Aroma of Bohol. Two women tear off basil leaves at the heat of Kumbira sa Tagbilaran, a city-wide cooking contest using beef, pork and fish, held at the Central Market grounds recently. Basil, sometimes Boholanos call this homutan, or malikid is almost synonymous to and is unmistakably Boholano. (rac/PIA-7Bohol)

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol May 5 (PIA) –Except for the visibly absent bride and groom, the aroma of cooking permeates the air and the scent of good food filled the venue where the Kumbira sa Tagbilaran sizzled with the cooking contest April 28.

And City Mayor John Geesnell Yap, brains behind the Saulog 2015 highlight, sat with his people and shared a banquet of the best cooked beef, pork and fish on the same day Bohol Poll hands to him a high net satisfaction rating from the people he served.

A delicious highlight of the activity-packed Saulog Festivities in Tabilaran, Kumbira fares the best cooks from the city’s 15 districts against each other in the preparation, the gustatory delight packaging and the aesthetic presentation of beef, pork and fish: the main dish sources for the mouth-watering fiestas in Bohol.

Kumbira, while it has now been narrowed to mean the wedding banquet, is a derivation from the Spanish Portuguese word “invitation,” is Tagbilaran City officials’ invitation for its people to re-learn from the home-style Boholano cooking as well as imbibe on the tricky treats most recent cooks have obtained from countless chefs in the most recent years of studied cooking.

Held at the Central Market where sourcing of ingredients is even made more accessible, Kumbira organizers also hope they can re-open in the minds of the Tagbilaranon the countless options for cooking which has now been as varied in taste as the world’s vast cuisine options.

We wish to show to the Tagbilaranons, who were preparing for the famed San Jose fiesta table fare, the countless ways they can do to make a varied and delectably presentable table with the right cooking, a press release from the city stated.

Amidst the constant cheer of their friends and supporters, a pair of a chef and an assistant, all dressed to the occasion flitted here and about, tinkering with the stove, peeling spices and vegetables, mincing meat or carving a decoration from a fruit or vegetable, which will become an accent to the platter of cooked food.

When the banqueting table opened, and after the judges had their share of tasting the cooked delights, emerging best for beef cooking category was Poblacion 3.

For the well loved pork category, Dampas romped away with the award.

Dao, on the other hand proved they can cook fish better than the rest and pocketed the award and distinction.

Mayor John Geesnell Yap and the city council apportioned P4,000.00 for each winner.

The young mayor, also congratulated the active participation of each barangays and thanked them for their commitment and support.

The mayor shared at the gathering, his most recent victory, a very high net satisfaction rating of +85, from his residents.

This, Kumbira organizers agreed, was more than enough reason to invite all the people gathered at the Kumbira venue to share the mayor’s joy in the pre-fiesta banquet. (rac/PIA-7Bohol)