FUSION DISHES: Balbalan showcases various delicacies made from bamboo shoot during 3rd Binungol Festival

Balbalan, Kalinga – While the original “binungol’ was the main highlight of Balbalan’s Festival, the culinary skills of its people were showcased by the creation of mouth-watering fusion dishes - combining local delicacies with a blend of other cooking traditions - during the 3rd Binungol Festival on October 29.

Binungol has its origins in Kalinga Province and is a popular dish amongst farmers. According to the Municipality of Balbalan, the dish was first known in town.

Binungor is made primarily from stir-fried water snails (agurong or bissukol), mixed with bamboo shoots (rabong) and chili peppers (sichut). Other added ingredients to enhance the taste include local squash, mushrooms, and leafy vegetables.

This year’s celebration was highlighted with the ‘pantal’, a traditional table, surrounding the Municipal Hall building where the iBalbalans served the binungol cooked in a big round-bottom iron pot. The binungol was prepared the Balbalan way – the way the Salegseg tribe, the origin of the dish, cook them for the family and guests.

Other dishes made include ‘rabong (bamboo shoot) meat balls’, rabong tempura, binungol with coconut milk, ginataang kuhol, niladlad (toasted monggo), nilimbok (mashed beans), finasal (black beans and coconut milk), finaklay (traditional snack after burial), among others.

Visitors and locals along with the Municipal LGU led by Mayor Almar Malannag and Vice Mayor Regina Munda Cruz and the guest speaker, Ret. BGen. Noel Baluyan, ate together and savored the native dish during lunch.

The 3rd Binungol Festival was further highlighted with the display of Balbalan’s songs, dances, and traditions which reminded the people, especially the younger ones, of their roots, encouraging them to preserve the authentic identity of the municipality which has been practiced and passed down by their ancestors.

Meantime, Ret. BGen. Baluyen, the first military-general from Balbalan, who traveled all the way from Manila to attend the event, was invited by the LGU to further inspire the locals that they can be as successful when they persevere to achieve their aspirations just like what Baluyen did.

The Binungol Festival was institutionalized in Balbalan in 2022 to celebrate the town’s culture and heritage especially the binungol dish which originated in the municipality and had since became a signature dish in Kalinga.