Filipino cuisine featured in DFA online show

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino cuisine makes its way to the screens of Filipinos and foreigners all over the world with the launching of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)’s’ online cooking show “Simply Sarap.”

The online series started by the DFA through the Office of Strategic Communications and Research-Cultural Diplomacy Division on Sept. 3 aims to promote Filipino cuisine, especially now that more people are staying home and cooking their own food because of health protocols enforced both locally and overseas.

“Simply Sarap” is hosted by chef Louise Mabulo, a “Young Champion of the Earth” awardee of the United Nations Environmental Program and an honoree of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2020.

She is also CEO of The Cacao Project, a social venture which helped local farmers in Bicol with agroforestry techniques and enabled them to plant climate-resistant cacao trees.

The 21-year-old entrepreneur chef was one of the finalists in the 2011 cooking competition “Junior MasterChef.”

In the 10-episode series, Mabulo will introduce Filipino ingredients and cooking techniques while dishing out informative trivia on the Philippines and its history, all in five minutes.

The episodes are “bite-sized” to cater to busy people who juggle both domestic as well as professional responsibilities as they work from home.

On the pilot episode of “Simply Sarap,” Mabulo took viewers on a trip to Camarines Sur and introduced the history and flavor of “Chicken Tinutungan” (Chicken Cooked in Toasted Coconut Milk), a classic dish in the Bicol region.

Viewers will also be treated to nine other delicious Filipino recipes in the following weeks as Mabulo takes them on a culinary tour through the show.

The series is broadcast on the DFA’s official Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram accounts (@dfaphl) and the official social media accounts of its Foreign Service Posts on Thursdays at 11 a.m. (Philippine time).