BukSU showcases excel-lience in ASEAN cuisine competition

Malaybahalay City (OP-IPS) The contingents from Bukidnon State University's Hospitality Management Department competed in the international ASEAN Cuisine Competition 2021.

Mr. Wesley Josh, Craig T. Navales and Mr. Raffy A. Edmilao from the College of Business-Hospitality Management Department, with the direction of their coaches, Mr. Roy Cagatcagat and Ms. Ruthcini Marie Tabique-Callao, joined the ASEAN Cuisine Competition 2021 on October 5, 2021. 

The event was sponsored by Tarlac Agricultural University, Iloilo Science and Technology University, and other partner-HEIs in the Philippines and Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries. 

They have presented their creative culinary prowess and Bukidnon’s very own unique, Bukidnon cultural epicurean fare, "Bakbak Ha Piglamuran Hu Dakan" (Crispy Bakbak in Coco-Cream Braised Dakan) together with 20 participating ASEAN Higher Education Institutions. 

To better understand the inspiration behind "Bakbak Ha Piglamuran Hu Dakan," here’s the complete narrative written by Ms. Ruthcini Marie TabiqueCallao, one of the mentors of the contestants and faculty of the Hospitality Management Department. 

Tag-hagtung kuy ku tagluto kuy Dakan, ta daw hadi kumatol.

In English, if you are to cook Dakan (taro leaves), you should not be noisy, or else it will turn prickly. 

Those are usually what the Bukidnon elders would say or tell the person in charge of preparing Dakan in a native household. 

Myths and legends, believed by many, tell us that while you are cooking Dakan, you should be silent to come up with the perfect itch-free fare. 

Bukidnon is an agricultural province that is abundant in edible flora and fauna. Some of its popular local ingredients include: dabong (bamboo shoots), paku (ferns), mais (corn), manok (chicken), saging (banana), bakbak (edible frog), and many more. 

Dakan is one edible plant found in the province. For the people of Bukidnon, it is cooked straight from the harvest, unlike in Luzon, where the taro leaves are first dried for a few days before being cooked to eliminate the toxins present in the leaves that cause a tingling sensation when eaten. 

Making less noise and being silent during cooking actually means that your attention and focus is solely on the tricky cooking to faultlessly yield an impeccable Dakan dish. 

On the other hand, Bakbak (edible frogs) are also an abundant catch in swampy areas like the rice fields. For us, they are an incredible and interesting pair. 

The crispy-fried Bakbak on top of the delicately coconut-cream braised Dakan, spiced up with Sili, is a discriminating treat for a Bukidnon dining experience. MAUMIS! 

Ms. Annie Leah Roxann L. Emata, chairperson of the Hospitality Management Department, expresses her utmost gratitude to the BukSU Administration for the help and support given. (Mr. Marven Jan Nadela/HMD).