MANILA will be ground zero for Asia’s largest gastronomy event, the Madrid Fusión Manila (MFM) 2017, which rolls out from April 6 to 8 at the SMX Convention Center.
With this year’s theme of “Toward a Sustainable Gastronomy Planet”, the third serving of MFM features, for the first time, a business-to-business (B2B) meeting that will bring together foreign buyers and local tour operators, and industry specialists for culinary-tour packages.
In a text message to the BusinessMirror, Department of Tourism (DOT) Director for Market Development Verna Esmeralda Buensuceso said: “We have tourism buyers [interested in or already selling culinary-tourism packages] coming from Japan, China, Korea, the United States and the Middle East…around 27 of them. They are meeting with Philippine tour operators, resorts, hotels and farms on April 7.”
She could not give a list of the local tour operators and establishments joining the B2B meeting, as “more are still signing up for the event”.
In a news statement, Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo said the annual MFM has come a long way since it was launched in April 2015, generating a loyal following among Filipino families, gourmets and gourmands alike.
The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, and online food publications have been hailing Philippine cuisine as a major food trend in the world. Buensuceso believes MFM and Flavors of the Philippines “have been instrumental in promoting Philippine cuisine to more foodies worldwide”.
The ongoing Flavors of the Philippines, which began on March 11, is a cultural and food festival that celebrates the evolution, heritage and diverse offerings of Filipino cuisine. Activities include tutorials in native cuisines, local food festivals, gourmet fairs, dining with celebrity chefs, specialized menus in restaurants, roving food trucks, food tastings, bar crawls, cook-off challenges, food bazaars and farmers’ market tours set in captivating destinations. There will also be activities that enable participants and guests to immerse themselves and interact with local communities during these food trips. The festival lasts until April 30, with participating restaurants nationwide.
Chefs from Michelin-starred establishments around the world, as well as the Philippines’s most popular culinary talents, will be speaking at the International Gastronomy Congress, which is expected to be fully attended by local chefs, kitchen professionals, students, media and general food enthusiasts.
The chef-presenters this year are a veritable who’s-who in the culinary world: Ray Adriansyah and Eelke Plasmeijer (Locavore, Indonesia); Josean Alija (Nerua Guggenheim, Bilbao, Spain); Josh Boutwood (The Test Kitchen, Philippines); Rodrigo De La Calle (El Invernadero, Spain); Gert De Mangeleer (Hertog Jan, Belgium); Magnus Ek (Oaxen Krog & Slip, Sweden); Robby Goco (Green Pastures, Philippines); Gene Gonzalez (Café Ysabel, Philippines); Vicky Lau (Tate Dining Room and Bar, Hong Kong); Tatiana and Katia Levha (Le Servan, France); Kiko Moya (L’Escaleta, Spain); Sally Camacho Mueller (pastry chef, United States); Jordy Navarra (Toyo Eatery, Philippines); Paco Pérez (Miramar, Spain); Jordi Roca and Alejandra Rivas Gomez (El Celler de Can Roca, Spain); Simon Rogan (L’Enclume, United Kingdom); Julien Royer (Odette, Singapore); Pedro Subijana (Akelare, Spain); Kamilla Seidler and Michelangelo Cestari (Gustu, Bolivia); and Tony Yoo (Dooreyoo, South Korea).
Simultaneous with the gastronomy congress is an expo of foreign and local food products, wines and spirits, agricultural produce, local delicacies, chef’s gear, food equipment, kitchen supplies and accessories, to name a few. During the expo, booths usually offer their products for samplings and tastings to MFM delegates and participants. Other exhibiting companies also conduct cooking demos, wine tutorials and food ingredients preparations.
The expo will be open to the public on Sunday, April 8, with an entrance fee.
Also available to MFM participants are tours to Pangasinan, Pampanga, Cavite and Batangas, Bicol, Cebu, Iloilo and Guimaras, Davao and the Zamboanga Peninsula for food tastings, site visits to factories of food products and farms, demonstrations in the preparations of local area delicacies like longganisa (native sausage), bagoong (fermented fish or shrimp paste), puto (steamed rice cake), market visits, as well as escapes to popular local tourist sites.
Buensuceso said the regional lunches will present the finest dishes and produce from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Carefully planned and selected by some of the most formidable names in Philippine cuisine, the menu for the regional lunches will showcase a variety of local dishes, such as lechon, longganisa, kinilaw and other local staples, cooked with the finest local produce from each region. Local delicacies and produce, such as the piaya and the different varieties of heirloom rice will also be presented, along with the Philippine cacao, pineapple, mango, dalandan, kalamansi, chocolates, cheeses, wines, nuts, preserves, as well as alcoholic beverages.
“The regional lunches will showcase different local dishes from day to day to focus on each region’s finest produce, ingredients and flavors. For day one, food varieties and ingredients found in Luzon will be presented. For day two and day three, the best of the Visayas and Mindanao will be laid out respectively,” she stressed.
The Department of Agriculture will also host regional lunches, departing from the traditional regional focus for each day, and are now working around themes. On April 6 the theme is “rice”, for April 7 it’s “nose-to-tail”, and April 8 is “corn and seafood”.
Creative dishes supporting each day’s theme will be served up by the country’s hottest chefs and the current “in” restaurants, along with a select array of food products and beverages from popular purveyors.
For further details, inquiries, and registration, click www.madridfusionmanila.com