CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA — Cooking is more than mixing ingredients; it is the creation of stories, culture, and the collective pride of a community.
This was highlighted during the kick-off of Sinukwan Festival 2025 on Tuesday, November 18, at the Santungán ning Kulturang Kapampangan, where tradition and innovation merged through the “Kurang-Kurangan: Culinary Competition – Lumpia Challenge.”
What is usually a simple party staple was transformed into elevated dishes that looked and tasted worthy of five-star dining.
Twelve participants from different towns in Pampanga competed to reimagine and modernize the classic Kapampangan lumpia.
Kapampangan food historian Atching Lilian Borromeo explained that “kurang-kurangan” plays an important role in teaching children how to cook at an early age.
“Ang kurang-kurangan ay yung parang nag prapractice ka magluto sa mga anak. Magkukulang-kurangan sila, parang magluluto sila nang konti-konti, parang laro pero at the same time nagluluto para nasasanay ang mga anak sa kusina,” Borromeo said. (Translated from Kapampangan to Tagalog)
She also emphasized the importance of preserving old recipes to ensure that Kapampangan cuisine continues to thrive. She shared a colorful origin story behind the traditional lumpiang garote.
“Meron ganyan pero merong iba tulad nung sinabi mo na garote. ’Yun nung daw gera meron daw history ’yon. Nabasa ko ’yon—galing yan sa Bakulod eh. Nung daw gera, sinasapok daw ang ulo ng mga tao. Nagalit ang mga tao sa Bakulod, pinagpupulot niya ang ulo ng mga hipon tsaka niluto nila… Ewan ko paano niluto,” she laughed. (Translated from Kapampangan to Tagalog)
“’Yun ang lumpiang garote. Hanggang ngayon ginagandahan lang nila—ginagawa nila, sempre fusion para merong modern, merong luma,” she added. (Translated from Kapampangan to Tagalog)
Festival chairperson Ricardo “Jun” Pineda, Jr. said the competition aims to showcase Kapampangan culinary talent while encouraging the youth to embrace and pass on their traditions.
“Ini ing awsan dang ‘kurang-kurangan’ kung saan yung ating mga Kapampangan kusinero/kusinera, papakita nila yung talent nila kung paano sila magluto… Yung pinaka-showcase dito ’yong ‘Lumpia Challenge,’ iba-ibang klase ng lumpiang lutong Kapampangan ang gagawin nila,” Pineda said. (Translated from Kapampangan to Tagalog)
“Gusto natin involved palagi yung ating mga kabataang Kapampangan dito, para pag tumada sila, matuturo nila karing maging anak nila yung ating kultura,” he added. (Translated from Kapampangan to Tagalog)
The competition is part of the larger Sinukwan Festival celebration, which will run from November 23 to 30 in venues such as Robinsons Starmills, City Front, and Megaworld Capital Town.
After the judging, three standout dishes emerged victorious: 1st place went to the Creamy Spinach Crab Lumpia from Angeles City; 2nd place to the Kare-Kare Betute Lumpia of Holy Angel University; and 3rd place to the Lumpiang Tugak ng Apung Rita from Cansinala National High School in Apalit.
Mother-and-son tandem Alena Kay and Ethan Caleb David, winners of the 1st place award, shared their excitement and disbelief.
“Hindi… hindi ko in-expect. Yung ano ko lang kasi, kami yung gumawa ng wrap—personal wrap namin ’yon,” Alena Kay said. (Translated from Kapampangan to Tagalog)
“Before, nanood lang ako sa Starmills, sa SM… Naengganyo lang ako. Tas ngayon, sinabihan nila na i-try namin. So nag-try kami. Enjoy, atsaka every year meron—nakaka-enjoy, nakaka-learning talaga,” she shared. (Translated from Kapampangan to Tagalog)
From traditional recipes to modern fusion creations, every participant demonstrated skill, dedication, and deep pride in Kapampangan cuisine.
Through Kurang-Kurangan, the cultural identity of Pampanga continues to thrive—teaching the youth not only how to cook, but how to appreciate and carry forward the culinary heritage of their community. #
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