“Filipinas Food Festival” in New Delhi Draws Huge Crowd to Taste Philippine Cuisine
Fiesta atmosphere at Embassy grounds as guests enjoy Filipino fare. (Inset) Ambassador Ignacio, Third Secretary Mark Anthony Articulo, Chef Cabrera with guests and influencers at centerstage. (New Delhi PE photos)
NEW DELHI 26 April 2024 – Philippine cuisine was a big winner in New Delhi on 19 April 2024, as the Philippine Embassy’s Filipinas Food Festival filled the hearts -- and tummies – of hundreds of guests eager to dive into a Filipino culinary experience.
All roads led to the Embassy grounds in Chanakyapuri as gastronomes and cultural enthusiasts alike feasted on a cornucopia of flavors that define the Filipino palate and culinary heritage.
Around a thousand guests -- diplomats, office workers, media mavens, social media influencers and others – braved the heat of early summer, as if drawn by the scent of classics like simmering adobo, sizzling sisig, and the aroma of roasted pig (lechon).
Philippine Ambassador to India Josel F. Ignacio keynoted the Festival. No sooner had the Ambassador intoned “kain na!” (“let’s eat”), the Filipino tableside call to arms, when brisk business went abuzz at food stalls across the festival grounds.
The stalls served a generous and mouth-watering banquet of Filipino dishes, classic and new, savory and sweet, mains and street fare. Visitors were spoilt for choice, with a bevy of enticements such as the characteristic sizzle of crispy sisig, the hearty warmth of kalderetang kambing, and the eye-opening delights of pinoy favorites gaining foreign favor, such as chicken inasal and pastil.
Supporting the project were culinary talents and kitchen habitues from the ranks of Filipino entrepreneurs and organizations such Filipinas In India Community (FIC) and the Kapisanan ng mga Pilipino na may Asawang Indiano sa Hindustan (KAPIHAN).
Lending prestige, meanwhile, was local Filipino celebrity chef Augusto Cabrera and a stall from soon-to-open Boya restaurant. Chef Cabrera wed culinary talent with the history of Filipino-Indian interaction as he did a cooking demonstration of kare-kare.
The rich Philippine peanut sauce-infused stew, believed to have derived from Indian sepoys residing in 18th-century Philippines, easily won the hearts of their present-day compatriots.
In true Filipino style, a fiesta atmosphere pervaded all throughout the event. Embassy personnel helmed games like Hampas Palayok and Food Bingo, handing out prizes of delicacies.
On stage, Filipino talents provided lively entertainment. Singer Leslie Fotader tugged at the heartstrings with her vocal prowess, while Kimbee Saxena captivated with her rendition of enchanting Filipino folk dance.
The largest gastronomic event hosted to date by the Embassy, Filipinas Food Festival was a nod to the annual global celebration of Filipino Food Month. It also honored the ongoing commemoration of 75 years of Philippine-Indian ties, as a bridge spanning the seas – and dining tables – to foster mutual appreciation.
“Filipino Food has taken its rightful place at India’s table” said Ambassador Ignacio. “The Embassy extends a heartfelt ‘Maraming Salamat’ and ‘Dhanyavaad’ to all our patrons, supporters, and guests, for this fantastic event that will be a fixture of the Indian gastronomic calendar. END
Scenes from Filipinas Food Fiesta, the Philippine Embassy-New Delhi’s first major gastronomic event. (New Delhi PE photos)
Chef Cabrera demonstrating his Kare-Kare recipe. (New Delhi PE photo)
Among those who dived into Filipino food were Filipinos in Delhi, influencers (top left) and (bottom) diplomats including Defense Attachés and Ambassadors. (New Delhi PE photos)
For more information, visit https://www.newdelhipe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/Philippine-Embassy-in-India-348528665275556/.