VILLASIS–This town, known as the vegetable bowl of Pangasinan, is now busy preparing for a grand feast of pinakbet for 6,000 people during the celebration of its 4th Talong Festival in January next year.

Mayor Nonato Abrenica told The PUNCH that the town aims to set up a community-shared meal in the town to promote the eggplant and their other vegetable products.

In previous Talong Festivals, the town held long eggplant grills along the streets but the mayor said they feel this activity has now become quite “boring” after three years.

Aside from talong, the town is also one of the main producers of other vegetables used in the pinakbet dish such as ampalaya, kamatis, agat, okra, agayep, silin amerikano, parda and winged beans.

Each of the town’s 21 barangays will cook pinakbet, using ingredients provided by the municipal government, and rice for at least 300 people in their barangays.

A farmland in Barangay Lipay has already been designated for planting the vegetables to be used. Planting will commence soon and the harvest is expected to be in time for the fiesta.

An added treat to those who will be joining in the banquet, bagnet, deep fried pork made popular by the Ilocanos, will be thrown into the pinakbet aside from the ordinary flavoring of Pangasinan bagoong.

Abrenica also said they have already commissioned a factory in Pampanga to manufacture 21 pieces of kawa, a large metal frying pan, to be used by each of the barangays.

Members of the barangay councils and those known for their culinary skills will be in charge of the cooking in the their respective communities

“For sure, this will be another most-awaited moment again in town fiesta celebration and we hope to give the people enjoyment in our bid to attain the sense of unity in our place,” Abrenica said.

There will be a cooking dry-run before the fiesta to make sure the pinakbet to be served during the feast will be the best.

Aside from the pinakbet banquet, the usual street dancing parade, bazaars and other yearly fiesta activities will be held.#

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