Taste Setters: SYSU International's Food and Beverage Workshop

We are at the Taste Setters: Creativity That Shapes Food and Beverage Trends workshop sponsored by SYSU International in cooperation with their partners Lee Kum Kee, Clara Ole, Tabasco, Tulip, Treetop and Smuckers here at CCA Makati. It's a series of workshops that the company and the brands are sponsoring with their partner and non partner restaurants, caterers and establishments to hone their skills using the very best products in the market. The morning sessions had them start with food trends and how Filipino restaurants and casual dining places have improved over the years, to learn how they would be successful.

Chef Louise Mabulo, a finalist in Junior Masterchef also paid a visit. Her credentials would gladly beat any seasoned Chef as she also has international ones at a very young age. She's very eloquent and has been doing workshops and seminars in the past. During the session, she shared her views on our affinity to food. She mentions it stemmed from doing feasts, and our fiesta spirit and the happiness we get from it is immeasurable. I get that we do thank the saints and God in general with these celebrations, but what gets us together is the concept of family, community and love, that's a fact. She also shared how successful blogs and social media has been just by sharing genuine food recipes that remind them of home, the Philippines.

During the activity, we were also split into groups and I got together with some food researchers, specialists and chefs from Max's Restaurant, Goldilocks, Peri Peri Corporation and a lot more. We needed to conceptualize a stir fry dish that would be innovative using products from Sysu International's brands. In the end, they worked as a team and in this manner it's not much of the company they work for but the innovation we do with these recipes that could help the food industry grow, be practiced among Chefs, R&D people and restaurateurs who choose to not only make the best Filipino representation of food, but create new ones as the word "innovate" suggests. 

I can't wait to join them in more Taste Setters Workshops that they have in store this year. For those who want to join, make sure you follow the social media accounts of the brands they carry. That's Tabasco, Lee Kum Kee, Clara Ole, Tulip Chocolates, Treetop Juice and Smuckers or their website www.sysuinc.com.ph/.

KUMAGCOW
Fresh Blogs Fast!

Wonderful Indonesia Festival and Tulip Chocolates

Yesterday was so much fun during the Wonderful Indonesia Festival which happened in Glorietta's Activity Center. We got a taste of their cultural treats, lovely knickknacks, products, food items and just about everything Indonesian in that small expo. They also got us to try and sample some really good chocolates from Tulip, a premium chocolate brand primarily catering to beverage industries and artisans located in the Asia Pacific Region and the Middle East. The event was officiated by Deputy Chief of Mission - Indonesian Embassy Mr. Ade Petranto and he said the increase in trade between them and the Philippines is just about to get even bigger. We also got to interview Ms. Erna Herlina who's the First Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy. These events are part of a long campaign made and designed to promote Indonesia in the Philippines and the rest of the world because they realized that this rising economy has been bitten by the travel bug too, and their proximity to our country was enough reason to offer what they have in the largest archipelago in the world.

This Milk Chocolate Compound has a hint of Vanilla making it perfect for cooking as it's not too sweet, but still has bold flavors. I could see people making fondue or their favorite desserts with it too.

This is the Dark Chocolate Filling, a really gooey chocolate product which you can use with breads or just about anything that needs filling, already made in this form.

The White Compound is basically White Chocolate but European standards makes the use of the word Compound since you can't call this Chocolate as it is made without any cocoa beans.

Our favorite was the Dark Chocolate Compound, we were also given a taste of it via the Chocolate Mousse they prepared that afternoon. Pretty good stuff!

Here's a short tour, thank me later!

Then we also watched a real deal performance from Indonesians playing their native instruments, singing and dancing during the said event. I like their costumes and movements as it is very intricate!

Tulip gave us pointers on how to cook with their chocolate products, Indonesia has really good Cacao plants hence the local production. You should hoard if you see them as they are nicely priced (only a few hundred bucks per pack!).

They gave us some easy recipes to follow at home. I love the Tulip Cups!

Garuda Indonesia is their flag carrier, they are a partner of Philippine Airlines so if you fly there and need local connecting flights, you should know what to get!

They also invited us on July 30, they've got another event showcasing the food of Indonesia. You should come too!

Here's an interview with the First Secretary of the Indonesian Embassy

Thank you so much to Tulip Chocolatiers for extending us an invite and to the Indonesian Embassy for being so nice and accommodating. I'm sure I'll be back in Indonesia soon!