Pinoy Fiesta in the Land of Smörgåsbord

We came, we wowed, and we conquered the Vikings.

Swedes reveled in ten days of pure tropical epicurean pleasure, when Flavours of the Philippines: A Food Festival on Philippine Independence Week, unfolded at the posh Sheraton Stockholm Hotel & Towers last June.

With reservations picking up every night until the last day, the food festival–an out-and-out Pinoy fiesta to rival the most lavish Swedish smörgåsbord and huge enough to feed the Viking hordes of lore–was one of Stockholm’s most attended culinary events.

"Flavours was popular from the start," says Philippine Trade Officer Mary Borromeo-Hedfors. "Practically every Filipino in Stockholm, starting from the airport, knew about it. It’s been one of the most awaited events here."

Raking in export sales of US $460,000 for the Philippine trade mission, the food festival exceeded everybody’s expectations. Remark-ably, it also registered a 30 percent revenue increase for Sheraton Stockholm, compared to the same pre-midsummer season period of last year. The event’s success and popularity left the hotel’s management quite overwhelmed, to say the least.

"Filipino food really got us hooked," Sheraton F&B Manager Joachim Freche enthuses. "A lot of our guests came back, not only once, but twice… even thrice!"

One of Freche’s "return" guests, a Swedish Dominican chaplain, confesses to always finding a way to "invite" himself to a Filipino gathering. The cleric’s love affair with Pinoy food began six years ago. While assigned in Rome, he met Filipino Dominican priests who introduced him to the experience. "Since then, I’ve always found a way to get invited, to have a taste of Filipino food, and this time is no exception. I will try everything on the buffet," he said as he fell in line to load his plate.

Flavours was such a hit, people were queuing to get in hours before Sheraton management opened the buffet. Bookings also often exceeded the maximum capacity of 80 seats for lunch, and 60 for dinner.

What was the reason for such a huge turnout?

"Part of it was hard work," Borromeo-Hedfors explains. "A lot of our effort went into marketing and campaigning. But then, word got around! Some of our guests–especially Filipinos–came from suburbs and cities five hours away!"

Moreover, the food fest was timed with the celebration of Philippine Independence Week, which added more symbolic emphasis and greatly heightened interest in the affair.

Incidentally, a food festival from another country was held at the Sheraton prior to Flavours. "It wasn’t as successful as the Filipino food fest," Freche emphasizes. "I commend citem, the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Trade and Investment Office. Their careful planning paid off. We had everything down to the last detail–the menus and recipes, and the décor and uniforms–the results were simply fabulous. You could say the guests felt it was very special, apart from the usual international food festival."

Freche further adds that Filipino food was an instant hit with Swedes because it had just the right touch and feel of European influences without being too familiar. "It was a taste they could relate to," he says. At the same time, it was new and exotic, but not too strange. "The Asian element added just a subtle hint to make it interesting and exciting."

Guests were not only treated to fiesta fare, but were also immersed in the Pinoy ambiance, as Sheraton’s international staff donned the native barong Tagalog in honor of the occasion. And wear it they did, with the smiles and warmth that could only be described as "very Filipino." Sheraton’s Liberty Kitchen, where Flavours was held, underwent a transformation and took on the festive, whimsical colors of the fiesta, with the pahiyas shades of yellow, pink, orange and red in the capiz candleholders that served as accent pieces on the formal table settings.

Adding more color to Flavours were the Filipino expatriates themselves, many of whom proudly came in traditional Philippine attire, not only to celebrate Independence Week, but also to be–in that short moment of time–back home.

hat were the most popular items on the menu?

Swedes loved the lambanog-laced ube dessert, crab mango salad, rellenong bangus, kare-kare and lumpiang ubod. They also took to the lambanog-based cocktails. Apparently, the Philippine firewater tastes very much like Swedish schnapps!

Other favorites were the adobo, crispy pata, lechon, tangigue vinaigrette, mangga at bagoong, Mega Sardines, and pancit. Sweet treats such as the mango and coconut pies also sold like hotcakes. Digestives were complemented by the rich Kapeng Barako brew, courtesy of Figaro.

