Mango madness in Guimaras
If there’s anything the western Visayan island of Guimaras is known for, it’s their mangoes. According to reports, the Super Galila mangoes, a 100-year-old variety found in Nueva Valencia in Guimaras, has a sugar content of 22.3 degrees Brix, close to twice the sweetness of a commercial cola drink.
It beats the Sweet Elena mango from Zambales, which boasts of a Brix reading of approximately 19 degrees and was named by the Guinness World Records as the world’s sweetest back in 1995.
At the recent Manggahan Festival, its 33rd installment, the stars that headlined the event were the Taliban and Fresco, two strains of the world-famous Carabao mangoes.
The mangoes are available the whole year, but the annual celebration is typically held during summer when the fruits are at their peak sweetness, specifically on May 22 in commemoration of the historic day in 1992 when Guimaras was officially proclaimed a full-fledged province, from being a subprovince of Iloilo. This year’s run was from May 16 to May 25.
Throughout the 10-day event, the organizers had 13 tons (roughly 11,000 kilograms) of mangoes available for consumption by the thousands of expected guests, composed not just of locals and people from nearby provinces, but also foreign tourists.
Mango buffet
In the lineup of events were nightly concerts, beauty pageants, multiple fairs, sports competitions, and a street dance contest. Needless to say, many came to eat. And that base was well covered by the eat-all-you-can mango challenge.
For just P100, participants got to feast on as many fruits as they could in a span of 30 minutes. From morning until afternoon, people in batches got to sit and devour a kilo (about three pieces) of mangoes first, then they were given more whenever they raised their hand. Last year, an American consumed a record 25 pieces.
No food festival would be complete without a cooking competition, and this year’s edition was full of promise. As part of the Panabor sa Isla (Feast on the Island) Festival, there were six competing groups. Representatives from different municipalities used to compete, but this year (as in the previous two), chefs from Guimaras-based restaurants toed the line “to give ownership and identities to the dishes,” said Vincent Abawan, who organized the culinary bout.
The competitors were Tely’s Beach House, Lisa’s Oceanside restaurant, Guimaroast Cafe, Fatima Farms, Charles Floating Cottage, and Budchok Restaurant. Among the notable entries were a tinuom made with labong, a diwal or angel wing clam soup, mango-stuffed suman served like a turon with a pinarak sauce; and a whole lobster steamed and served on top of an avocado-mango salad.
First-time contestant Charles Floating Cottage bagged five major awards, including the best soup, appetizer, main, dessert, and mango-based dish in the form of lobster slathered with a spicy mango sauce. It took home the overall champion title, while Lisa’s Oceanside Restaurant and Budchon won first runner-up and second place, respectively.
On the hunt
The cooking contest presented a good number of innovative mango dishes, but I knew the city had much more to offer. Abawan took us around, hopping from the north of the island all the way to the south for some tropical treats.
Olivia’s Kitchen was our first stop. A popular spot among tourists and locals, the centrally located restaurant served a mix of Filipino and Western favorites, among them grilled pork belly, sinuglaw, and pizzas. But personally, the standout of the bunch was the sinigang soured with green mango. It had a lovely acidity tamed by plain rice and an ice-cold drink.
Hanol Brunch and Cocktails did not only serve an unobstructed view of the Alobijod Cove situated in the south of the island, but also pastas, smoothie bowls, steaks, and a mango sticky rice that delivered in taste and texture.
Located in Nueva Valencia, the Manggadiwa Resort is barely a month old and is already buzzing with interest among locals, given its beautiful location (perched on a cliff, overlooking vast water) and luxurious amenities, including a sunset bar and spa. But we came there to eat and thoroughly enjoyed the signature mango curry and, for dessert, mango float. Though full, we still managed to indulge in it before heading to our suites.
Best in show
Of the lot, the place that definitely did not disappoint and offered the most impressive mango dishes was The Mango Island Cafe at the newly opened Pitstop Hotel. Before we could even peruse the menu, the display chiller had me salivating over pastries such as mango and cheese muffins, mango brazo, leche flan mango float, and mango sans rival.
It’s the third brand of Eugene Mark Torrento, who is well known in the food industry because of The Pitstop Restaurant and its bestselling cheesy Mango Pizza. His pizza and pasta place opened in 2004, a year after he graduated from school. Five years later, he joined the competition, innovating on his specialty and submitting it as an entry. It won and was such a hit that it led him to create more mango dishes, like the mango beef bulalo and mango chicken adobo.
The fanfare consequently led to more businesses, like the Sugba Food Park and the Mango Island Cafe, which I got the chance to dine in.
The Manggahan Festival is a clever avenue not just to showcase Guimaras mangoes but also to lure people to the island and let them discover everything else it has to offer, from the beach resorts and restaurants to its very lovely people.
Special thanks to Vincent “Vinson” Abawan. Follow the author at @fooddudeph on Instagram.
