Mama Sita Foundation and the Philippine Association of Condiments Producers, Inc. launch the Pagkain Natin, A 10-Part Mini-Documentary Series on the Food of Our Ancestors, in solidarity with the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines.
Watch Episode 1 here:
Filipino food companies are participating in Gulfood 2021, the largest food and beverage exhibitions in the Middle East this month, according to Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions executive director Pauline Suaco-Juan.
CITEM leads a 13-strong delegation of food export companies for Gulfood 2021, one of the world’s biggest fairs for food and hospitality
The Food Philippines pavilion at the Dubai World Trade Center will be manned by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Dubai team.
To build on the momentum created by the Philippine delegation, CITEM and PTIC Dubai will facilitate an extensive business-to-business event between exhibitors and prospective buyers on March 14 to 16, shortly after Gulfood.
Headed to Dubai on Feb. 21 to 25 are 13 food export companies including Century Pacific Agricultural Ventures Inc.; Century Pacific Food Inc.; Doxo Trading; Federation of Peoples’ Sustainable Development Cooperative JNRM Corp.; MagicMelt Foods Corp.; Market Reach International Resources; Mega Global Corp.; Philippine Grocers Food Exports Inc.; Profood International Corp.; Sandpiper Spices and Condiments Corp./Mama Sita’s; SL Agritech Corp.; and Super Q.
All companies offer hearty, diverse, and halal-certified selections and are export-ready to deliver consistent product quality to represent the best of Philippine food manufacturing and processing.
To be featured in the FoodPhilippines pavilion are well-loved Pinoy products such as coconut water by Century Pacific Agricultural Ventures, canned tuna by Century Pacific Food; canned sardines by Mega Global Corp.; various branded goods by Philippine Grocers Food Exports Inc.; and special Filipino bread by MagicMelt Food Corp.
As one of the world’s leading exporters and producers of several tropical fruits such as pineapples, coconuts and mangoes, the Philippines has also become fertile ground for the production of premium fruit products, as evidenced by Doxo Trading, Market Reach International Resources and Profood International Corp. The companies will be bringing in distinctly Pinoy pineapple juice and global favorite dried mangoes.
The Philippine delegation’s institutional participation comprises physical and digital components, where featured products in the FoodPhilippines pavilion will come with QR codes which buyers can scan to be led to the exhibitors’ inboxes
Rice, a Filipino dining staple, will also come in various iterations through the Philippines’ leading manufacturer of premium rice, SL Agritech Corp., as well as through delectable rice cake snacks by JNRM Corp. and FPSDC’s selections of black, pink, brown, and red rice.
Mama Sita’s under Sandpiper Spices and Condiments Corp. will showcase its mixes and sauces accompanied by heirloom Filipino recipes. Super Q, which transformed the Philippine noodle industry, will present quality wheat-based noodles such as bihon, pancit canton and palabok.
“It’s all systems go for our ongoing efforts to promote our choicest halal-certified food products, particularly in the Middle East and North American region,” Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary for trade promotions Abdulgani Macatoman said.
“We’re looking forward to showcasing our homegrown flavors, exemplifying the diversity that discerning taste buds all over the world know and love,” he said.
The Philippine participation in Gulfood 2021 is facilitated by CITEM, in fulfillment of its mandate as the export-promotions arm of the DTI, in partnership with PTIC Dubai, PTIC Jeddah and the Export Marketing Bureau.
Originally published on: https://manilanews.ph/ph-food-companies-joining-gulfood-2021-this-month/
BravoFilipino | Beyond food stories | MANILA, January 21, 2021 – The Mama Sita Foundation, in partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM), launches a lecture-webinar series entitled “Pinoy Food Stories: Evolution of Philippine Cuisine” for students, the food-curious, and history buffs alike. The online course aims to take participants through the evolution of Philippine cuisine, from indigenous foods and ingredients to the different culinary practices of Filipinos around the world today.'
