PRESERVING CULINARY HERITAGE THROUGH GASTRONOMIC TOURISM: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY ON THE KAKANIN-MAKING TRADITION OF CABATUAN, ISABELA, PHILIPPINES

This qualitative case study examined the kakanin-making tradition of Cabatuan, Isabela, aimed at comprehending how local food practices become a source of cultural heritage conservation and local gastronomic tourism growth. Data for the research came from semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis of twenty (20) individuals who were purposively selected: kakanin producers, municipal officers, and long-term residents. Thematic analysis revealed five major themes: (1) kakanin-making as a living culinary heritage, (2) high community awareness and identity linkage, (3) rich but underdeveloped gastronomic tourism potential, (4) continuous challenges of modernization, marketability, and lack of institutional support, and (5) community resilience as a basis for cultural continuity and sustainable development. The findings show that the preparation of kakanin is still at the heart of Cabatuan’s cultural identity. Residents have high awareness and are emotionally attached to the culture despite less participation of the youth. The study emphasizes the need to incorporate food heritage in the local tourism policy and educational programs as a means of cultural perpetuation. It ends with the statement that gastronomic culture in Cabatuan serves as a cultural narrative—a complex network of tradition, innovation, and identity that sustains rural development which is environmentally, socially, and economically viable. By maintaining its traditional foodways, Cabatuan may be able to present itself as a heritage-based gastronomic tourism prototype not only to the rest of the country but also to the world, the Philippines.