It’s all systems go for this city’s gastronomic event that celebrates the ingenious Angeleño culinary highlighting the world’s best pork dish, the Sizzling Sisig Babi.
The local government through the Angeles City Tourism Office (ACTO) introduced on Wednesday the activities and events in line with the highly-anticipated Sisig Fiesta 2018.
The Sisig Fiesta is set to happen on April 28 at the city’s famed ‘Crossing’ which is considered to be the birthplace of the ‘Sisig Babi’.
During the press conference held at the Newpoint Mall, Tourism Officer John Montances said that “Sisig has always been a part of Kapampangan culinary history and heritage”.
The term “Sisig”, which refers to a kind of salad with spicy vinegar dressing or any sour snack that include unripe mangoes or guavas, is traced back in 1732 where Spanish friar Diego Bergamo included the word Sisig to his Vocabulario de la Lengua Pampanga.
The Angeles City Government formally kicked off the Sisig Fiesta 2018 at Newpoint Mall Wednesday morning. The City Tourism Office said 33 barangays will join the twisted Sisig creations on April 28 at Crossing. Vice Mayor Bryan Nepomuceno and Fresh Option President and CEO(4th left) Dr. Robert Lo lead the media presscon. Also in photo are HARP president Mitch Otsuro Park, Jed Medina of GVFM, Dr Joy Literato of Fresh Option, City Tourism officer John Montances and Councilors Edu Pamintuan and Amos Rivera. Around 5000 kilos of pork sisig will be serve during the Sisig Fiesta. — Photo by Deng Pangilinan.
Today, Sisig Babi is more popular to many as a pulutan or an appetizer that best complements alcoholic drinks especially beer.
Meanwhile, a sundry of events and activities are infused to indulge resident and tourists in this culinary spectacle. These include a Sisig sampler banquet, Sisig and BBQs stalls, and culinary competitions, cooking demonstrations, live bands and street dance competition.
“An array of events activities from cooking demonstration to competitions will fill the night alongside music and dance performances. Also, a sample of different types of Sisig coming from various restaurants, culinary schools, and catering services in the city will highlight the festivity,” said Montances.
A cook-off challenge to be participated by the 33 barangays in the city will be added as a special pre-festival feature this year.
Contingents will be undergoing a preliminary round to exhibit their cooking prowess in producing their own Sisig. Only six finalists will then advance to the final round on April 28.
Several varieties of Sisig will also take the event’s limelight displaying the creativity and distinct palate in food of the Kapampangans.
On the other hand, a total of 5,000 kilograms of pork will be served in the celebration to be provided by Fresh Options, the official co-presentor of the Sisig Fiesta.
For his part, Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan stated that “the event shares the truest essence of the Angeleño creativity on food which is a fitting tribute to the province of Pampanga being the country’s culinary capital.”
“Angeleños are known for their meticulous taste for food and we exhibit this character as we celebrate our very own Sizzling Sisig Babi dubbed by the New York Times as the greatest pork dish in the world,” said Mayor Pamintuan.
“The event also cements our claim that Angeles City is truly a culinary destination in the Philippines, and is the home of the pork dish that made everyone, whether locals or tourists, go gaga about,” Pamintuan added.
Present during the press launch are Vice Mayor Bryan Matthew Nepomuceno, Fresh Options CEO Dr. Robert H. Lo, Strategic Operations Planning Manager Dr. Joy Arandia-Literato, Councilors Amos Rivera and Edgardo Pamintuan Jr., Mitch Otsuru-Park from the Hotels and Restaurants Association in Pampanga, and Programs and Production Director Jedidiah Medina.