The
city has a reputation for being one of the best destinations when it comes to
adventure tourism. However, no one will argue that it is also fast becoming one
of the country’s top gastronomic destinations.
Those
who have visited Davao City for the past ten years will tell you never to leave
without trying Luz Kinilaw’s sinugbang panga and buntot. The budget-conscious
foodies also raved about Taps and the fastfood’s famous vinegar and pepper
sauce. And who can forget eating durian along the sidewalks of Uyanguren?
With
the construction of malls in the city came the various specialty restaurants
and fastfoods from Manila. While the newbies provided a variety of gustatory
options for Dabawenyos and their visitors, the homegrown food providers still kept
to their traditions and prevailed.
“We
are becoming the country’s new gastronomic destination thanks to the many
home-grown food entrepreneurs in the city,” Department of Tourism (DOT) XI
Regional Director Art Boncato said. This, he added, has never been more
emphasized than during the Kadayawan Festival which is a celebration of good
harvest for Dabawenyos.
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| photo courtesy of DOT XI |
Kadayawan
street food festival
One
of the very first components of the Kadayawan when it started in 1986 is the
street food festival which was held at the junction of Roxas Avenue and C.M.
Recto Street. “This was a Kadayawan staple which has been replicated every
year,” Mr. Boncato said. The street food festival was actually an extended and
a more glamorous version of the various barbecue stalls in the city.
Kadayawan,
which is celebrated during the month of August every year, is itself all about
the bountiful harvest of food including the fresh seafood, vegetables and
fruits that abound in the city. After all, it is during this month and
hereafter that you will see the streets with bukags (the native baskets) filled
with colorful and delicious fruits in seas. During this month, it is natural to
see trees alongside the streets teeming with luscious red rambutan and durian.
It is easy to be tempted to just pick up the fruits from these trees as they
hang beyond the gates.
Mr.
Boncato said through the years, the city has developed its own unique blend of
gustatory concoctions that can only be referred to as the Davao flavor.
Kadayawan 2008 started featuring the local food choices through Ka-an Mindanao
or the Indigenous Food Fiesta. This featured the indigenous cuisine of the
city.
Durian
Festival
Another
Festival staple is the 15-day Durian Festival slated from August 10 to 25, 2013
at the SM Premier in Lanang. “We wanted to feature the different varieties of
durian not only to let people taste these varieties but also to educate them,”
Durian Industry Council of Davao City chairperson Larry Miculob said.
Visitors
to the city can get their fill of fresh durian through the
eat-all-you-can-durian at P150. For those who just want to satisfy their
craving without overindulging, the P40 per kilo price for durian is good
enough. The agricultural fair at Ecoland also features a durian booth where
visitors can buy durian at P50 per kilo and eat the fruit at the durian tents
provided by the exhibitor.
Mr.
Boncato said the Davao Fruit Craze also opened at Abreeza Mall just in time for
the Kadayawan. “Visitors will get the chance to enjoy all their favorite fruits
including pomelo, mangosteen, banana and other fruits in season right at the
mall,” he said. This is clearly a proof that August is indeed a season of
harvest in Davao, he added.
One
of the events that showcased Davao as a real gastronomic destination not only
during the Kadayawan Festival but all throughout the year is the three-day
Gourmet Collective which opened at SM Lanang Friday.
“This
is the first effort to gather the gourmet chefs of Davao to showcase their
tastiest specialties,” Mr. Boncato said. Among the food choices on display are
the concoctions of Bangkok Wok which showcased Thai Cuisine, Cellar de Boca
which served Spanish-inspired food using Davao’s very own brown rice and Monica
Floirendo which served Mexican-inspired food.
