REGION 10 GOES MADRID FUSION 2017 FEATURING THE BEST OF THE BEST

Madrid Fusion 2017, the biggest food event of the year, went into a spin as Region 10 brought in the best of the province in a variety of kakanin.  With Regional Director Marie Elaine S. Unchuan of the Department of Tourism (DOT) leading the way, Region 10 aimed to win the heart and stomach of all attendees of the event, local and foreigner alike.

With this year’s delivery of the best delicacies from the region, RD Unchuan aimed to let people knew that there is truly more than what is known about Region 10.  From point to point of the region, the whole Region 10 DOT was ready to wow those in the event with what they were presenting in the 3-days event.  From Bukidnon to Misamis Occidental, a good selection of delicacies was presented as part of the gastronomic wonder of the region.  The delegations are as follow:  RD Marie Elaine S. Unchuan - DOT10, Josephine H. Roque – DOT 10 Focal Person, Leonila S. Arguelles – Kitchen Focal Person, Chef Benzar Aradani , Camille Ambalario – Chef’s Assistant , Nelia B. Lee (Food Sponsor), Agnes Garcia Sue (Food Sponsor – Clarin, Misamis Occidental), Mayor Clive Quino and Mrs. Rina Quino (Food Sponsor -Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon) with other DOT 10 personnel.  

People were won over by the delicious suman from Clarin, Misamis Occidental, the crunchy peanut brittle, the delicate pastel by Vjandep from Camiguin, that grated young corn delicacy called binaki  and chicharon from CDO, the peanut goodness of Cheding’s from Iligan City and the sweet pineapples of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.  Paired off with it were the various coffee goodness of the region.  Not only are delicacies featured but also the Humba de Oro and Ostrich Salpicao; two dishes displayed during the regional lunch last April 8 under the careful hands of Chef Benzar Aradani.

A good number of gastronomic wonders are to be expected and seen at this year’s Madrid Fusion.  Region 10 was all set to give and serve their own tongue-wonder creations and win the hearts of people to come and explore and taste what they have to offer as a region, as a province and as Mindanao.

POST MADRID FUSION 2017 Press Release by: Arnold A. Alesna

SUMAN SA CLARIN: FEATURED FOOD ITEM AT MADRID FUSION 2017

April 6-8, 2017 was a busy day for all foodies and food entrepreneur as Madrid Fusion Manila 2017 took place at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.  The whole place was like a hive, buzzing with activities and people.

Part of the Region 10 contingent was the product from Clarin, Misamis Occidental – the various sticky rice cakes or Suman sa Clarin.  Nearly all 17 flavors were displayed for tasting and sold in the 3-day event.  ASEC Fredrick Alegre, along with some visitors, was wowed with the number of flavors that Clarin was able to showcase during Madrid Fusion, knowing that this is the first time that the said municipality has joined in this kind of event.

Blogger Alice Mate

Image credits: CheckpointCindy

The flavors of Clarin’s suman are as follows:

Mango – sticky rice with ripe mango slices, cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Pinya – sticky rice with ripe pineapple slices, cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Durian – sticky rice with durian slivers, cooked in coconut milk and sugar.  The durian’s strong scent is not present, making this a delightful way of enjoying the fruit.
Tsokalate – sticky rice with tablea made into a spread, cooked with coconut milk and sugar; making this rich in local flavors.
Tsokolate with Mani – similar to tsokolate with added with peanut flavor coming from processed peanut spread.  Also cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Moron – a classic suman in the Visayan region.
Balintawak – created in honor of a place where it was made, this sticky rice goodness is with coconut meat made sweet by cooked coconut milk/oil (latik).
Classic – this is your standard sticky rice, wrapped in leaves and cooked using coconut milk and sugar.
Carrot – with shredded carrots made into a slightly sweet paste, this is mixed into the sticky rice and then wrapped in leaves before being cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Ube – another root crop common in the area, the purple yam is made into a semi-sweet paste that is mixed with the sticky rice before being wrapped in leaves.  Cooked with coconut milk and sugar.
Keso/Queso – slices of cheese are added into the sticky rice mix and then cooked with coconut milk and sugar.  The cheese melts into the sticky rice making it more creamier in each bite.
Choco Moron – the classic suman of the Visayas region with chocolate jame added into it.  Cooked in coconut milk and sugar mixture.
Buko –  sticky rice with strings of young coconut meat added into the mixture.  It is also cooked with coconut milk and sugar, making it slightly sweet and delicate.
Peanut – this is your locally processed peanuts, finely grounded and made into a near paste in texture then added into the sticky rice mixture before being wrapped in fresh banana leaves.  Cooked with coconut milk and sugar, this suman creation is both delicate and with a crunch.
Latik -  the sweetened form of the coconut milk, cooked till dark in color and then added into the sticky rice mixture before being cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Adlai – two types of rice mixture was used in this suman.  One is your standard sticky rice and another is one that is high in fiber.  This suman creation can be considered  healthy because of the high fiber content that helps in the digestion of food.
Langka/Nangka – slivers of ripe langka (visayan: nangka), is place into the sticky rice and then wrapped in fresh banana leaves before being cook in their standard coconut milk-sugar mixture.

