25/08/2025
๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ | ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐๐๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ: ๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ, ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐
โCulinary Capital or not, basta lutong Kapampangan manyaman!โ These words echoed in Magalang on August 22 as the town once again celebrated its pride and flavor through Calutung Camaru 2025, held at the PSAU-Bren Z. Guiao Multi-Purpose Center.
Calutung Camaru, for the first time, became an inter-collegiate cooking competition through the collaboration of the Local Government of Magalang and Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU). The event was an inter-barangay competition for two consecutive years.
Now, with students from seven schools across Pampanga stepping into the spotlight, the contest has grown into a bigger stage that not only presents unique and creative dishes but also passes to the younger generation the heritage and the heart of Kapampangan cuisine.
๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ: ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ก ๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐ง
Camaru (mole cricket) has been thriving abundantly in the province, particularly in the town of Magalang, and has been part of Kapampangan cuisine. Even after the catastrophic Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991, Magalang soil did not budge to the horrifying ashes but instead remained its fertile ground for camaru.
Since then, camaru dishes have continued and grown to what they are now. Camaru has been more than just an edible insect for the Kapampangans. It is a representation of heritage, resilience, and cultural identity that shows the deep connection to the land.
๐๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ: ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก
A seminar and a live cooking demonstration kick-started the event. The halls of the Multi-Purpose Center were filled with an enticing aroma from an adobong camaru dish that sparked curiosity among the guests and audience. Calutung Camaru is more than a cooking contestโit is a symbol of pride, creativity, and resilience.
It celebrates the resourcefulness of the Kapampangan kitchen and highlights how traditions can evolve while staying rooted in culture.
Having the cooking competition in the calendar of events for Pyestang Camaru 2025 highlights that a feast is not merely about parties and celebration but also a commemoration of culture and pride.
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ
The two-hour inter-collegiate cooking competition began in the afternoon, and the hallโs atmosphere shifted. Everyone got their own recipes to follow and a secret ingredient to surprise the masses, ready.
Then, knives clashed with chopping boards, ladles danced in circles, and pans sizzled. Students started a symphony of movement by pouring their skills and imagination into their dishes. Each trio of contestants was tasked to prepare an appetizer and a main dish, all under the theme โPamangan Marangleโ or Farm Cuisine. With one hour left, the air thickened with mouthwatering scents.
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐
When the final minute passed, silence briefly replaced the earlier flurry. Then, one by one, the participants stepped forward to present their dishes. Seven schools from Pampanga brought their pride to the table, hoping to impress a distinguished panel of judges.
The panel included Chef Jam Melchor, a renowned chef and food historian; Mr. Ruston Banal, a photographer, writer, heritage conservation advocate, and cultural worker; and Ms. Chloe Ann Cauguiran, a multifaceted professional in the hospitality and culinary industries, with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management and a Masterโs in Public Administration.
๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ก ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฆ
The event reminded everyone behind the winners and scores that food is not only about nourishmentโit is also about heritage, resilience, and identity.
Calutung Camaru stood as proof that traditions can thrive even in the next generation. For everyone, it was a feast not only for the stomach but also for the heart. It started as an inter-barangay cooking contest, then evolved into an inter-collegiate cooking competition.
Calutung Camaru has grown in both scale and meaning. It started as a community activity and has now become a stage for the next generation of Kapampangan chefs who will become future innovators and cultural bearers.
As the last plates were cleared and the judges gave their final words, it became clear that Calutung Camaru is not just about who cooked the best dish. It is about honoring a tradition that has survived time, crisis, and change. It is about showing that in every bite of camaru, there is heritage, resilience, and pride.
Calutung Camaru 2025 proved that food can be both a celebration and a movementโa bridge between the past and the future, between homegrown traditions and the creativity of youth. For Magalang and the rest of Pampanga, culinary capital or not, this celebration is more than a feast; it is a living legacy served hot and proud, year after year.
๐๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ค ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ณ
๐๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฐ๐ด ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ฆ ๐๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ป
๐๐ข๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ป๐ถ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ข
