Regional Food Innovation Drives Tourism and Agriculture
La Union entrepreneurs reinvent traditional Ilocano dishes to boost local tourism and farming.
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According to PIA, regional food innovation is driving tourism and agricultural development across the Ilocos Region by transforming traditional dishes into modern culinary offerings to support local farmers and small businesses.
In La Union, local chefs and food entrepreneurs are leading this shift by reinventing classic Ilocano street food. In Agoo and surrounding towns, businesses have introduced the Dinengdeng Empanadita, which packages the traditional vegetable dish dinengdeng into a portable pastry. Another local creation, the Linubian Empanada, utilizes traditional cassava and banana preparations to appeal to modern consumers.
Further south in Rosario, food establishments are incorporating indigenous ingredients into global food formats. These innovations include seaweed-based pizzas, carabao-meat burgers, and locally sourced coffee. To address environmental concerns, some local food businesses have also launched sapling adoption programs to help propagate native molave or sagat trees.
The Department of Tourism (DOT)-Ilocos Region is now integrating these local food developments into its official tourism planning. The agency plans to establish interconnected food tourism routes to highlight unique culinary identities and boost rural economies.
According to DOT Ilocos Regional Director Benjamin Manahan, Jr., the goal is to promote local gastronomy across all areas of the region. The agency plans to document these culinary innovations in a coffee table book to showcase regional dishes to national and international tourists.
SOURCE: PIA