Record-breaking attempt was part of effort to revitalize the pork industry

A NEW Guinness World Record has been set in Quezon City. On March 1, the National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc. set the world record for the Most Variety of Pork Dishes on Display during the National Hog Festival.

The Guinness World Records, founded in 1955, is a reference for the world’s extremes: the most, the biggest, the longest. Some of their records that have involved the Philippines include a record for the most people brushing their teeth simultaneously (2007); and quite recently, the record for the largest human mattress dominoes (2335 in 2023). And most infamously, before the entry was placed under review (still accessible through https://tinyurl.com/3fmxktpm), the record for the greatest robbery of a government, set by dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

“The minimum is 300,” said Guinness World Records Official Adjudicator Sonia Ushiroguchi during the attempt to set the world record in Gateway Mall 2 in Araneta City. “Today, we have 341 dishes,” she said, which was greeted with cheers. However, she asked for a bit of quiet to make something clear — “We have 341 dishes that were submitted,” and this time, she was greeted with groans. “I know. I’m very happy that everyone is so passionate here. However, we have some disqualifications.

“Some of the dishes did not meet the guidelines. We have 28 dishes that did not meet the guidelines. So, with a total of 313, we have a new Guinness World Record! Congratulations!”

The crowd cheered, and Jan Buenaflor, Project Director for the National Hog Festival, the record attempt, and a member of the Ways and means Committee of the National Federation of Hog Farmers. burst into tears. In an interview with BusinessWorld, she said, “I am very, very happy. I’m actually [at a loss] for words.

“It’s very touching that we gathered all these people together to showcase their pork dishes. I’m very, very happy,” she said.

Participants included schools like National University – Dasmarinas, the University of Perpetual Help System, Perpetual Help College of Manila – College of International Hospitality Management, the Lyceum of the Philippines University – Manila, and the Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation, which collectively contributed 100 dishes.

Institutional partners like Robina Farms, Universal Robina, Del Monte, and restaurants such as Tung Lok Seafood, Mango Tree Café, Bacolod Chicken Inasal, Mesa, Tim Ho Wan, Pound Flatterie, Hawker Chan, Cabalen, Tindeli, and Vikings, also submitted entries.

Don’t ask us what we ate: we had more than 300 of them to go through.

Ms. Buenaflor said that the guidelines included using a minimum of three kilograms of pork per dish, multiplied by 313 (which comes out to 939 kilograms, a bit more than a ton of pork).

“The reason why we did this attempt is because we wanted really to showcase (not only) the culinary expertise of these people, but it’s because Filipinos love pork,” she said.

More than that, the world record attempt was made as an effort to revitalize the hog industry, in recovery since the African Swine Flu (ASF) outbreak in 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. “During ASF, talagang marami kaming nawalan ng hanapbuhay (a lot of us lost our livelihoods),” she said. “During the time when ASF happened, we really wanted to increase the per capita consumption of pork. Gusto naming manumbalik muli ang sigla ng pagbababoy (we want to return the vigor of hog raising),” she said.

In a story from BusinessWorld, “Pork inventory seen sufficient until first quarter of 2024,” it said that “Philippine pork production is expected to hit 925,000 metric tons representing a 5% downgrade of a previous forecast due to the continued presence of ASF in top producing regions,” according to the US Department of Agriculture. “We need more support, kailangan marami ulit ang mag-alaga (we need more people to raise pigs)… we have to do repopulation,” said Ms. Buenaflor.

Still, she said, “Walang imposible sa taong nangangarap ng bongga-bongga (nothing is impossible for a person with big dreams).”

Meanwhile, Ms. Ushiroguchi told BusinessWorld, “Any record that brings so many people together to work to make the world a more fun, positive, and interesting place deserves a place in the Guinness World Records.” — Joseph L. Garcia

NIKKEI’S name is pretty straightforward: it’s the name for Japanese migrants in Peru, which means the restaurant will be serving Japanese-Peruvian cuisine.

