MANILA, Philippines – Six of Manila’s Spanish restaurants will feature a culinary showcase of Spanish cuisine in a one-month long Tapas Festival for the annual Flavors of Spain celebration this October.
Now on its 9th year, the Flavors of Spain is an event of Spanish food and gastronomy and Spanish culture and lifestyle, with the help of the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain, the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade and Fuego Hotels, said Enrique Feas, Economic and Commercial Counsellor from the Embassy of Spain in Manila.
The one-month celebration had its kickoff at the Enderun Colleges last week and featured a wide variety of tapas, or Spanish appetizers or meals in small servings.
“Spanish gastronomy has evolved towards making Spain a world leader in high level cuisine. Not surprisingly, Spain is the only country with four restaurants in the world’s top 10, according to the prestigious Restaurant Magazine.,” Feas said.
He also said that Spanish cuisine has always been present in the Filipino culture. “Many may not know that traditional Filipino dishes like caldereta, lechon, escabeche flan, sorbetes are all derivatives of Spanish original recipes,” he said.
He also said that with the exception of Spanish olive oil, hams, cheeses and preserved vegetables, Spanish food is made from “basic ingredients” that are available locally.
“The fusion of imported ingredients from Spain with locally produced basic ingredients create a combination of unique flavors which can be easily prepared for everyday eating even by non-experts and can readily form part of the Filipino passion for life which has been probably been inherited from Spain,” he said.
Diners may enjoy Flavors of Spain in six restaurants: El Cirkulo in Makati; Tapella by Gaudi in Greenbelt 5; Gaudi in Serendra; Barcino Gourmet in Greenbelt 2 and 5, The Fort and City Golf Plaza in Pasig; Terry’s Selection in Salcedo Village and the Podium; and Wine Depot in Makati, he added.
