Figure 1. Embassy personnel conduct cooking class with 15 students from the Lo Barnechea Centro de las Tradiciones on 4 August 2017

Figure 2. The students were taught to cook Filipino food classics such as the cassava cake, okoy and adobo.

Fifteen students of the Lo Barnechea Centro de las Tradiciones had a chance to cook authentic, traditional Filipino dishes during a three-hour cooking class at the Centro de las Tradiciones building in Santiago, Chile on 4 August 2017. The students were introduced by Third Secretary Raisa Mabayo to an aspect of Filipino culture through short videos and a brief discussion on the importance of food in big or small gatherings; the way certain foods are eaten—as kakanin, as pulutan, or as ulam; and what constitutes a typical meal in the Philippines. During the class, Embassy personnel Mr. Jeffry Aranda held a step-by-step demonstration on cooking the okoy, which was treated as entrée, the adobo as main dish, and the cassava cake as dessert.  

After the class, the students, all of whom were amateur cooks and food enthusiasts, tried the completed dishes. The Chileans, who generally cook their rice with salt, learned of the importance of balancing flavorful Filipino dishes, such as the adobo, with plain white rice. They also marveled at the cassava cake, a filling dessert made from a root crop instead of the usual fruit.

Chargé D’affaires, a.i. Mr. Marcos Punsalang also had a discussion with the head of the Lo Barnechea Centro de las Tradiciones on the possibility of conducting more Filipino cuisine cooking classes in the future, especially with the popularity of the event.END