Take a Bow, Lugaw

Photo by: Ernesto Andrade Wikimedia Commons

The viral video has given the NCCA the perfect opportunity to make a pitch for Filipino Food Month

A viral video has unexpectedly elevated the stature of lugaw, the rice porridge loved by workers, students, and just about anyone looking for a filling yet inexpensive source of energy and nourishment.

Amplified by hashtags, memes, and mainstream media coverage, the national craving for a steaming hot bowl of lugaw gave the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) the perfect opportunity to stir some interest in its month-long observance of Filipino Food Month or Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino.

“Ang lugaw ay hindi lang basta pagkain, Sagisag Kultura rin!” the NCCA said on its Facebook page.

“Ang lugaw para sa bata at maysakit ay bigas na sinaing at maraming tubig. Kaya sinasabing ang lugaw ay iniluto sa pagmamahal. Sapat ang umuusok sa init na isang mangkok na lugaw para umampat ng gutom at para pawisan at gisawan ng lagnat ang maysakit.

“Ngunit ang lugaw na ginagamit na sabaw o kaldo (mula Espanyol na caldo) sa ibang putahe ay may ginisang bawang, sibuyas, at luya. Nilalagyan ito ng pinatuyong bulaklak ng kasubha para magkulay dilaw ang sinaing na bigas at binubudburan sa ibabaw ng mga tinadtad na murang dahon ng sibuyas tagalog (leek).

In a separate post, the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC), which is overseeing the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Ferdinand Magellan's arrival, described lugaw as one of the “earliest documented food of our ancestors.”

THE NQC cited an entry in the Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Fr. Pedro de San Buenaventura, published in 1613, defining lugaw as “rice mixed with milk or water or of both (porridge).”

The NCCA and the Department of Agriculture have been hosting Filipino Food Month for the past three years, in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement (PCHM).

This year’s celebration has for its theme “Iba’t Ibang Luto, Pinoy ang Puso.”

“Filipino Food Month is not only about Filipino food and heritage, but an opportunity to give thanks to our farmers and fishermen, and the various heroes for their food security contributions and their roles as frontliners during the pandemic,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

Because of the pandemic, this year’s celebration is being held online, with a series of webinars dubbed  “Philippines on a Plate,” an exhibition titled “Culinary Heritage of the Philippines,”  and a short film competition, “Cuisinema.”