The 2011 food
scene – and beyond

The Good Life with Eli F.J. Tajanlangit

There were a few stirrings during the year that’s just passed that may well have repercussions this year and in the next. In fact, they may even shape our idea of food in the future.

First is our continued flirtation with organic food. The other is the rise of chefs, well, at least the professionally trained cooks who are slowly taking over our kitchens.

Many an enlightened soul in Bacolod and the rest of Negros Occidental have gone organic,  planting crops in their natural cycle, and raising them in the natural conditions, encouraged only to the extent that they are fed with natural fertilizers.

These producers have formed an association already, and are now producing in volumes that have allowed them to open a market and supply stores and restaurants.  It is the way of the future, indeed, as has been shown elsewhere, but how fast and far  this will go in the province is an open question, especially after the provincial government  backtracked on its stand on Genetically Modified Organisms.

There are other thin threads that hang loose in the organic movement, among them the question of authenticity: how organic are the products that claim to be organic? Can anybody bring whatever to the market and claim them organic? Who can tell and settle this question?

Yet, won’t the process of stamping the seal of authenticity add to the costs of these products?  It is ironic, yes, that a movement that simply brings us back to the proper and correct way of farming that our forebears did would now be so difficult and complicated.

But Negros, I understand, is a leader on this front, and whatever happens to the movement in the province will help pave its way in the rest of the country. Oh yes, it looks like we will pay the matriculation fees for the organic movement, pay for mistakes and learn the bitter lessons that pioneers always do. But  I am sure, somewhere down the road, this will pay off; let’s just pray we’ll see that in our time.

But already, we are seeing organic chicken and pork on our dining tables, organic arroz caldo and organic suman. The spread is getting bigger, thank you.

Another exciting development in  food front is the rise of chefs, professionally trained cooks who are taking over our kitchens and restaurants. During the last years in fact, we have seen restaurants rise, and at least two hotels open, financed by Daddy for the son or daughter who’s graduated from culinary school.

It is still  too early to tell what these chefs will do to our culinary culture. But this early, we see they are very aggressive, and will not hesitate to overturn recipes to  serve new things.

I am sure some of them will fail, as I am sure some will succeed in this. While atrocious culinary  ideas have come out of their kitchens – I want to be kind and encouraging, so no names yet – there have also been brilliant ones  but just to fair, let’s not also mention them. 

Whatever they may dish out, though, there is one thing guaranteed here: the culinary landscape will continue to be exciting this year  -- and beyond.

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