Food PHL brings healthy, organic food to Australian mainstream markets

We’ve heard it often enough, Filipino food is largely underrepresented and not yet fully appreciated by the wider Australian community. But two Australian-Filipino organizations are aiming to change the way Australians think and regard Filipino food.

Entree.pinays, a collective of entrepreneurial Filipinas introducing Filipino cuisine and culture to the hearts and minds of Australians, aims to educate the Australian public on the true value of Filipino produce, by sharing the way they cook and eat through a program of unique experiences celebrating the Filipino heritage.

Meanwhile, Filipino Food Movement, Inc., a gathering of committed individuals who believe that Filipino cuisine deserves its rightful place on the global menu is also actively pushing to bring broader awareness, appreciation, and investment in the Filipino culinary arts in Australia.

Their efforts are getting a boost from the Philippine government. Recently, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center, the government’s overseas trade office in Sydney, launched Food Philippines, a four-month Filipino food promotion campaign to promote food, ingredients, and cuisine to the wider Australian market.

Food Philippines is the country’s branding initiative that aims to showcase the Philippines as a source of quality food products derived from fresh, healthy, and natural ingredients.

Under this national brand, the Philippines is positioned as Asia’s most exciting sourcing destination for food exports, being one of the world’s top exporters of agricultural and marine products.

The four-month Filipino food promotion campaign started in September with an exclusive B2B between Australian buyers and Philippine exporters.

Starting in October and throughout November, a series of cooking videos featuring Filipino products and cuisine will be showcased in various social media channels in partnership with Entree.Pinays and Filipino Food Movement Australia Inc.

Entree.Pinay’s The Cook and the Chef series will feature Filipino dishes using selected Philippine food ingredients that are already available or soon to be available in Australia.

The Melbourne-based group will feature Mama Sita’s Sinamak and Suka’t Sili vinegar to create a traditional Filipino Chicken Kilawin and Atsara, a pickle made from green papaya usually served as a side dish.

Jimalie’s organic coconut milk will also be used to create Grilled Prawns with Filipino style coconut sauce, as well as Biko, a sweet rice cake, paired with coconut sorbet.

Jimalie is a leading provider of premium coconut products sourced from the Philippines and its products are available in over 5,000 organic, boutique, and health stores in Australia.

Another product that will be featured by Entree.Pinays is Roaster Juan’s Premium Coffee, which is ethically sourced from the high mountain regions of the Cordilleras. The coffee will be used to create new dishes such as Coffee Pastillas and Sticky Coffee Caramel Pork Salad to highlight the diverse uses of coffee as an ingredient.

Meanwhile, FFMA will feature Miki’s Purple Yam Powder or ube powder to be used as an ingredient to make a delicious Ube Lava Cake. Ube powder is a unique Philippine ingredient with a distinct purple color used in a variety of ways from cakes to desserts, drinks, ice cream, as well as savory dishes.

Ube has been featured several times as one of the top food trends in the Australian food scene because of its unique color, taste, and versatility.

FFMA will also feature Soyuz Calamansi to create a Masterchef Mystery Challenge where two Filipino-Australian chefs will create 1 dessert and 1 summery drink out of the calamansi product.

Another product that FFMA will feature is Mama Sita’s Barbeque sauce to create a Filipino style barbie, a popular dish among Filipinos that could easily cross-over to the mainstream market and give the great Aussie barbie a unique Filipino twist.

The Food Philippines promotion campaign is organized in partnership with the Export Marketing Bureau, DTI’s promotion arm mandated to oversee the development, promotion, and monitoring of Philippine exports.