Baguio's Rose Garden Hosts 'Mangan Taku', Celebrating Cordilleran Food Heritage
Baguio's Rose Garden, Burnham Park, is hosting 'Mangan Taku', a vibrant food fair celebrating Cordilleran identity, history, and resilience. The event, running from April 24 to 28, aims to honor farmers, gatherers, and culinary tradition keepers, and spotlight their contributions to food culture. Food historian Nina Daza Puyat, known for her vintage Philippines cookbook, attended the launch, emphasizing the need for Cordilleran cuisine to have a bigger stage.
Mangan Taku, organized by the Department of Tourism-Cordillera (DOT-CAR) in partnership with the City Government of Baguio, offers a taste tour of six Cordillera provinces. Visitors can enjoy dishes like pinunog from Ifugao, dinihuan anu from Apayao, and etag from Mountain Province. The fair also features fusion experiments, live discussions, and stalls run by small businesses, women cooperatives, and indigenous producers. Mayor Benjamin Magalon stressed the importance of cultural preservation through food, warning against losing local culinary traditions to instant noodles and imported chains. The fair runs daily from 9 am to 9 pm until April 28, offering fresh strawberries, camote desserts, peanut butter, honey mead, garlic atchara, and Cordillera coffee.
Mangan Taku, with its diverse range of Cordilleran dishes and culinary experiences, provides a unique opportunity to appreciate and preserve the region's rich food culture. The event's success is a testament to the collaborative efforts of the DOT-CAR, the City Government of Baguio, and the local communities involved.
