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In line with its participation in the second edition of the World Food Festival (WFF) organized by the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) in South Africa from 26 to 30 June 2023, the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria vigorously promoted Filipino cuisine to the South African audience.

During the opening ceremony on 26 June 2023, Philippine Ambassador Noralyn Jubaira Baja gave a short briefing on Filipino cuisine, which she described as unique, diverse and complex in terms of flavor profile, as a result of the Filipino people's appropriation of foreign influences from colonization, globalization and migration in their indigenous cooking processes and culinary practices. She also highlighted that eating is always a social event for Filipinos.

Philippine cuisine took center stage during the food exhibitions on 26 and 27 June 2023. Distinguished guests from the government, the business sector, the arts and creative community of South Africa, as well as the general public sampled classic Filipino dishes such as okoy (shrimp fritters), ensaymada (Filipino brioche), pansit (stir-fried noodles) and puto (steamed rice cakes).

Local guests found the featured Filipino dishes really tasty and refreshingly different from other Asian dishes.

As part of its efforts to promote the Philippine brand, the Embassy also gave away samples of the ube (purple yam) flavor of Oozies which is locally manufactured in South Africa by Liwayway Food Corporation, the Philippine company behind the iconic snack food line Oishi.

On 29 June 2023, the Embassy hosted a cooking demonstration of turon (banana roll), considered as the national snack food in the Philippines, with the help of Ms. Jeanelyn “Jen” Barreto, a Filipino cooking enthusiast and entrepreneur based in South Africa.

Assisting Ms. Barreto was First Secretary and Consul Maurice A. Tiempo who shared with the participants some information on turon as well as Filipino cuisine in general.

12 participants, mostly South Africans, attended the cooking demonstration. They raved about the dish and found it easy to prepare.

Reflecting on the Embassy's successful participation in the WFF, Ambassador Baja remarked, “It was a delightful experience to share the rich and diverse culinary heritage of the Philippines with the South African people. We thank the KCC for providing us the platform to showcase such an important aspect of Filipino culture. We, at the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria, acknowledges the vital importance of food diplomacy in further deepening the already existing positive cultural and people-to-people ties between the Philippines and South Africa.

In line with its participation in the second edition of the World Food Festival (WFF) organized by the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) in South Africa from 26 to 30 June 2023, the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria vigorously promoted Filipino cuisine to the South African audience.

During the opening ceremony on 26 June 2023, Philippine Ambassador Noralyn Jubaira Baja gave a short briefing on Filipino cuisine, which she described as unique, diverse and complex in terms of flavor profile, as a result of the Filipino people's appropriation of foreign influences from colonization, globalization and migration in their indigenous cooking processes and culinary practices. She also highlighted that eating is always a social event for Filipinos.

Philippine cuisine took center stage during the food exhibitions on 26 and 27 June 2023. Distinguished guests from the government, the business sector, the arts and creative community of South Africa, as well as the general public sampled classic Filipino dishes such as okoy (shrimp fritters), ensaymada (Filipino brioche), pansit (stir-fried noodles) and puto (steamed rice cakes).

Local guests found the featured Filipino dishes really tasty and refreshingly different from other Asian dishes.

As part of its efforts to promote the Philippine brand, the Embassy also gave away samples of the ube (purple yam) flavor of Oozies which is locally manufactured in South Africa by Liwayway Food Corporation, the Philippine company behind the iconic snack food line Oishi.

On 29 June 2023, the Embassy hosted a cooking demonstration of turon (banana roll), considered as the national snack food in the Philippines, with the help of Ms. Jeanelyn “Jen” Barreto, a Filipino cooking enthusiast and entrepreneur based in South Africa.

Assisting Ms. Barreto was First Secretary and Consul Maurice A. Tiempo who shared with the participants some information on turon as well as Filipino cuisine in general.

12 participants, mostly South Africans, attended the cooking demonstration. They raved about the dish and found it easy to prepare.

Reflecting on the Embassy's successful participation in the WFF, Ambassador Baja remarked, “It was a delightful experience to share the rich and diverse culinary heritage of the Philippines with the South African people. We thank the KCC for providing us the platform to showcase such an important aspect of Filipino culture. We, at the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria, acknowledges the vital importance of food diplomacy in further deepening the already existing positive cultural and people-to-people ties between the Philippines and South Africa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.