Under the wings of Dr. Pia Arboleda, Director of the Center for Philippine Studies and Coordinator of the Filipino and Philippine Literature Program at the UHM, the online course will be taught by Mr. Paolo Ven Paculan of the Ateneo de Manila Junior High School.
The course will have five modules in the span of 4 weeks—from February 13, 2021 to March 13, 2021 in the Philippines—and participants can choose which module classes to attend. Topics include: “Provenance of Filipino Food,” “Provided by Nature: Indigenous Foodways,” “This or that? Asian Influences on Filipino Food,” “Everyday Is a Celebration: Spanish Influences on Filipino Culture,” and “At the Crossroads: Food Culture of Different Filipinos.”
Registration for participants is still ongoing, with no fees nor requirements needed to sign up. Interested persons may fill up the Google form at this link: https://forms.gle/ZUqdvy2qwkgmUJ6N6.
Pinoy Food Stories is an offshoot of the Mama Sita Foundation’s annual storywriting contest, Mga Kwentong Pagkain. In collaboration with the UHM, the Mama Sita Foundation brings food stories onto an academic stage, where participants can delve deeper into how Filipino food culture has been shaped throughout history, creating not just a heritage of flavors, but also a Filipino identity amid the influences of the past and the present.
For inquiries about the online course, email mkpsauhm@gmail.com.
#MgaKwentongPagkainFoodStories
#MgaKwentongPagkainSaUHM
Originally published on: https://bravofilipino.com/beyond-food-stories/
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin remembered the memories of the famous restaurateur and cook, Mama Sita Reyes. The abogado showed off his copy of her book who he claimed shaped her post-war generation.'
Locsin mentioned that he remembers going to her restaurant for a meal in the height of a school semester. However, the abogado stated that one criteria needs to be met and that is having a good report card. Otherwise, he will have to make do with the regular canteen food.
A look in the past!
Originally published on: https://abogado.com.ph/sweet-childhood-teddy-boy-locsin-remembers-memories-with-mama-sita/
Asian Food Tourist | The first ‘Kuwentong Pagkain’ for college students | DECEMBER 21, 2020 – The Mama Sita Foundation (MSF) towards the end of 2020 opened its annual food story contest Mga Kuwentong Pagkain (MKP) to college students with its Eskwela Edition. With the theme “Regional Food Heritage,” the contest hopes to tap young storytellers to learn and explore their food culture, from their grandparent’s recipes to regional ingredients that define their favorite foods.
The contest is open to all interested Filipino undergraduate students or exchange students currently enrolled in a Philippine college or university. Students can submit their food stories in an essay or video format. The deadline for the submission of entries is on January 19, 2021. The contest concludes activities on February 27, 2021.
Avenue for awareness
The Mama Sita Foundation has always organized Mga Kuwentong Pagkain to increase awareness of Philippine food heritage. Over the years, MKP has gathered many food stories from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as well as from Filipinos in different sectors—students, workers, young professionals, retirees, and even Filipinos living abroad!
Sponsored
It is hoped that the Eskwela Edition inspire budding storytellers not only to eat, but also to understand and appreciate the food culture that is their heritage. In researching and presenting their story (which can be about heirloom foods, culinary traditions, cooking methods, food norms, rituals or beliefs related to food, or local food etiquette), students help create materials that promote these culinary treasures.
Amid the pandemic
Times were very different when the Foundation started organizing the contest. Because of the pandemic, movement has become limited: travel is minimized, gatherings discouraged, and schoolwork became remote.
Things have not changed, however. People still love to share stories, write about their experiences, and get creative with their messages. In continuing with Mga Kuwentong Pagkain this year, it is a way of bringing hope, creativity, and a sense of wonder back to the fore. Through the contest’s Eskwela Edition, the Mama Sita Foundation wants to inspire the younger generation to become involved in preserving their culinary heritage, and to do their part in chronicling the flavors of the Philippine Islands—from the safety of their homes.
