Published on July 2, 2014
Featuring the distinct taste of North Sulawesi, the Manado Culinary Festival 2014 will be held from 10th to 12th July 2014 at the Basketball Court of Mega Mas Manado Area in Manado. The event commemorates the 391st Anniversary of the capital city of North Sulawesi which falls on 14th July 2014.
Although this is held in the fasting month for Muslims, but the majority population of North Sulawesi are Christians. Activities will continue into the evenings that will include Muslim participants to join in and feast.
The 3 days event will feature various activities, including Cooking Competitions, National Chef Cooking Presentations, Traditional Culinary Bazaar, Café Ramadhan, Fish Barbeque Festival, Ice Carving festival, Seminars and workshops, art and cultural performances, Kaeng Manado Show, and more. The festival will also feature the Manado Musik Festival II 2014 which will feature renowned composer and ethnomusicologist, Franki Raden.
Manado Culinary Festival is regarded as the biggest culinary event in North Sulawesi which will feature all sorts of distinct food, snacks, and drinks from Manado and North Sulawesi. Aimed to preserve and promote the culinary wealth of Manado, the event is also intended to stimulate and develop culinary innovations of the city which combines the taste and style of various ethnic groups. The event is also projected to attract both national and international tourists, which in turn, will increase economic activity of the city.
Manado is the largest, most-northerly city in Indonesia, capital of the province of North Sulawesi. It is better known for its breathtaking underwater life at Bunaken, an island that directly faces this city. It is also the hopping off point to theTangkoko Nature Reserve, habitat of Tarsiers and macaques.
Located on a long promontory, Manado is backed by a number of active volcanoes, while facing the open sea. This is where the wide Pierre Tendean Boulevard at the water edge is lined with top class hotels and restaurants serving typical Manado cuisine. Having hosted the World Ocean Conference, Manado is fast growing into a favourite venue for international meetings and conventions.
Manado’s cuisine is particularly tasty using lots of fresh fish and fresh vegetables. Try the rice porridge, called Bubur Manado, and the fresh seafood served with cut green tomatoes and special chili sauce. Many of Manado’s cuisine are cooked in bamboo tubes, then baked over an open fire, giving it that particular zesty taste. Do not miss “klappertaart”, a special cake filled with large slivers of fresh young coconut.
Manado can be reached from Jakarta, Surabaya, Bali, Makassar, Papua and Balikpapan via daily flights. Airlines flying to Manado include Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air and Sriwijaya Air.