Hot plates readied as ‘sisig’ leads Pampanga city’s bid for recognition

“Sisig” is among Pampanga’s top culinary delights. —TONETTE T. OREJAS

ANGELES CITY—This city in Pampanga province is starting its attempt to be declared a “creative city for gastronomy” under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) through a series of food festivals featuring its heritage dish, sisig.

The Sisig Fiesta 2017 on April 29 will be a continuing event so the city can qualify  for the Unesco recognition, Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan said on Tuesday.

According to John Montances, head of the city tourism office, vying for the title takes time as the place has to establish food festivals as regular events.

The April 29 fiesta is being mounted after the city government approved in March an ordinance declaring the sizzling sisig babi (pork dish) an “intangible heritage.” It will be staged at Crossing, a stretch of food stalls along the abandoned tracks of the Philippine National Railway.

Original recipe

The ordinance protects and promotes the original recipe, which consists of “boiled then grilled chopped pig’s ears or cheeks [seasoned] with chopped onions or shallots, red hot chili peppers, vinegar and/or kalamunding (lemon) juice, salt and pepper.” Minced grilled chicken liver is optional.

“It’s a mortal sin to put raw egg or mayonnaise on the sisig,” Pamintuan cautioned, referring to the original sisig that was composed of sour fruits or boiled pig ears soaked in vinegar, which used to be reserved for pregnant women.

The Angeles City Tourism Office is certifying restaurants that serve the original recipe to maintain standards, Montances said.

Mike Pangilinan, a historian and linguist, called the sisig a true Kapampangan dish because it was recorded in Spanish-era dictionaries. Kapampangans have ensured its survival by cooking sisig and introducing innovations.

The ordinance also recorded the modern history of the sisig, attributing its sale in Crossing to Ricardo Dinio, whose version was made up of balugbug babi (pig’s ears).

Lucia “Apung Lucing” Lagman Cunanan used balingit babi (pig’s cheeks) served
on saucers.

Benedicto Pamintuan reinvented the sisig by serving it on a sizzling iron plate. Cunanan embraced this change and has been serving and cooking the dish using iron plates, too.

Montances said the April 29 event features a sisig sampler banquet by meat grower Fresh Options, rows of sisig and barbecue stalls, night market, culinary competitions, cooking demonstration, live musical bands and street dance contest.

Proceeds from the event will be given to the School of Living Traditions at Museo Ning Angeles managed by the private sector-led Kuliat Foundation.