It echoes what Teresita “Mama Sita” Reyes has advocated throughout her life: to find and uphold the food heritage of Filipinos in order to make it known to the world.
For more information on Mga Kuwentong Pagkain: Eskwela Edition, visit https://mamasitas.com/join-mga-kuwentong-pagkain/. For more information on Mama Sita Foundation and its initiatives, visit www.mamasitafoundation.com.
Article originally published on asianfoodtourist.com.
See article here: https://asianfoodtourist.com/the-first-kuwentong-pagkain-for-college-students/
The Mama Sita Foundation has announced that it’s annual “Mga Kuwentong Pagkain” (MKP) will be aimed at college students with its Eskwela Edition.
With the theme, “Regional Food Heritage,” the contest hopes to tap young storytellers to learn about and explore their food culture, from their grandparents’ recipes to regional ingredients that define their favorite dishes.
The contest is open to all interested Filipino undergraduate students or exchange students enrolled in a Philippine college or university. Students can submit their food stories in essay or video format. The deadline for submission is Jan. 19.
The Mama Sita Foundation organized MKP to increase awareness of Philippine food heritage. Over the years, MKP has gathered many food stories from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, as well as from Filipinos in different sectors—students, workers, young professionals, retirees, and even Filipinos living abroad.
It is hoped that the Eskwela Edition will inspire budding storytellers not only to eat, but also to understand and appreciate the food culture that is their heritage. In researching and presenting their story (which can be about heirloom foods, culinary traditions, cooking methods, food norms, rituals or beliefs related to food, or local food etiquette), students help create materials that promote these culinary treasures.
Through the contests’s Eskwela Edition, the Mama Sita’s Foundation wants to inspire the younger generation to become involved in preserving their culinary heritage, and to do their part in chronicling the flavors of the Philippine Islands—from the safety of their homes.
Visit mamasitas.com/join-mga-kuwentong-pagkain
Article was originally published on Philippine Daily Inquirer
Legend tells of two brothers who chased a wild boar into Kabunyan, the sky world. There, they shared a meal with the god Liddum, who served them raw rice. The brothers decided to teach the god to cook his rice, after which they had a feast with the sky world deities, who for the first time enjoyed the taste of cooked rice. A fair trade was made: the brothers took home precious grains of the “skyworld rice” in exchange for fire (so that Liddum could always cook his rice) and from then on their people have cultivated the rice for generations. This is the story of heirloom rice.
How the songs trace the origins of the native rice varieties in Northern Luzon could still hold a grain of truth. But as to what it is exactly, we cannot anymore guess. What we do know is that these heirloom grains have influenced a people to live the way they do, up in their mountainous homes in the Cordillera Region.
The rhythm of their lives steps into the beat of the earth, with its shifting seasons that dictate the time for sowing and reaping, for feasting and waiting. Men and women take to their assigned tasks, muddying their feet on the terraced slopes of the mountainside. They plant heirloom grains of different varieties: balatinaw, a deep purple grain with a fruity flavor and chewy texture; minaangan, a red rice with a somewhat nutty flavor and a pleasant bite; kalinga jekot, a medium grain sticky rice with a rust-bran coat; and ominio, a dark purple glutinous rice related to the balatinaw. Because these grains have been planted for generations, the farmers have honed their craft, intertwining agricultural techniques with folk practices passed on from father to son, mother to daughter.
Mama Sita Foundation's Heirloom Grains Project seeks to preserve the heirloom varieties grown by these communities by raising awareness, making the grains easier for the consumer to buy, and supporting the farmers that grow them.
This is how the idea of Mama Sita's Heirloom Rice Champorado was born.
Combining foods that have long been part of the Philippine flavor landscape, Mama Sita Foundation saw it fitting to create small batch artisanal products to help increase awareness of the richness of Philippine cuisine.
