Lanzones Festival: Camiguin’s Sweet Celebration

This October, Camiguin Island will finally have its annual Lanzones Festival after a two-year hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to Camiguin Governor Xavier Jesus Romualdo, the government has planned several activities to boost the island province’s tourism-dependent economy, beginning with the week-long Lanzones Festival in the final week of October.

With an average of 800,000 visitors per year before COVID-19 struck, Camiguin was one of the Philippines’ most popular tourist destinations.

So if you want to experience the sweet festival of Camiguin, Philippines, you better check out this guide. In this post, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about the beautiful and memorable Lanzones Festival. 

What Is Lanzones Festival?

The four-day Lanzones Festival is a yearly celebration of the abundant harvests of the lanzones fruit in October.

In the Philippines, many people enjoy the edible fruits of the lanzones tree, often referred to as langsats, a member of the Mahogany genus of trees. Given that lanzones originated in Southeast Asia, they play a significant role in this celebration.

The fruits, whose non-edible seeds have several health advantages. Lanzones serve as nutritious supplements to meals because they contain low calories and high fiber. These health advantages make the festival a wonderful experience.

Furthermore, the Lanzones Festival is held in Camiguin. Street dancing, parades, and cultural heritage performances that honor the area’s rich past are parts of the festival’s opening weekend schedule.

The event wouldn’t be complete without the beauty contest when stunning girls from the neighborhood compete for the coveted title. The event also hosts a trade expo where you’ll see the creations of regional artisans on display. Get a few souvenirs by watching for handicrafts and artwork that catch your interest.

Visitors will find that houses and street posts are decorated with lanzones, one of the most remarkable aspects of this celebration. They are often moved by the urge to keep their gratitude for a bountiful crop and the rich cultural legacy of their selected location when they participate in the Lanzones Festival.

When Is Lanzones Festival Celebrated?

Every year, during the third week of October, various events commemorate the abundant harvest of the lanzones fruit. To watch the eagerly anticipated bright event of the province, locals and visitors from different locations come together.

A minimum of four days’ worth of lavish and enjoyable events and activities make up the festival. At a fantastic and reasonable price, the island of Camiguin offers the best lanzones fruit production ever. Additionally, the event’s date falls during October’s harvest season.

Before anything else, it should be noted that Camiguin is a sizable island situated in Region X, the northern portion of Mindanao, south of Visayas. Fish, fruits, and veggies are just a few of the many natural riches on the island.

In total, Camiguin Islands celebrates four native festivals, making the island livelier, busier, and more thrilling than most of the year.

The Lanzones Festival honors the tropical fruit from the lanzones tree, also known as the Lansium Parasitucum in other nations. According to historical records, the lanzones tree originated in Malaysia rather than the Philippines.

As is well known, you can find several connections between the Philippines and most eastern nations. The topographical layout of the country indicates that it was a prime commerce route in ancient times. 

The seeds or roots of the tree were likely sold from Malaysia and prospered in the Philippines due to the country’s pleasant tropical climate, which substantially aids the tree’s growth.

Lanzones Festival Costumes

The celebration welcomes guests from all over the world. You’ll enjoy street dance competitions, stage performances, eat-all-you-can lanzones, and various lanzones-based goods like ice cream, jam, candies, wine, vinegar, and more. 

The locals work extremely hard to prepare for these competitions, particularly the young dancers in the parades and street dances. The work they put into their presentations makes you love it more. The choreography of their dances, as well as the costumes and props, are all incredibly bright and artistic.

On October 26, Saturday, in Mambajao Town Center, there were eight competitors in the street dancing competition for this year’s event. Groups represent different municipalities in Camiguin, including Mambajao, Guinsiliban, Catarman, and Mahinog, among the competitors. 

The many competitors don distinctive Lanzones Festival costumes and vibrant props to display their skills and talents. To add to the energy and fun of the street dance, these dances come with massive drums and boisterous cheers from the dancers.

Lanzones Festival History

The Lanzones Festival offers appreciation for the abundant harvest on Camiguin Island. In preparation for the season of the tropical fruit lanzones, the town of Mambajao celebrates the feast during the third week of October. 

Among the several places to get the fruit throughout Mindanao’s north-central coast, Camiguin province is renowned for having the tastiest lanzones. The week-long celebration features a variety of events that highlight Camiguin’s rich culture, including street dancing, a large lanzones procession, exhibits of agricultural products, and beauty pageants. 

Along with this, the populace eagerly anticipates the upcoming week’s annual barangay beautification competition, native sports, and a tableau of local culture.

Lanzones Festival, according to local tradition, the festival originated when a childless couple wished for a child from a lanzones tree fairy. The parents neglected to thank the fairy who gave them a healthy newborn son. 

