A Foraged Feast: Philippine Heritage Kitchen And CCA Manila Presents A Forest Table Of Sagada At The Glasshouse Of New World Makati Hotel

"Mushroom foraging is an art of active perception that deserves to be studied with patience, taught with rigor, and passed onto future generations with contagious enthusiasm." The forests of Sagada high up north is a virtual pantry of natural nourishment that's been part of the tradition and cultural identity of indigenous communities for centuries. From mushrooms to fruits, vegetables and herbs, the bountiful harvests of Sagada not only sustains life, it's a page from countless stories passed down for generations. Roope Oskari Kaaronen, a post doctoral researcher at Finland's prestigious University of Helsinki acknowledges the importance of preserving tradition and keeping the fragile link with the past intact. At A Forest Table of Sagada, these traditions are proudly showcased by a new generation of culinary trailblazers in a memorable afternoon at The Glasshouse...There's no better way to fully understand and appreciate one's culture than experiencing its many flavors on the table. The flavors of Sagada offers an insightful peek at tradition and a real connection and respect for the land. The Philippine Heritage Kitchen led by acclaimed Chef Reggie Aspiras and CCA Manila brings to light another regional flavorful weave from the colorful tapestry of Filipino cuisine with A Forest Table At Sagada at The Glasshouse of New World Makati Hotel. Read on for a tasty and insightful peek at Sagada's foraged flavors...The fourth in a continuing series, Chef Reggie Aspiras of the Philippine Heritage Kitchen and CCA Manila reveals yet another layer in the rich and diverse Filipino culinary experience showcasing the flavors high up north in the famed Mountain Province with A Forest Table of Sagada at New World Makati Hotel's The Glasshouse. Joining Chef Reggie Aspiras in this unique collaboration is local food advocate Chef Laorence Castillo of Gulay Na! and OneVeg along with his team for the day's sumptuous foraged feast (for more on the culinary series on local regional cuisine by Philippine Heritage Kitchen and CCA Manila, see my posts The Filipino Story On A Plate: Acclaimed Chef Reggie Aspiras And CCA Manila Brings Traditional Local Flavors To BGC At The Launch Of Philippine Heritage Kitchen featuring Ilocano and northern cuisine from early April early this year, From Salad To Sizzling, Retracing The Origins Of Pampanga's Sisig And Its Place In The Filipino Culinary Experience At The Sisig Festival By The Philippine Heritage Kitchen And CCA Manila on the iconic sisig of Pampanga from June this year and Once Upon A Time In Malabon: The Philippine Heritage Kitchen And CCA Manila Unveils The Flavors Of Malabon At The Glass House Of New World Makati Hotel on their rich culinary heritage from early this month). The lavish feast reveals the deep connection, relationship and respect for the land and bountiful forests of Sagada by the indigenous mountain communities expressed in a variety of beverages and dishes. Both history and geography have shaped and defined the complexity and richness of our regional cuisine, but Sagada offers even more with its spiritual connection with the land and forests that continue to nourish and sustain the local indigenous communities of the north. There is a deep reverence and respect for the mountain forests, and this is celebrated with a lavish feast using the fresh harvest of foraged produce and ingredients at A Forest Table of Sagada. After every harvest, there is always a thanksgiving feast in celebration of the land's blessings. "The beauty of the Philippines lies there in our forests, our rivers, our seas and mountains, and the people behind all of it who make all of those things that grow so abundantly delicious. And this is really a celebration of Filipino ingredients that grow so abundantly, so unselfishly, we are so blessed and that is a manifestation of how rich we are. Mag bayanihan tayo para sa Pagkaing Pilipino," shared Chef Reggie Aspiras. Food heritage, regional food champion and sustainability advocate Chef Laorencio "Lao" Castillo then introduced his team for the day's foraged feast representing some of the best and brightest from the local culinary scene. The full day also included talks for an immersive experience as Marco Lobregat, author and founder of Ministry of Mushrooms shared his journey as a long-time advocate for local produce and the impressive variety of native 'shrooms. I first met Marco Lobregat a little over a decade ago with a memorable peek at his world of mushrooms via a pop-up (more on Ministry of Mushrooms on my post, Buzzed@4: Beer, Burgers, Bacon, And Shrooms At The Boiler Room Pop-Up from 2015), and he continues to lead the cause for local 'shrooms to this day. A Forest Table of Sagada by the Philippine Heritage Kitchen and CCA Manila was more than just a feast of local regional flavors, it was a gathering of passionate individuals united by a shared and common cause. That day, participating chefs also shared their recipes using local foraged ingredients from Sagada. The unrestrained creativity of the chefs showed just how versatile and flexible foraged ingredients can be for healthier meals. And yes, that bottle of orange liquid is vinegar made from fermented mushrooms. Lope Bosaing, local coffee farmer and pottery artist also provided key insights on the soul of Sagada expressed in the art of coffee and pottery revealing yet another colorful thread of the local pulse. A feast for the palate and the mind, the culinary series by Philippine Heritage Kitchen and CCA Manila allows guests to dive deep and explore the very heart and soul of the region with the flavors of Sagada completing the experience. Just like the previous editions from the continuing culinary series by Philippine Heritage Kitchen and CCA Manila, the event also showcased various local products from the region with The Forest Market of Sagada including its harvest of fresh vegetables, fruits and heirloom grains... ...the famed local coffee from the Mountain Province......preserved and pickled fruits and vegetables in jars and bottles......the artisan small batch craft Dry Gin and White Rum from Sagada Cellar Door made with mountain spring water and locally foraged Cordillera botanicals......and even