Great local food finds at the Great Mindanao Food Fair


Great finds in this "great" fair




IT MAY not be the stuff you pick from the shelves of your imported goods supermarket or the items that’ll make you backtrack, take a closer look, study and probably drop on your cart from the aisles of your favorite grocery. Maybe it’s the packaging, maybe it’s the unfamiliarity, maybe it’s the routine that you never stray from, or maybe your grocery list is holy. Maybe I’m guilty of all of the above and that makes me, and perhaps you, miss out on the good stuff.



Mindanao food facts




But thanks to the constant local fairs hosted in the malls, especially those backed by the DTI. These are the kind of bazaars that everything locally produced gets highlighted, which it truly deserves. The products are as good, if not better, as the goods most of the big player put on the grocery shelves (and cheaper I might add).

The on-going food fair (last day today) at the Abreeza Mall, the Great Mindanao Food Fair, is a most surprising one. Here, I finally found a favorite—the durian chips, and it’s made in Toril. Yes, we are the so-called durian republic, but somehow—for the longest time— the products we have produced are limited to candy bars, jams and other sweet treats. Bangkok has produced more variants than we have and this was where I first encountered the chips. Difficult (and against my will) I have to take some home, I still do. Not anymore. However, the durian chips are not available in any grocery store. Go get your stash at the Pasalubong Center.



Finally, we make it here in durian republic





There may be a profusion of banana chips in our beloved hometown, we also known as the banana republic after all, but the other kinds of chips I love are the kamote, cassava or vegetable chips. Lo and behold, they are sold in this fair and it bears the Frux label. The cassava chips are quite good and the vegetable chips are so-so, not something I would go crazy over. If I remember it right, Tagum is where it’s produced. I hope it finds its way in the grocery stores.



Veggie chips.

Tinatako in this fair

Or you can get it in sealed packs

And get the Cassava Chips as well.




Another surprising product that popped out off Tagum is the Mama Evie’s bottled spreadables—Dulce con Krema and Tsokolate con Krema. I wasn’t able to sample it and find out the sweetness level. But from the looks of it, it must be good.



These I didn't get to try because I am scared that I will like them….& I grow fat. LOL



Davao Oriental is now turning into the spice capital on this side of the nation. There is now a clamor for the region’s powdered chili that it’s flooding the market in different brands. The powder is so potent that a dash can make anyone discharge steam in all the bodily crevices.



Tried & tested internal combustion fuel.



There was flooding of teas during the Mindanao Trade Expo from different areas. There was turmeric, chaya, green, etc., but this particular one seemed interesting—the Tawa-tawa tea granules made in South Cotabato.

Tawa-tawa is a known remedy for dengue and with this, should we say bye-bye to the dreaded fever? I hope so.


Goodbye Dengue? I hope. I pray.




For something to drink, sipping a glass of chilled guyabano juice would be a good and healthy choice. Three tablespoons to a small glass of water is how to prepare it, I was told, and add preferred sweetener as the preparation is natural and unsweetened. I think the pure guyabano is bottled in Toril, and might be a seasonal thingy. So why not enjoy it now while it’s the fruit is in season?



Rich in antioxidant & vitamins. Easy to prepare. Go get this.



Of course, our local chocolate producers, Malagos Chocolate & Cacao de Davao, are in the fair and lucky us, their popularity has made their goods more accessible to everyone.




Said to be one of best beans in the planet that there is a high demand for it.




There may be a few more that will catch your fancy at the Great Mindanao Food Fair at the Abreeza Mall. You only have until today to visit, sample and maybe hoard on the products that’ll perk your taste buds.

For more lifestyle and travel stories, visit http://apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com/ andhttp://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com/

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on August 24, 2014.