ILOILO CITY – Francis Dave Lacson Selorio, a chef from Capiz province, won in the prestigious food writing contest organized by the Food Writers Association of the Philippines.
SELORIO (Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Writing Award)
Selorio was awarded the second prize in the Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Writing Award for his essay “Linagpang: A Grilled Soup.”
He said that his essay was based on Sunday nights spent in Mambusao town, Capiz where his grandfather would cook linagpang for dinner.
“Perhaps, no memory is too trivial to share,” he said.
Selorio’s essay highlighted a beloved soup with various ways of cooking in the Visayas.
“Though lagpang refers to our local way of marinating meat or fish, its meaning evolved into a more elaborate grilling of fish or chicken – primarily used as proteins – shredding them and turning them into soup,” he wrote.
“Just like adobo, linagpang varies regionally. In Iloilo, dumaraga nga manok (free-range chicken) is boiled with the addition of ginger and guinamos (shrimp paste). Negrenses use batwan and grill all the vegetables. In Cebu and Bohol, as eternalized by Max Surban in his folk song, they use turagsoy (snake fish) or haluan in Mindoro,” the chef added.
In 2021, his essay “Long Live Sinalay” earned honorable mention in the same contest named after the country’s most respected food writer.
The chef-writer is currently the sous chef of Francesco’s and Café Mabini in San Juan City.
He owns Crypto Café in Roxas City, Capiz and is an advocate of promoting the heritage cuisine of his home province.