Historic dishes in spotlight at Bulacan arts, culture fest
SUMPTUOUS SPREAD | Popular dishes from Bulacan are on display on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023, during the “Singkaban 2023 Kalutong Bulakenyo” culinary demonstration and exhibit held at a shopping mall in Baliwag, Bulacan.
CITY OF BALIWAG, Bulacan, Philippines — Local scrumptious dishes passed down through generations of food historians highlighted this year’s Sining Kalinangan ng Bulacan (Singkaban) Festival’s “Kalutong Bulakenyo” culinary show held at SM City Baliwag on Friday.
“Hamon Bulakenya,” and “pinaso,” two of the native cuisines prepared and cooked by renowned food historians for years, were among the dishes featured in the event bearing the theme “Likas na Yaman, Kasaysayan at Kultura, Pangalagaan ating Pamana (Preserve and care for our natural resources, history and culture).”
During the event, chef Niko Santiago demonstrated and shared the recipe for Hamon Bulakenya, a special dish commonly prepared for Christmas meals, and the pinaso, a homemade desert made of caramelized “yema” bread.
Santiago, 39, a third generation Bulacan culinary expert, is the nephew of Bulacan’s famous food and heritage icon Rheeza Santiago Hernandez, who passed away last year. Hernandez was the niece of food historian Mila Santiago Enriquez, who died in 2008.
Hamon Bulakenya is served more in feasts in the province after Hernandez immortalized it as a legacy of Enriquez, who was credited for her books on native Filipino delicacies, particularly the favorite dishes of national heroes.
‘Victory dish’
The Hamon Bulakenya was dubbed a “victory dish” of Filipino revolutionaries, who fought under Lt. Col. Gregorio del Pilar on June 24, 1898, when it was served to them during a meal after they won a battle in Bulakan town during the Filipino-American war.
Since then, based on what Rheeza learned from her aunt, it became the favorite dish of rich families in Bulakan town and in Malolos. But in recent years, the dish had become a favorite among Bulakenyos during special occasions.
Santiago, a chef at Bistro Malolenyo restaurant in this city, shared the recipe of the native cuisine to hospitality and culinary students here during Friday’s event.
“I hope that you enjoyed learning the preparations and how to cook our very own Hamon Bulakenyo. This is our province’s specialty passed through generations,” he addressed the students.
The Singkaban festival, which runs from Sept. 8 to Sept. 15, is now on its 26th year as a project by the provincial government.
The SM malls in Marilao, Pulilan and Baliwag had also served as venues for art exhibits and workshops on Saturday as part of the celebration.
In Marilao, a large gathering of notable artists was held through the ReGeneration Travelling Art Exhibit graced by multimedia visual artist Toym Imao and organized by the Mandala Art Festival in partnership with SM Supermalls. It featured creations of 25 Bulakenyo artists whose artworks represent their vision and interpretation of the world, delving into topics of resilience and hope while offering renewed perspectives on life and communal growth.
In Pulilan, the treasured art of “pagpupuni” or leaf fronds folding was featured in a workshop participated by selected students in Bulacan under the mentorship of Marichelle Santos, a “puni” art advocate from Malolos.
More than the artistic training imparted on students, the workshop introduced Bulacan’s pagpupuni as a resurrected art that needs to be rediscovered by the younger generation.
SM City Baliwag, on the other hand, organized a “Design Your Buntal Hat” activity for students from Baliwag South Central School. The students designed their own buntal hats, which were made of woven “buli” leaves, with the guidance of skilled artists from the renowned team of Guhit Pinas-Bulacan.
