MANILA, Philippines — Bicol Express and Longganisa in one recipe?
Can you imagine the pork stew simmered in coconut milk and chilis mixed with the Pinoy sausage?
It would be bursting with flavors for sure but a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef has managed to fuse well these two beloved Pinoy fare in one, delectable casing.
Filipina Chef Rica Buenaflor has successfully came up with her recipe of the Bicol Express tasting longganisa for Que Rica.
“The Bicol Express Longganisa is one of the five new products we have developed recently while in quarantine, and instead of pork we used chicken to cater to customers who like healthier options," she said.
Available in a pack of eight pieces or 350 grams, the Bicol Express Longganisa is just one of the products Chef Rica and Que Rica was able to develop while in quarantine.
“We wanted to bank on the booming national and global interest towards local cuisine,” she shared. They started with Laing Longganisa.
Her idea of creating readily available and easy-to-prepare regional cuisine was warmly met by her patrons. The team has invested in the development and packaging of Pili Nuts in novel flavors such as Truffle-Pecorino Cheese.
The Que Rica team also launched bottled, ready-to-eat meals such as Sinantolan (minced cotton fruit in coconut milk), Vegan Laing (shrimp- and meat-free dried gabi leaves in coconut milk) and other meat products such as the Pineapple-Cured Chicken Tocino in events, bazaars and online via Facebook and YouTube.
Through these innovations, Chef Rica proved that one can survive the economic challenges of the pandemic with creativity and hardwork.