People can’t have enough of this sticky rice mixture that some even came back to buy more of it. They can’t believe that you can have that many variations of sticky rice creations and still be delicious and true to the nature of suman.   Such were the feedback given especially during the 3rd-day Regional Lunch, which was attended by all the delegates present in the event.

As of the moment, this sticky rice cake creation can be bought in the House of Suman in Clarin, Misamis Occidental.  For further inquiries regarding the product, you can reach the PR/Social Media team of TBDC thru 09778400606 (Kezia Noblia – Account Director).

Liquido Maestro Kalel Demetrio of Barik Supremo Lambanog

Kalel Demetrio makes lambanog, and more. What he does with well-loved Filipino drinks to create superb cocktails that zing and pulse to the beat of the party make him a cut above the rest.

Chef and Mixologist

Kalel's passion to create infusions and dishes that are unique, bringing out the best of the loved tastes of the Filipino heritage, has spurred him to create his own niche.  A rising industry leader, he was a resto staff worker, then became a bartender, and is now a chef. He has established his own business, and is the man behind Barik Supremo Lambanog, and is known as the Liquido Maesto because of his expertise at creating new mixed drinks.

Kalel Demetrio at Madrid Fusion Manila

I had the pleasure of meeting Kalel at Madrid Fusion Manila, an international gastronomy event that was recently held at SMX Convention Center.

His unique booth offered free flowing samples of Barik Supremo Lambanog and Barik Supremo Ginger Sour, and a few of his other drink concoctions.

Lambanog is from coconut flowers that have been pruned for the sap to drip, and undergoes a fermentation process. Potent, lambanog can be up to 90% proof.

Barik lambanog is labelled as moonshine.

Lambanog has been called a wine, a liquior, tequila, and vodka and it is a very strong drink, indeed. Typically drank straight, as a shot, it can be added to ice and used as a base for mixed drinks.

The first Barik I tried was the lambanog with ginger. It had a slightly sweet taste and the hint of calamansi, a local, small, sour citrus fruit. The shot went down smoothly. I also tried the pure lambanog, and that too was smooth. The sensation of drinking pure nectar from the coconut was that of that of feeling warmly refreshed, and the kick was elevating.

Kalel and I spoke for a while as he showed me his products. The variety was outstanding, and the bottling is superb, making it worthwhile to place on display at any bar. Handy, the Barik bottle is one that makes it so very interesting to look at and makes an excellent gift.

During our short conversation, we discovered that we had a common friend who was reggae artist, Artstrong Clarion. And as I spent time taking pictures, the booth was buzzing with people, all intent on looking closer at the display, enjoying a sample, and buying.

I was glad to meet such a fine young man, with his cool undercut and thick, long braided hair. He was focused and accommodating - and one who I firmly believe will be able to achieve a lot more upgrading traditional Filipino drinks in the near future.

Learn more about this lambanog by liking the Barik Supremo Lambanog Facebook page.

Madrid Fusion Manila Back to Introduce Sustainability in the Culinary Industry

Exploring the cultural influences of the country, Madrid Fusion Manila is back in the Philippines for the third time bringing in award-winning and Michelin-starred chefs from across the world. With this year’s theme, “Towards a Sustainable Gastronomic Planet”, 19 multi-talented chefs showcase culinary innovations and cutting-edge techniques in creating exquisite cuisines whilst introducing sustainability in the culinary industry. On April 6-8, 2017 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, witness world-renowned chefs present and explore the future of food and sustainable cuisines in the 21st century.



People with the love for food, the passion for cooking and extremely talented individuals gather in one value to celebrate another year of gastronomic experience. The past two years has truly been an incredible journey for the food industry with chefs from different parts of the world come together as they share their knowledge about food. The congress and expo will feature  culinary tourism, farm and agri-tourism models as well as exhibitors involved in sustainable farming and fishing in keeping up with this year’s theme. Madrid Fusion Manila 2017 will mainly focus on exploring the transformation of sustainable gastronomy while enhancing the cultural traditions and environmental limits.

Food Tunnel Event

Food Tasting

Welcome Dinner SM MOA by the Bay

Madrid Fusion Manila 2017 is composed of these three components: the International Gastronomy Congress, where award-wining chefs will share their views and techniques in cooking; the International Gastronomy Expo, which will feature the finest food products and gourmet food, ingredients and technologies from Asia and Spain; and the launch of Flavors of the Philippines, a month-long food festival across the country featuring the finest delicacies from every region.



“Today, food forecasts for 2017 have predicted the Philippines as the place where the next big food trend will start, and many articles have been written worldwide about how the food scene in the Philippines is heating up,” said Tourism director Verna Covar-Buensuceso at Madrid Fusion 2017 at Palacio Municipal de Congresos, Madrid. With Madrid Fusion Manila on its 3rd edition, the Philippines’ culinary industry is beginning to expand and grow as it serves to challenge the country’s aspiring chefs to bring out the best in their crafts and to make Manila the center of culinary excellence.




Be part of another gastronomical year. Visit us at www.madridfusionmanila.com to learn more about Madrid Fusion Manila 2017 and see the full list of chef presenters.