Binuksan ang ika-7 na Mangan Taku Cordillera Food Fair sa Baguio, na nagpapakita ng iba't ibang indigenous na pagkain mula sa rehiyon. Nagtatampok ito ng 46 exhibitors at heirloom recipes tulad ng inanchila at binungor. Ayon sa mga organizer, ito ay para sa pagpreserba ng tradisyon at pagtulong sa mga magsasaka sa gitna ng energy crisis.
Sa Rose Garden ng Burnham Park sa Baguio, nag-serve ng inanchila—sticky rice na balot sa dahon ng wild orchid—mula sa Slow Food Pasil community sa Kalinga. Si Rowena Gonnay, leader ng grupo, ay nagsabi, “For seven years, we’ve been here. We are proud of our heritage. You can see it in how we cook. We don’t rush it. We respect it.”
Tumakbo ang event mula April 23 hanggang 27, pinangunahan ng Department of Tourism Cordillera Administrative Region kasama ang Baguio City government, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, at TESDA. Ito ay ika-7 na taon nito mula 2019, na institutionalized sa city ordinance at tumutugma sa Filipino Food Month.
Ang theme na “Preserving Traditions, Sustaining Flavors” ay tumutugon sa hamon ng rising fuel costs sa energy emergency. Ayon kay DOT-CAR Regional Director Jovita Ganongan, “By promoting locally sourced products, we help sustain our farmers, keep enterprises running, and strengthen the resilience of our communities.”
Si Ramon Uy Jr. ng Slow Food Asia ay nagkomento, “You see how food is fiercely protected. The way communities hold on to their culinary heritage, their traditions, their land. That is not something you manufacture. That is something you live.” Si Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong naman, “Mangan Taku is an invitation to experience our culture, our traditions, and the stories of our communities told through every dish.”
Kasama ang cookfests, demonstrations, at food crawl, nagbigay ng access sa mga small producers at naipakita ang varied na Cordillera cuisine tulad ng abuos at etag.