DTI: Standardization of adobo, for international marketing only
The adobo has become a hot topic recently after the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced the creation of a technical committee tasked to come up with national standards on cooking native dishes including sinigang, sisig, and lechon.
First on the list is the popular adobo, also touted as the country's unofficial national dish.
“With this, the question, 'How can we say that this is the basic Philippine Adobo?' serves as the main guide of BPS [Bureau of Philippine Standards]/TC 92 members in determining the common denominator among all the known ways of cooking it,” explained the BPS.
“Benchmarking the cooking technique for Philippine Adobo will help preserve the country's cultural identity despite the variations made to it.”
The committee is composed of Via Mare's Glenda Barreto as Chairman, Food Writers Association of the Philippines chef Myrna Segismundo, and Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines' Raoul Roberto Goco.
Also part of the team are representatives from the University of the Philippines Diliman's College of Home Economics, Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers Inc., Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc., Department of Science and Technology - Industrial Technology Development Institute, Philippine Association of Food Technologists Inc., LTB Chefs Association, Asia Society Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
International promotions
The plan though was met with criticisms, with some calling it unnecessary and diminishes ingenuity in cooking and preparing local dishes.
DTI, however, assures everyone that the standardization of adobo, in particular, is for international marketing only.
“Obviously, this is not a mandatory standard because there are thousands or millions of different 'lutong adobo',” the DTI clarified on Sunday, July 11.
“The attempt is to define what we will promote internationally and not redefining what adobo is to different people now.”
It further added, “To many Filipinos, the best adobo is the one 'cooked at home' or cooked by their parents or lola.
“There is a lot of creativity going on and this must be encouraged.”
Adobo is not the only dish identified to us Filipinos. The lumpia or spring roll, at least its Philippine variation, has charmed foreigners including international celebrities. Find out who are they in this gallery:
Adobo is not the only dish identified to us Filipinos. The lumpia or spring roll, at least its Philippine variation, has charmed foreigners including international celebrities. Find out who are they in this gallery: