Sisig takes centerstage as AC tourism gears up for new normal

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Admin

ANGELES CITY – With the whole country preparing for the transition to the ‘new normal,’ the city government is doubling its efforts to boost the city’s tourism industry,

offering visitors an array of native foods and delicacies that originated in Angeles, particularly its famous ‘sisig.’

Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. says that they see gastro-tourism, or culinary tourism, as a way to revive the city’s economy and tourism, which was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Angeles City has been known as the home of the best pork disk in the world," Lazatin said.

"It was dubbed as home of sisig for its pork spicy dish creation from Barangay Claro M. Recto," Lazatin added.

Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel said that the city government wants food enthusiasts all over the world to come and visit our city, to have a taste of the best dishes Angeles has to offer.

Sisig is a dish made from parts of pig head, and liver, seasoned with onions, calamansi, and chili. Lucia Cunanan of Angeles City, known as the Sisig Queen, reinvented this traditional Kapampangan dish by serving it to her customers on a hot plate.

It then transformed into a sizzling, crunchy, and saucy pork dish, thus making it a “pulutan” favorite.

Since then, Angeles City became known as the “Sisig Capital of the Philippines.”

In 2003, the late Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin spearheaded the first-ever Sisig Festival, where spectators from around the country came to watch the sisig being cooked on a giant sizzling plate, Chief Adviser and Tactician Director IC Calaguas reminisced.

"Brainchild ni Tatang Tarzan 'yan. Alam niya kung gaano kahalaga sa kasaysayan ng Angeles ang sisig, na siya namang nais ding ipagpatuloy ni Mayor Pogi," Calaguas, who is then the Executive Assistant IV of Mayor Tarzan, said.

Renowned chef and travel documentarian, the late Anthony Bourdain, had his first taste of sisig at Aling Lucing. It was here that he discovered his love for the dish, and introduced sisig to the whole world, calling it a ‘sweet symphony of pig parts.”

In 2017, Bourdain predicted that ‘sisig will win the hearts and minds of the world.”

That is why people all over the world could not wait to try this famous Angeleño dish, according to City Tourism Officer Anneleen Suguin.

“In fact, whenever the city has guests and visitors we are receiving requests that sisig be included in their meals,” Sugui shared.

Moreover, other Angeleño dishes that are tourist favorites include adobong Kapampangan, bulanglang, buro, and betute, and desserts such as tibuk-tibuk, turrones de kasuy, and putong San Nicolas.