Story & photos by Gelyka Ruth R. Dumaraos
One can never explore what the Philippines has to offer if trying out Filipino home-cooked food is not part of the plan. And where else can a foodie find them than in humble carinderias situated in just about every corner of the streets?
Carinderia, a food stop commonly seen by the road side of a frequented place, came from the word kari, the Tagalog word for curry. Before the term was coined in the 1920s, it was said to be called as karihan, where native Filipino dish kare-kare is being served. Karehan originated back in the time where Indians, or sepoys, who married Filipinas and resided in Taytay and Cainta, sold curry dishes by the street.
This is why it isn’t a surprise that, before various popular eating hubs carved their names in the food industry; they came from their carinderia roots, which they uphold up until today. After all, what inspired many of these are that they ate and grew up with right in the comforts of their home.
Marylindbert International Inc. has long been an active advocate of upholding the country’s culture and customs through food. In fact, the organization has launched six years ago a groundbreaking event highlighting the carinderias in the country, entitled “Carinderia Fiesta.”
Now repackaged as “Buhay Carinderia…Redefined,” this initiative empowers entrepreneurs in the industry to unleash their unique style of cooking to a wider audience, including foreign tourists.
“The reason we are reviving what we are doing in Buhay Carinderia is that we want them to understand na ito ang heritage natin [this is our heritage],” says Erlinda Legaspi, president and CEO of Marylindbert Intrnational Inc.
She adds that this is targeting the local culinary experts to share their skills and the young ones to learn from them and eventually pass it on to the future generation.
Food and tourism
This year the advocacy campaign welcomes the Tourism Promotions Board of the Department of Tourism as its sole presenter. The TBP will participate by eyeing different regions and searching for what they have to offer in terms of home cooked specialties.
TPB COO Cesar Montano notes how the advocacy serves as an avenue to showcase local culinary experts’ cooking styles while giving them a sense of pride and identity. Moreover, Montano believes that the food culture plays an integral part in promoting the country’s destinations through gastronomic ventures.
Thus, Montano extends support for Marylindbert International Inc., by mounting a ‘much bigger and grander’ event.
Regional tour
The Buhay Carinderia…Redefined will kick off its nine-month journey in areas of Northern Luzon, encompassing all of its 15 provinces.
An exposition will happen on June 28 and 29 at Vigan Convention Center, where local culinary experts will have a discussion with chosen students whom they will mentor.
The same series of activities will happen in Central Luzon, Bicol region, the Visayas region and the Mindanao region.
“From these cities and towns, we will identify the best dishes, the individuals that prepare them and the carinderia where they work for,” Legaspi says.
The goal is to pass on their skills and experiences to these students and eventually hail Philippine tourism millennial ambassadors.
She says, “We will start mentoring the students on how to get into cooking, especially those who are interested. At the same time, we will teach them financially literacy.”
Legaspi adds that mentoring is a vital part of the advocacy, which opens opportunities to new businesses and encourages them to become entrepreneurs.
This November all the regional bets will be gathered in a nationwide showcase of their cooking talents.
Content-creator partner
Marylindbert International Inc. also taps on the influence of restaurateur and social-media influencer Erwann Heussaff as their official content creator for the campaign.
Heussaff will join the caravan while he learns the heritage and culture behind every carinderia dish.
When asked why Heussaff was picked to the content creator partner, Legaspi underscores the all-around foodie as a sincere learner.
“The good thing about it is, he’s very sincere. He has gone to so many places. Inaaral na niya yung mga pagkain ng mga Pilipino [he is learning about Filipino food] and that is a perfect example,” Legaspi notes.
Even before he inked ties with Marylindbert International Inc. for the project, Heussaff has been doing content highlighting the Philippines.
However, for his part, Heussaff, who grew up in Europe, knows that he still needs to learn more about the country he chooses to explore.
“There are so many dishes I still need to discover, but I am curious to keep learning,” Heussaff says.
From local to world class
Legaspi stresses that what Buhay Carinderia wants to impart is that amid all the influence of Western food in the country, the carinderia way of cooking is not a forgotten tradition in every corner of the country.
She also hopes that Buhay Carinderia will open doors to showcase the country’s heritage through the carinderia way of cooking and, eventually, present a one-of-a-kind, Filipino way of dining.
Image credits: Gelyka Ruth R. Dumaraos
1 comment
What a Corruption!