One day, a suspicious-looking woman came by as their toddler was playing. Suddenly, the child lost consciousness. His parents believed that the youngster had been charmed by the lanzones fairy. The couple decided to carry out a rite to placate the fairy, and sure enough, the youngster recovered.

The following year, the couple asked the nearby neighborhood to participate in the traditional Thanksgiving celebration. From that point on, the ritual was celebrated annually in Camiguin to reenact the sacrifices made by the island’s ancient progenitors to the gods who bring favorable weather and a bountiful harvest.

With that said, people believed that the festival began in or around the year 1979. That almost equals 40 years. Filipinos have long observed this as only one of the many holidays throughout numerous islands and regions. Some festivities have been over a hundred years old or more.

Must Try Dishes In Camiguin

Here are dishes you must try out while enjoying the Lanzones Festival in Camiguin: 

1. Lanzones Fruit

If you enjoy eating the lanzones fruit, Camiguin Island features the sweetest version of it. The fruit on the island is the most precious because of the island’s rich volcanic soil.

2. Bulalo 

Although bulalo, a popular Pinoy ulam, may be found all throughout the Philippines, I still urge you to visit La Isla Cocina in Agoho, Mambajao. It truly appealed to my sense of taste. I was smitten. You’ll enjoy a pleasant dining experience at La Isla Cocina because it’s housed in a local historic building.

3. Tart

This is my favorite festival treat. The flavor of the tart from Camiguin really melted my heart. You’ll want to give it another go when you taste it once. It is pretty tasty!

4. Lanzones Wine

The lanzones fruit is undoubtedly one of Camiguin’s food pride. The people use the lanzones fruit to make other cuisines and goods in addition to the fruit itself. The wine from lanzones is one of them. 

The flavor was excellent. It wasn’t potent, but it tasted amazing. It wasn’t potent, but it tasted amazing. The lanzones fruit could also be detected in the wine.

5. Pastel

Filipinos make yema or custard-filled bread known as pastel. This is exclusive to the island of Camiguin. 

Although various stores in Manila sell pastel, I prefer having them on the island. It is available for purchase at the Vjandep Store. They claim to have the best pastel, which I tried, which is partly accurate.

6. Sea Urchin

If you don’t get to taste one of their specialties, your trip will not be complete. Additionally, if you travel to Camiguin’s yearly Lanzones Festival, now is the most fantastic time to purchase lanzones fruit. 

During the event itself, they offer a lower price. Be sure to sample one of these dishes, go to the eateries I suggested, and grow to love Camiguin Island even more!

7. Surol

Another delicacy with Camiguin roots is the surol, a sort of ginataan made from the local chicken of the province simmered in coconut milk and spiced with ginger, Mexican oregano, chilis, and tomatoes. 

People consider this savory and spicy dish a must-try wonder of Camiguin. Moreover, it can be found at every restaurant and eatery on the island.

8. Lanzones Ice Cream

Although lanzones is considered Camiguin’s most well-known fruit, they can be challenging for visitors to try during the off-season because they only grow on the island once a year. 

But don’t worry. The locals discovered a way to provide guests a taste of the fruit even when it’s not in the season by freezing some of their lanzones. 

So, if you’re in Camiguin and fresh lanzones fruit isn’t readily accessible, head to the closest eatery and have some sweet lanzones ice cream for a much-needed cool down after a hot, long day of exploring the island.

9. Kiping

Now, after some great dishes of surol, a light dessert in the form of the local specialty known as Kiping, or locally known as Plato, should do just nicely to finish off a filling lunch. 

To begin with, a kiping features a thin, crispy cassava wafer that has been crushed, combined with water, fried, and then drizzled with latik, a sweet coconut sauce that has been perfectly caramelized. This unusual meal will win your heart at first bite for the cheap, low price of five pesos per serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Ready to enjoy the Lanzones Festival this year? Which delicacy caught your attention the most?

Let us know in the comment section below! 

P.S. Trying to pack my bags for the Lanzones Festival to enjoy mouth-watering dishes in Camiguin once more. I will be back next week for more useful stuff related to food, festivals, and baking. See you!

Check also our Masskara Festival, Pahiyas Festival, Tuna Festival: General Santos’ Pride, and Pintaflores Festival Guides.

About HICAPS

Over the years, HICAPS has helped bakers and businesses make delicious products by offering ingredients like ChiffonAide Cake Oil, Magic Whizk Whipping Cream, Red Velvet Flavor Emulco, and Instabake Brownie Mix. 

HICAPS also provides tools and resources to valued partners such as the free “How to Increase Your Sales Amidst the Pandemic” E-book and free dealer locator that helps look for baking ingredients near me. 

Want more free tips and tutorials? Follow us on Facebook at Hicaps Mktg. Corp. and on YouTube at HicapsTV. 

Want to be one of our valued partners? Fill this form out. Looking forward to talking to you soon!