First up is heirloom rice, which inspired the whole enterprise; next, pure tablea cacao from Mindanao, where there is a renewed interest in growing cacao for artisanal chocolate; and last but not the least, sugar from Negros, where sugarcane has long been grown, harvested, juiced, and then refined into pristine sugar granules. Together, these three key ingredients make a hearty and healthy champorado, a chocolate rice porridge that changes the game by using heirloom rice grains.
Could the god Liddum have given more gifts to the brothers if they returned to trade some more? Perhaps that question is not as important now as the task that lies before us. For it's up to us, who today still possess the gifts we have received—whether by trading with deities, trading by Galleon, or harvesting from our toil—to preserve what we have.
For generations, our farming communities all over the country have kept, developed, and worked to make our food sustainable. Mama Sita Foundation's Heirloom Grains Project supports them in their endeavor. We hope that in doing so, we continue to bring the best of Philippine heritage flavors to the world.
by Mickey Fennix, Philippine Daily Inquirer
"Mga Kwentong Pagkain," the writing competition sponsored by Mama Sita, had its awarding ceremonies last Saturday. There were some 50 entries from all over the country. There was one winner each from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. All three wrote of food that reminded them of home.
"Etag, and Other Preserved Things" won top prize for Luzon, and was written by Bea Mandapat, a student.
Visayas had "Spicy, Milky Chicken Dish of Bohol" by Procopio Resabal Jr., a cultural development planner and freelance writer.
For Mindanao, it was "Satti'ng Paggising" by John Bevir Serag, a Filipino teacher.
Etag is the dried and salted pork that flavors the pinolpogan that Mandapat's father cooks, which the author describes as similar to tinola but using seared native chicken instead of the white fluffy hens.”
It is what her great grandmother Lula Emiliana used and reused almost endlessly to flavor vegetables for her brood of 13 children and five more adopted, after relatives had died.
Mandapat mentions the cultural/historical background of the etag, from the wild boar offered by hunters to the god Kabunyan to the use of the alnus tree (Alnus japonica) to smoke it.
The "Spicy, Milky Chicken Dish of Bohol" is locally known as halanghalang manok tinunuan. Author Resabal not only shows the importance of the dish to his family's cooking, but also to the history of the town of Toril, where the people from the Poblacion of Maribojoc town evacuated.
During World War II, when word got around that the Japanese were going to round up the men in Toril, their escape, as well as that of the young women of the town, was made possible by the older women, who cooked the halanghalang manok tinunuan for the invading Japanese army, so that the chicken feast plus their song and dance entertainment delayed the search.
The description of how the dish is cooked gives readers from other parts of the country some ingredients that may not be familiar, like the local basil, called sangig or malikid.
In the sauce
The contest accepts essays written in Filipino, and that is how Filipino teacher Serag submitted his "Satti'ng Paggising," considered breakfast food in his Zamboanga. Satti is our version of Southeast Asian sate or satay, but the difference is the sauce.
For Indonesians, Malaysians and Thai, the sauce is peanut-based. Our satti has tomato sauce, but it also has a spice mix particular to Muslim Mindanao, and that is palapa.
The way to eat satti is to mix in the rice, called tamuh, similar to the Cebuano puso, where the rice is cooked in coconut leaves.
The author said there are stories of how a Filipino businessman brought the satti to Zamboanga from Malaysia in the 1970s, and that the word satti is from Shayta, what Muslims call Satan, because the heat and color of the satti are likened to that of hell. But he also likens the satti and its mix of ingredients to Zamboanga and its mix of tribes and culture.
Because the short list of top entries was posted on the Mama Sita Facebook page, a special prize was given to one which garnered the most "likes." This was "Lelut Tugak" by Aries Alviz Mercado.
By the title, some of you may guess that this is about a dish in Pampanga, rice porridge with frog—but not just any frog. It has to be tugak marangle (palakang bukid or field frog). The author gives not only the recipe for lelut tugak, but also the different ways the Pampanga table serves the field frog— betute (stuffed with ground meat), adobo (braised), kamarun (like camaron), tinola (boiled) and prito (fried). INQ
Originally published on Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines (October 8, 2020)