“A Taste of Ilocano Food and Culture” Held at the PH Center in New York

More than 150 guests enjoyed an afternoon of gastronomic adventure featuring Ilocano traditional dishes at the event entitled “A Taste of Ilocano Food and Culture” organized by the Ilocano American Association Inc., in partnership with the Philippine Consulate General New York, on 16 June 2018. (New York PCG photo)

NEW YORK 04 July 2018 – The Ilocanos of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, in partnership with the Philippine Consulate General in New York, organized an Ilocano Food and Culture Festival “A Taste of Ilocano Food and Culture,” held at the Philippine Center on 16 June 2018.

More than 150 guests from the Filipino-American community, as well as their American friends, joined the first-ever project featuring the heritage, culture, and cuisine of the Ilocos Region.

The event was conceptualized by Atty. Dulce Barangan of the Ilocano American Association Inc.

With help from volunteers from the tri-state area, the Ilocanos treated guests to a gastronomic adventure featuring famous traditional dishes such as longganisa, pinapaitan, dinardaraan, dinakdakan, inabrao, inartem, higado, nalingta nga ikan, pinakbet, adobo, and miki. Desserts like tupig from Ilocos Sur, patupat from Abra and Royal bibingka from Vigan won praise from the guests.

Before the food-tasting, a special presentation on the handwoven textile inabel or what the region calls “Abel Iloco” highlighted the weaving tradition of the Ilocos. A fashion show featured the creations of Edgar Madamba, who uses the handwoven fabric for fashionable, formal, and casual clothing. Madamba flew to New York and brought some of his designs, which were showcased at the Pinto Art Museum Fashion Show last March in Manila.

Consul Arman R. Talbo of the Philippine Consulate General shared a brief history of the Ilocos Region, its environment, its people, language, and ways of living. Consul Talbo, himself an Ilocano who hails from Ilocos Sur, revealed how their cuisine defines their values and family life.

The Consul likewise thanked the Ilocanos in the tri-state area for organizing the event, and encouraged other regional groups to promote of their own region’s culture, food and heritage as a follow-through to the Consulate's annual Filipino Restaurant Week.

The event was formally closed with servings of Ilocano desserts, a raffle of inabel and Ilocano food products, and enthusiastic singing of famous Ilocano songs like “Naraniag a Bulan”, “Dungdungwen Kanto” and “Manang Biday”. Guests went home with smiles on their faces and the memories of Ilocano food and hospitality in their hearts. END

Consul Arman R. Talbo (fifth from left) and Designer Edgar Madamba (center) are joined by Atty. Dulce Darangan (sixth from right) and the volunteer models from the Filipino-American Community in wearing the inabel creations during the event entitled “A Taste of Ilocano Food and Culture. (New York PCG photo)

Models from the Filipino-American Community wear the Inabel creations during the event entitled “A Taste of Ilocano Food and Culture. (New York PCG photo)

For more information, visit www.newyorkpcg.dfa.gov.ph / www.newyorkpcg.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinNY/.