Kaon Ta | Region 10 Food & Travel Expo

The recent food & travel expo of the Department of Tourism-Region 10 was all about delicious cookery & a whole lot of Northern Mindanao charm. Dubbed as Kaon Ta, or let’s eat was a first of its kind on this side of Philippine kitchendom.

Held last November 23-25, Kaon Ta turned the Ayala Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro into a carnival of tasty finds. It was a weekend full of exciting food scenes that attracted foodies, food producers, chefs, travellers & curious eaters.

Kaon Ta: Showcasing the Best of Region 10

Composed of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon & Camiguin, Region 10 is a wealth of finds. From sea to summit & from heritage to food, it’s truly a fantastic travel destination.

Kaon Ta offered a new show experience to the people in Northern Mindanao by celebrating its own culinary delights. It showcased 32 exhibitors specializing in wonderful food holidays.

As farm tourism is becoming a new way of travel experience, farm resorts & eco-farm adventure parks were instant hits. Obviously, Bukidnon has a lot to offer like Alomah’s Place, Binahon AgroForestry Farm, Kampo Juan & Dahilayan.

CDO’s Manresa Farm that takes pride of their agricultural engineering also wowed the audience with their treats up for sampling.

Although not a new concept at all, organic farm-to-table food is however attracting more new age diners. Take Balay sa Hardin in Iligan City that plates up the freshest picks straight from their backyard.

Then there’s Venida Farms in Mimbalot that whips up farm tours, lectures & on-site dining. They also bottle refreshing juices of cranberry & miracle fruit.

Kaon Ta is truly the most exciting gastronomy expo to hit Region 10 by also highlighting food souvenirs that made each town famous. Among these homegrown brands are Vjandep’s pastel & Sler’s ham.

Worth mentioning too is the best brownie to ever kiss your lips is Bite Me Up’s Brownie Bites. If dark & fudgy tickle your fancy, this one is surely a chocolatey win!

But not all that glitters is gold —-some are diamonds in the rough like the condiments of Jerlyn Punay. A typhoon Sendong survivor turned Galing Pook awardee is a perfect example of what “bottled with love” is all about.

Kaon Ta was a smorgasbord of everything that loosens your belt buckle! Artisan cakes & breads, artery-clogging cracklings, organic eggs & vegetables — name it. Then there was lanzones from Camiguin, Neneng’s buko pie from Linamon & the suman from Clarin.

Another standout was Malaybalay’s Christy Chili. Boy, this was the demon chili that your ex warned you about. It’s delicious & a real scorcher to remember.

Chef’s Special

But what’s a food show without a degustación of Region 10’s best food? Local chefs dished out their gastronomic creations that were surely a kick in the palate.

Among the featured chefs was Chicko Cacanindin with his Camiguin favorite called Chicken Surol. There was Beef Rendang by Benjie Gaviola, Humba de Oro by Pat Sabay & Cyril Balbuena’s Sinuglaw & Inun-unan na Pidlayan.

Chef Albert Chiu delighted everyone with his old-time favorite Roast Beef & Binaki while Chicken Piaparan, a Maranao staple was Roseller Fiel’s winning piece. Guest chefs like Rodrigo San Luis, Glenn Villacin & Dario Estrada also graced the event.

In what might just be the best food holiday expo in this side of Mindanao, Kaon Ta was surely a delicious insight into Region 10’s local dining scene. It was more than just a battle of flavours but also an opportunity to explore consumer trends & innovation.

Kaon Ta was a tasty reminder of how great Region 10 is. Its 2019 run is surely something to look forward to as everyone anticipates more delectable food holiday surprises.

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