Excess, ease, and heritage
San Miguel Pure Foods predicts food trends
AS IN fashion, food also follows trends that mirror what society at present wants ( but says they need). San Miguel Pure Foods played trend forecaster this year when the company showcased food trends that it predicts will sizzle this year.
An event by the San Miguel Pure Foods Culinary Center (SMPFCC) in Makati City earlier this week showed five umbrella trends that they spotted with the help of research and partner chefs such as Gene Gonzalez, Heny Sison, and Sylvia and Ernest Reynoso Gala. These included: Extreme Indulgence, Ready-to-Eat convenience food, Global Flavors, Heritage Cuisine, and Artisanal Breads and Hybrid Desserts.
Extreme Indulgence is marked by the pursuit of food approaching the sins of avarice, greed, and gluttony. To show this, SMPFCC came up with a humongous monster burger, topped with bacon and chicken nuggets. Other dishes to illustrate this trend included Chili-Infused Honey Glaze Chicken Lollipops.
Meanwhile, practicality is in step with the Ready-to-Eat trend, exemplified by the diet delivery services that were all the rage last year. As such, salads ( but topped with fun tidbits like Honey Chili Habanero Popcorn) were seen and tasted by the guests. BusinessWorld crosschecked San Miguel’s trend predictions with a list of predictions by Eater, and the food Web site said that “Goth” food (that is, food colored as dark as your soul) is also slated to maintain its popularity from last year. San Miguel, not to be left behind, presented the media with black foccacia bread sandwiches filled with grilled cheese.
Llena Tan- Arcenas, San Miguel Pure Foods Co., Inc. Culinary Services Manager, attended the National Restaurant Association confer- ence last year in the United States, and came home with the knowledge that the Tunisian chili paste called harissa, and Moroccan and African flavors are supposed to be hot this year. These flavors were infused into Magnolia chicken for guests to enjoy at the event, to illustrate the Global Flavors trend — apparently borne of the ease of travel experienced by most Filipinos these days.
Artisanal bread and hybrid desserts reflecting a desire to return to pleasant times, were also seen. “Hybrid desserts” usually mean Western breads infused with some Eastern twist: a Swedish bread filled with matcha cream that was served to guests during the event might as well be the next great diplomatic tool.
Finally, San Miguel rides on the trend of promoting heritage Filipino cuisine, reflecting our pride of place, with our most revered of meats: pork.
Late last year San Miguel Pure Foods released two Heat and Eat products: fried then frozen Crispy Pata and
Lechon Kawali. Costing between P200 to P300, home cooks will no longer have to worry about the laborious process of creating good fried pork. “The taste is still good,” insisted Ms. Arcenas, and we couldn’t protest, as we had several helpings laced with sauces such as kare-kare (a stew complemented with a thick savory peanut sauce), humba (a Visayan dish made with pork, black beans, pineapple juice, and banana heart), and Mindanao’s pyanggang (a dish featuring a heavy ginger and coconut sauce colored yellow with curry).
“Whether traditional or trendy, San Miguel is always there. Our products will always fit. To ride with the trends, the company also thinks of what’s innovative.”
To view Eater’s complete list of food trends, visit www. eater. com /2018/1/2/16808664/ restaurant fooddrink- predictions -20 18. As for the recipes for the dishes mentioned
in this story, visit www.homefoodie. com.ph. —