Ingredients and Food Photography for Blogging and Online Writing.
The culinary delights brought up by the event indeed served something tastier for Cebu’s future. Cebu Goes Culinary is an event that gave feast not only for the mouth but also for the mind.
