SAMAL, Bataan: Tahong or green mussels which are raised plentiful here were presented as the main dish ingredient during the cooking competition held in the town Tuesday night.
Ten groups of known local chefs participated in the contest under the watchful eyes of nationally-known cooking judges and residents.
The contestants for more than an hour prepared tahong as the main dish and coconut, mostly buko, as desert.
Vice Mayor Ronnie Ortiguerra and Councilors Lito Llanda and Vangie Buensuceso, among some other municipal officials, graced the program.
The cooking competition is part of the celebration of the 385th Samal Foundation Day that concludes on April 30, Feast Day of patron Saint St. Catherine of Siena.
The tilt is a project of the municipal government under Mayor Alex Acuzar in coordination with the tourism council headed by his wife, Arlene Forbes Acuzar.
Kare-kare fried tahong with shake your coconut with copra prepared by Josephine de Guzman (Luklukan) and team of Barangay Sapa, Samal emerged as grand winner.
As Ist runnerup is the team of Marie Joy de Jesus and Abegail Ortiguerra (Yos Café) of Barangay East Daan Bago/San Juan with their main dish of tahong honey butter garlic as main dish and buko cheese cake as desert.
Richard Forbes of Barangay East Calaguiman was 2nd runner up with his main dish of dusted mussel with coconut salted eggyolk sauce and ondeh ondeh (crusted peanut and buko and Gula Melaka) as desert. (30)
