Pinoy Food & Other Cuisine :: Food PhotoBlog and Events |

How fitting to post traditional pinoy dishes on my food blog’s first year anniversary. Most of my visitors are filipinos living abroad (the balikbayan) or overseas filipino workers (OFW) who miss feasting on traditional Filipino food. Just a few frequent key words that are often searched are sinigang, barbecue, lechon, kakanin. It just shows how much our balikbayans or OFW miss our filipino food. Looking at the photos in my blog is enough to satisfy their cravings till their next trip back here. According to the International Culinary Tourism Association, 53 per cent of tourists worldwide rank eating traditional dishes as a very important consideration in their travel plans. Taking on this, Department of Tourism (DOT) launched its food tourism campaign, putting local dishes on the center stage.

Another thing I noticed too is that my SM Mall of Asia entry continues to receive so many hits . Eating. Singing. Malling. Three of the most favorite past-times of every modern Pinoy family. It is no wonder Knorr and SM Supermarkets bring these three together through its nationwide Knorr Sing-Sarap sa SM campaign.

Yesterday I witnessed the launch of the Knorr Sing-Sarap Campaign (upon the invitation of PR practioner, Andrea Trinidad Echavez) through a live cooking demonstration of Sinigang na Isda amidst the talented kids strumming on their rondalla. How festive. Running from August 1 – 31, Knorr Sing-Sarap sa SM aims to support the Department of Tourism’s food tourism campaign that puts Filipino all-time favorite foods as the main attraction in tourist destinations.

It was fun cooking with my fellow team members in the media such as PV de Leon, Sunshine Lising and the DOT representative, Ryan Sebastian. It was easy to cook sinigang. In less than 20 minutes, we had a hot sinigang soup. Of course it helped that the vegetables, the fish were prepared beforehand. Added to the convenience was the sinigang mix which we just poured when the water reached boiling point. So easy to cook! The sinigang soup tasted really sour, which is what my family would drool for. Reggie Aspiras thought it tasted more like Paksiw. But my team members loved the sour taste.

and the finished product, sour Sinigang na Bangus (milkfish)

For whole month of August, SM Supermarkets and Knorr will delight shoppers with delectable local dishes that will surely make them sing to their heart’s delight! Their press release mentioned that “It is a must for every tourist who visits the country’s 7,100 islands not to leave without tasting at least one or two local dishes. And this is where Knorr plays a big part in the food tourism efforts.”

Sinigang, for instance, is a well-loved staple for Tagalogs. As a very versatile soup, sinigang is excellent for perking up weary appetites. But putting together the ingredients sometimes takes a lot of energy. Thus, Knorr created its famous Sinigang mixes to make the preparation of sinigang much easier while retaining the all natural goodness of
fresh ingredients — without the hassle. With Knorr, this simple one-pot dish makes for a perfect meal when combined with a bowl of steamed rice, eaten while watching the beautiful sunset of Manila Bay.

It’s a wonderful concept even for local and overseas Filipinos.

I just have one suggestion for Unilever. Though the instant KNORR sinigang mix does add convenience, my wish is that monosodium glutamate (MSG) be removed from the ingredient. As a food technologist, I know that MSG is a flavor enhancer. Food can taste delicious in its natural goodness. The natural flavor-enhancing levels of glutamate in tomatoes is an example.Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified MSG as a food ingredient that is “generally recognized as safe,” the use of MSG remains controversial. Imagine drinking MSG laced soup every day. Just a food for thought.

I enjoyed the fiesta atmosphere during the launch. Filpino Food is truly delicious. Just drool over the bibingka, the avocado ice cream, buko juice with Filipino folk music in the background.

What are you waiting for? Visit the Philippines and Book your plane ticket online

View more Photos of the Knorr Sing-Sarap sa SM launch

Tags: Filipino Food, Food News & Events, Restaurant and Eating Places