an all-vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free craft ice cream from Delicielo in unique local flavors like Lipote, Sampinit, Kalingad and Balintanaw. It's these proudly local small businesses that reflect the vibrant character of Sagada and its rich heritage. At the buffet spread, guests enjoyed soothing beverages made with local foraged produce like the Iltsa Id Pagpaga or "Tea From the Forest"......and the refreshing Sabeng and Passionfruit Tonic made with fermented root crops along with Balitanaw Horchata and Cascara Kombucha. The region is widely regarded as the country's all-natural pantry of fresh produce, and salad renditions tempt you at the buffet spread of The Glasshouse in New World Makati Hotel......as well as tasty nibbles feeding first the eyes before the palate with its vibrant colors like the Kumbasa Canapé with squash puree......and the Sedesdem Canapé topped with minced wild edible local bolete mushrooms with its porcini-like notes and textures. Next, the sayote leaf wrapped Binaod with Lam-laming filling is Cordillera's own version of the popular pork bun with pounded rice filled with fermented mushrooms for yet another unique bite of the forest with pronounced nutty hints. The culinary team led by Chef Lao Castillo gets creative with the wittingly named Shroomai, a steamed dumpling shaped like a mushroom with a delicately crisp stem filled with ground 'shrooms. The soft and mildly chewy mushroom shaped dumpling with lightly seared edges brings contrasting textures followed by a flavorful burst from the savory filling. The Grilled Cabbage with Masaplora Dressing is one more tasty surprise from A Forest Table of Sagada with the natural and subtle sweetness of the fresh cabbage enhanced by just a whisper of smoky hints from the charred edges completed by the sweet and mildly tart passionfruit vinaigrette. The BBQ Mushroom Nuggets offers bold savory notes that's both filling yet light for a meat-free feast. The earthy and nutty flavors of mushrooms are perfectly complemented by the BBQ sauce for the perfect finish. The Sinigtimang Damayan with whole mushrooms in a light broth soured by fermented rice warms the palate with its soothing notes, one of my many picks from A Forest Table at Sagada. It's a deceptively simple dish highlighted by elegantly nuanced flavors from the mushrooms and sour fermented rice combining for pure all-natural and satisfying flavors. The Crispy Kumbasa Noodles with Salad in Mushroom Vinegar is another well executed dish offering a delectable play on contrasting textures and flavors from the crunch of the squash noodles to the delicately crisp freshness of the vegetables. The mushroom vinegar binds each ingredient of the dish together in a seamless and flavorful finish. The Cordilleras are known for its celebrated preserved pork staple, and Chef Lao Castillo and his team honors this tradition with their own vegan version of Etag with Beans. Smoked with a variety of indigenous woods like pine, coffee, local lemon tree twigs, alnus and saeng, the vegan etag faithfully recreates the aromatic and lingering smoky aroma of the traditional Cordillera specialty down to the firm yet soft bite. Staying true to tradition, the smoked vegan etag is paired with beans for a comforting and sumptuous meal in itself. A large paellera catches your eye for yet another inventive spin with foraged mushrooms...Using local grains and foraged mushrooms, the Sagada Forest Mushroom Paella with a medley of mushrooms caps the sumptuous feast at A Forest Table of Sagada with its bold nutty notes. It's the flavors of Sagada's bountiful forests creatively and masterfully recreated in a massive paellera. A gentle squeeze of lemon complements the sharp nutty hints of foraged mushrooms with all its complex notes absorbed by soft and fluffy local rice. For dessert, Chef Lao Castillo and his team interpreted indulgence with that unique Sagada flair with a selection of tempting creations from the Mushroom Bukayo on Palitaw featuring sweetened strips of mushrooms on soft glutinous rice cakes......to the crisp and sweet Sayote Turon with Atayan Syrup. The crisp turon with its sweet sayote filling becomes even more decadent with a generous drizzle of the thick syrup made from atayan or wild earthball mushrooms. Guests at A Forest Table of Sagada also enjoyed more traditional Cordilleran delicacies like the Linapet or local suman made with glutinous rice with a sweet roasted peanut filling wrapped in banana leaves. What to pair with dessert? Cordillera's famous coffee, of course.Then, Chef Lao Castillo and his team served the perfect sweet ending with the Mushroom Ice Cream to end A Forest Table of Sagada feast on a high note. Lusciously silky smooth, who knew mushrooms could be transformed into ice cream? Now you know...Guided by tradition with just the right dose of playful inventiveness, the flavors of Sagada's bountiful forests are preserved injected with a fresh perspective by Chef Lao Castillo and his team. But there's so much more to experience, discover and taste from Sagada......and the Philippine Heritage Kitchen led by Chef Reggie Aspiras in collaboration with CCA Manila promises even more with a full calendar already lined up for the balance of the year. A ceremonial toast with Tapuy, the Cordilleran rice wine, becomes an appropriate and proper conclusion for a celebration of local flavors at A Forest Table of Sagada. One more shot of Tapuy for the rich and diverse tapestry of local and regional Filipino cuisine becomes not only a celebration of flavors but of cultural identity and pride. Where to next? Let the Philippine Heritage Kitchen and CCA Manila take you there and rediscover the flavors that have defined our identity with its continuing series on the Filipino flavor experience...For more on the Philippine Heritage Kitchen, you can view their IG Feed at https://www.instagram.com/phheritagekitchen/ for more information and updates. The Glasshouse is located at New World Makati Hotel, Esperanza Street corner Makati Avenue, Ayala Center, Makati City, Metro Manila. Dude for Food is now on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, check out these social media accounts for regular updates on good eats. Better yet, click "Like" and "Follow" and enjoy the ride...just look for the FB and IG widgets on the right sidebar.