And who were the people behind the scenes responsible for whipping up this much raved-about feast? No less than Glenda Rosales Barretto, Grand Dame of Philippine cuisine, and ceo of the world-renowned Via Mare Seafood Specialty Restaurant, led a team of culinary experts composed of Westin Philippine Plaza’s Luisito Ignacio and Rodelio Galvez.

Six top Filipino food manufacturers joined the trade mission to Stockholm and Copenhagen, where they met with leading mainstream buyers and owners of Oriental food stores.

The companies were B-G Fruits and Nuts Mfg. Corp.; Cavendish banana exporter and maker of banana chips, nata de coco, and dried mango; Branded Food & Ingredients Enterprises, distributor of popular brands such as Zesto fruit drinks, Quickchow noodles, and Nestle and Maggi products; Figaro Coffee Co., the Philippines’ very own premium coffee company, and marketer of the native Barako coffee blend; Fitrite Incorporated, exporter of juices and jellies, preserves, mixes, and condiments; Mega Fishing Corporation, maker of canned and bottled sardines, and kalamansi concentrate; and Castillejos Agri-farms Inc., maker of tropical fruit jams, jellies, marmalades, chutneys, and pickles.

Barretto is a partner of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) of the Department of Trade and Industry. She has worked with CITEM for more than 10 years, helping organize Philippine food festivals and business missions all over the world.

Flavours is Barretto’s and citem’s latest collaboration, in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Sweden, and the Philippine Trade and Investment Office. The food fest was part of a series of trade missions conducted in Sweden and Denmark.

Sponsors were Gourmet Foods AB, Malaysian Airlines Systems, JR Consultancy, LM Ericsson, Lagerbergs AB, BORON International HB, Diamond Star Agro Products, Inc., and the Philippine Department of Tourism.

The food fest and trade mission is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to promote Filipino food in Europe, particularly in the Scandinavian and Baltic markets. It is also a response to the growing demand for "comfort and home-grown food" brought about by the steady influx of Filipino immigrants all across Europe.

To date, there are more than 10,000 Filipino professionals living in Sweden alone. This represents a ready and growing market that is expected to boom due to the continuous migration and breaking down of cultural barriers.

Konungariket Sverige–the Kingdom of Sweden–is a Nordic country in the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Bordered by Norway on the west and Finland in the northeast, and by the Baltic Sea and Kattegat, Sweden is also the largest of the Scandinavian countries, which include Norway and Denmark.

With a growing expatriate population of Asians, Africans and Latin Americans, Sweden is the ideal test market for Filipino food in Europe. Recent trends have seen a rise in the demand for more food choices, and an increasingly cosmopolitan, broad-based culinary preference, no doubt brought about by these multi-ethnic communities.

In the midst of such shifting gastronomic trends, Sweden was indeed ripe and ready for Flavours. Among the more popular products in the market were tuna, pineapple, mango, bananas; condiments such as sweet and sour chili; mango chutney, dried fruits, and pickled vegetables; and coconut milk.

Asian staples such as spring rolls and noodles, value-added marine and seafood products, and microwaveables–exactly the kind of food products the Philippines is capable of producing–are also fast gaining popularity. Barretto’s Redi-Feast microwaveables and Swan’s buko pie, for instance, sold fast.

Aside from the "novelty factor," Philippine tropical fruits were in great demand, as they were deemed mainstream, healthy food. Buyers also noted that Philippine sardines were of superior quality compared to those produced in Morocco and Portugal. Although Sweden is one of the world’s major salmon-producing countries, it also proved to be a ready market for bangus products.

Aside from superior taste, freshness and nutritional value, Philippine food and food products featured in Flavours also carried the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (haccp) certification, an internationally accepted standard for good quality.

At 170 SEK (Swedish krona) for lunch and 295 SEK for dinner–around US $22 and $40, or P1, 210 and P2,310 respectively–Flavours did not come cheap. Reportedly, it is one of the most expensive buffets Sheraton Stockholm has offered to date. Nevertheless, it did not stop Swedes from having their fill and enjoying it, too.

By all indications, Flavours is just the beginning of bigger, brighter things for the country’s food export industry in Europe. Same time next year then for the Philippine Food Festival!