The other Bicol treasure

Thanks to the foresight and enterprise of Fil-Am couple Cara and David Wiel, the local nut found its way to world attention.

Surely, the majestic Mayon Volcano is Bicol’s most visible and outstanding landmark. But Bicol is not only about the beauty of Mayon. The region has other attractions – the Cagsawa ruins, the Peñafrancia fluvial parade this month to honor the Blessed Virgin (called Ina by devotees), and its pili nuts which have lately been elevated to the Food Hall of Fame in Europe. Thanks to the foresight and enterprise of Fil-Am couple Cara and David Wiel, the local nut found its way to world attention.

Branded as Mount Mayon Premium Pili Nuts, they come in two variants, the Himalayan Pink Salt and the Ecuadorian Cacao. A third, Kyoto Matcha, has just been introduced. The Himalayan Pink Salt is the winner in the Dry and Snacking Category of the 2018 French Snacking D’Or Awards. It is believed that Himalayan pink salt is the purest salt that unlocks the addictive gourmet flavor of each nut and accentuates its savory buttery taste.

These nuts grow from the volcanic soil surrounding the volcano and are naturally high in protein and fiber, plus Vitamin E but low in carbs. Organic coconut sugar is used in processing the nuts. Wild harvested nuts are pre-sprouted in purified mountain water, undergoing a 17-step SloDry process that sustains the delicate, healthy oils and proteins. The nuts, gluten free with no trans fats or  cholesterol, have a smooth yet crunchy, buttery texture. They use organic coconut sugar which is low glycemic.

The product is currently on limited distribution but a formal launch is planned to be held soon to cover an extensive selling area.

On another new item, we recently got a box of Rusk biscuits. Produced in Japan, they are called Tokyo  Rusk, which is done through a system perfected by a bakery in Tokyo. They are actually re-baked French bread done by a system called Rusk. These are day-old French bread, sliced thinly and dusted with various flavors then rebaked. This reminded us of our own biscocho. Maybe our bakers can also infuse new flavors to our toasted bread.

Keep innovating. This is the time to do more food experiments.

Have a joyful Sunday with family!

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