18/06/2025
Where to get good binakol na manok in Dumaguete?
𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐒 🍽️
Today, June 18, is 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐲. Gastronomy, often referred to as the art of food or a region's cooking style, emphasizes local food and cuisine. Sustainable gastronomy extends this by considering the origin of ingredients, cultivation methods, and distribution channels, ensuring practices are not wasteful of natural resources and are environmentally and health-friendly for the future.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN General Assembly work to facilitate the observance of Sustainable Gastronomy Day, in collaboration with Member States, UN organizations and other international and regional bodies, as well as civil society, to observe the Day in raising public awareness of its contribution to sustainable development. They adopted it on 21 December 2016, the resolution A/RES/71/246 and designated 18 June as an international observance.
Adopting sustainable gastronomy, particularly by consuming local foods, profoundly impacts livelihoods, the environment, and economies. With a global population projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050 and a third of all food currently lost or wasted, responsible resource management is crucial. Unsustainable practices in utilizing oceans, forests, and soils necessitate careful resource use by producers and discerning choices by consumers. With this, locally grown products stimulate regional economies, support farmers, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and resource consumption associated with food transportation, thereby helping farmers sustain their livelihoods.
To support this initiative, consumers can patronize local food markets, buying in-season produce from small or family farmers. Exploring local foods while traveling also offers cultural insight and economic support to the area. Embracing culinary traditions, many of which are inherently sustainable, connects us to our ancestral roots. Cooking with native ingredients, such as nutritious and easy-to-grow pulses, is encouraged.
Locally, in Negros Island, the Slow Food Youth Network (SFYN) Negros Occidental chapter was established in December 2023. As part of the international Slow Food Global movement, they advocate for "good, clean, and fair food" in the region. Committed to preserving local food traditions and inspiring the next generation, they engage in outreach programs, grassroots projects, and collaborations, including working with schools to facilitate community gardens and organic farms.
An exemplary dish showcasing local culinary tradition is 𝘉𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘭 𝘯𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘬. The term 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘭 refers to chopping or breaking into pieces. Traditionally, chicken is chopped, placed inside a young coconut (after some water is consumed), sealed, and then cooked over a bonfire until the shell turns black, indicating readiness. This primitive method uses no added ingredients, relying solely on the chicken and coconut. Despite hours of cooking, it yields a rich flavor from the coconut water, creating an exotic blend of chicken essence and delicate coconut sweetness.
The National Museum of the Philippines-Dumaguete aligns with the global community in promoting sustainable gastronomy awareness. Indeed, prioritizing local foods and markets helps preserve culinary heritage, including traditional crops, recipes, and cultural practices. It fosters mindfulness of the resources invested in food production and ensures the continuity of culinary traditions.
Slow Food Negros
Slow Food Youth Negros Occidental
Photo Credit: https://tinyurl.com/4e8v4ysx
Sources:
https://tinyurl.com/4xe4r3j8
https://tinyurl.com/36b35rzc
https://tinyurl.com/mrxd7p99
https://tinyurl.com/ykm465h4
