Development, Validation and Culinary Exploration of Lapin-Based Recipe Book: A Comprehensive Guide for Sustainable Cuisine

Abstract

The world today faces major challenges such as food insecurity, environmental degradation, poverty, and health issues caused by poor diets. In the Philippines, one promising yet underutilized solution is rabbit meat or lapin, which is known as a healthy, high-protein, and environmentally sustainable meat option. This study focused on the development, validation, and culinary exploration of a Lapin-based recipe book titled “Tradition Meets Sustainability: A Lapin-Based Filipino Recipe Guide” to promote rabbit meat as a sustainable and affordable food source. The study supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1: No Poverty by exploring rabbit meat as a potential livelihood and income-generating opportunity through rabbit production, food processing, and culinary entrepreneurship. It also contributes to Sustainable Development Goal SDG 2: Zero Hunger by promoting an accessible, nutritious, and sustainable alternative source of protein that may help improve food availability and nutrition. The sensory evaluations revealed high acceptability across all dishes, with most rated as “Like Very Much” to “Like Extremely” in terms of taste, aroma, texture, consistency, and general appeal. The dish Sweet and Sour Lapin received the highest sensory rating (mean = 9.00), while other dishes such as Kaldereta, Lechon, and Sisig also received excellent feedback. The developed recipe book underwent content and format validation and achieved high overall mean scores among respondents (M = 31.71) and experts (M = 32.29), confirming its clarity, presentation quality, and instructional value. The return on investment (ROI) analysis showed profitability across the developed dishes, with Sweet and Sour Lapin yielding the highest ROI at 86.84%. This demonstrates the potential of rabbit-based food products not only as nutritious meal options but also as possible income-generating products for households, small food businesses, and local entrepreneurs. These findings support the culinary viability and market potential of rabbit meat in Filipino cuisine. The validated recipe book offers a practical educational tool for promoting sustainable eating habits, livelihood opportunities, and food entrepreneurship in schools and households. Ultimately, the study contributes to SDG 1: No Poverty through its potential for livelihood generation and income opportunities, and SDG 2: Zero Hunger through the promotion of nutritious, affordable, and sustainable food alternatives, while also supporting broader goals related to health, food security, and environmental sustainability.