Although the fusion of Japanese and Peruvian influences has been around for over 100 years since the late 19^th century, not to mention its appearance in fashionable dining spots worldwide like Nobu, what greeted us at a tasting on Feb. 28 in Greenbelt’s Nikkei Robata (part of the Nikkei group of restaurants) was still a pleasant surprise. The restaurant presented a refreshed menu, developed with the help of two Japanese-Peruvian chefs, Renato Kanashiro and Jorge Tomita, co-owners of Shizen in Peru.

The late lunch’s wheels were greased by a Sake Sangria, with Havana Club 3 Years, sake, lychee syrup, orange juice, apple juice, and ginger syrup. The diverse set of flavors ranging from earthy to fruity, opened up the tastebuds, so our tongues were prepared for whatever else they had to offer.

The meal started with a selection of Tiradito (a Peruvian dish slightly resembling sashimi, but splashed with Peruvian dressings and spices). We then consumed the Usuzukuri, including an anonymous catch of the day, rocoto topping, tobiko, ponzu, and chili oil. It had a great texture, balanced heat, and vivid citrusy flavors. We had fun with the Kiiroi, with fish, and yellow chili sauce, and something else the chef drizzled in front of us, its lingering sharply herbal drops on the plate we had to spoon. We had the Yokai (salmon, batayaki parmesan, and rocoto leche de tigre), and the luxurious Bigmac (tuna, foie gras, truffle oil, garlic, and eel sauce), both of them displaying indulgent flavors, but a certain respect for the integrity of the fish’s flavor.

The Kazan (crab meat, avocado, furai prawn, parillero sauce, batayaki, and eel sauce) had an excellent sweetish taste of crab punctuated by a well-rounded kick. We also remember the Navajas (razor clams), and the Conchas Bataparme (scallops) which had sweetish and indulgent flavors. The meal ended with very rich udon noodles with sea urchin, garlic, and cilantro (Nikkei Yaki Udon); and then creamy rice with Smoked Seafood (Kai Meshi).

Mr. Kanashiro, one of the chefs from Peru who worked on the menu, acknowledged the seafood-centric nature of the menu. “We have a really rich coast,” he said about Peru, so seafood, much like it is in Japan, is very accessible.

He also makes a point about the convergence of the cuisines, a result of the stories of people’s movements across time and the ocean. “Peruvian and Japanese ingredients make a really nice fusion. Japanese soy sauce with Peruvian peppers go really well (together),” he said. “It has been so organic, so natural.” To that point, he points at a tattoo on his arm, bearing the crest of their restaurant, Shizen, which means “nature” in Japanese. “We want to feel that it (the seafood) was caught just minutes ago,” a point, we feel, they successfully made.

Perhaps the reason for Nikkei cuisine’s ability to satisfy the Filipino palate is the mixture of Latin American, European, and Asian influences that are marked in the story of both Nikkei people and Filipinos. Mr. Kanashiro pointed out that in the meals he has eaten in the Philippines, he has found counterparts in Peruvian cuisine, like Sinigang (sour soup), arroz caldo (spicy rice porridge), and kare-kare (peanut-based stew). “We’re really hoping that Filipinos understand and get familiar with these Peruvian flavors,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nikkei group co-founder Jackie Lorenzana (she shares the title with her husband Carlo), talked about the reason for the refreshed menu. “For some reason, we had evolved the Japanese menu part of it further, but the Peruvian side of it kind of, like, lagged. Probably because we have not exactly visited Peru in a long time,” she said.

The first Nikkei concept opened in 2015. Expansion plans for the group include the opening of another version of their BGC Terraza Martinez in Shangri-La Plaza, as well as another version of Nikkei in the same site (it will combine their traditional Japanese and sake bar concept Sakagura with Nikkei), as well as locations in Makati’s Poblacion and in surfing spot Siargao in Surigao. These are all set for completion by August. “It’s not something like really planned sometimes, it just falls into place. You have the right concept; the right location,” she said.

Nikkei has locations in Greenbelt 3 and in Legazpi Village. — Joseph L. Garcia