MANILA, Philippines — Since the enhanced community quarantine in some parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, has been extended, craving for one’s favorite restaurant meals also continues.
Here are some ways how restaurants and restaurateurs work around the quarantine with creative offerings to somehow add color to people’s “new normal” lives.
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Canned goat meat
DV Boer Farm International Corp., touted to be the largest goat farm in the Philippines, will commercialize goat meat (chevon) canning technology under the brand Chevon Valley developed by Isabela State University (ISU) through a research grant from Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development.
The commercialization initiative came after the company signed a technology license agreement earlier this year with ISU. The products under the trade name Chevon Valley - Kaldereta, Adobo and Kilawing Kambing, are expected to be out in the market by the end of April.
According to Dexter Villamin, president of DV Boer Farm, application of food processing technology will be a great help to boost food security in the Philippines especially in this time of crisis brought about the prevailing novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. He added that the company will focus on post-harvest processing, such as canning, to prolong product shelf life and ensure that products can be easily shipped to places where there could be a demand.
“This can be an alternative from the usual canned food we know. Chevon meat offers healthier alternatives. As we know, goat meat is rich in protein. However, it does not contain much fat that of pork, chicken and beef,” Villamin told Philstar.com.
Apart from canning technology, the farm has also signed a license agreement on goat semen processing using a formulated goat semen extender or SEMEX. The processed goat semen will be used in different farms to facilitate breeding using artificial insemination (AI).
AI technology would ensure the rapid livestock population increase across the country through the farm’s network of subsidiaries nationwide that will act as “semen banks” where livestock raisers can purchase affordable straws of semen harvested from genetically-superior animals imported by the farm. Through AI, livestock farmers would be able to produce offspring of preferred gender for more accurate and swift production. With superior genes of animals readily available in communities where farm subsidiaries are located, the upgrading of the country’s livestock would be instantaneous and hopefully can save millions of money by reducing or cutting the country’s livestock imports.
ISU has agreed to the farm’s proposal to commercialize mature technologies with the hope that utilization in the communities will be faster with private sector intervention; while setting the goal of increasing the volume of goat meat to meet demand and to further address food security. This early, many investors and retailers are showing much interest in this product since it is unique and absolutely marketable locally and abroad.
Quarantine-inspired ice cream flavors
Local handcrafted ice cream brand Papa Diddi’s recently announced new flavors inspired by the ongoing General Community Quarantine. These include Staying Home with my Choco and Mangood, which are also available via delivery from GrabFood or Food Panda or for pickup at the label’s Maginhawa and Libis branches.
The new choco flavor uses the single origin dark chocolate of Malagos, added with a drip of arabica coffee and local wine, aiming to keep people stay at home.
Mangood is another tribute flavor, believing that man’s goodness will shine through in this time of COVID-19. It uses the country’s most loved fruit, mango, matched with honey for that right sweetness to represent what is all good about humanity.
Do-it-yourself Ramadan dishes
As we enter Ramadan, many are starting to ask the ever-important question – what to cook? This year, with people spending more time indoors, the Asian Food Network (AFN) is bringing inspiration directly into audiences’ homes through live cooking sessions on Facebook, featuring chef extraordinaire, Ili Sulaiman.
Having been exposed to cooking since she was seven years old, Ili is known for whipping up flavorful dishes. The host of “Home Cooked: Malaysia” and “Family Feast with Ili” will be sharing four surprise Ramadan recipes that will be a delightful treat for your taste buds. All you have to do is prepare the ingredient list that will be shared on AFN’s website. The next cooking sessions are scheduled on April 28, May 5 and May 12 at 7 p.m. on AFN’s Facebook page.
Samgyupsal buffet, fast food favorites enter homes
Four of your go-to restaurants have cooked up a way to let you enjoy favorite Filipino and international dishes safely and conveniently. Pick-up and delivery line Eats for You, available on Facebook, offers over 40 frozen ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook meals such as smoked roast pork or beef, kare-kare, paksiw na lechon kawali, samgyupsal and yakitori from Dads World Buffet, Kamayan, Sambo Kojin and Number 1 Barbecues.
Likewise, Bistro Group’s international restaurant chains TGIFridays, Italianni’s, Denny’s and Buffalo Wild Wings deliver ready-made or ready-to-cook favorites like herb roasted chicken, spaghetti meatballs and liempo.
Meanwhile, the Stores Specialists Inc. Group’s food brands such as Shake Shack, SaladStop! and Marks & Spencer Food have resumed operations for select stores and pop-ups that accept orders for takeout and delivery.
Similarly, fast food chain McDonald's announced that due to high demand, they will be restocking their inventories for cook-it-yourself packs available in select groceries.
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