In celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Galleon Trade that linked Asia to the Western World, the interaction between the east and the west will be highlighted at the second edition of Madrid Fusiόn Manila (MFM) on 7 – 9 April 2016 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, SM Mall of Asia Complex.
This year’s theme, “The Manila Galleon: East meets West”, focuses on the influences made by two diverse parts of the world, particularly in the global gourmet scene. The aftermath of the Galleon Trade made strides in the worldwide culinary map because of the trade of spices, sweet corn kernels, flame colored chilies, earthy bitter cacao, scarlet atsuete seeds, creamy green flesh of avocado, among others.
“Being the world’s most important modern gastronomy event, Madrid Fusion became the entry point to strengthen the position of the Philippines as a center of modern gastronomy in Asia. This year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is proud to once again host Madrid Fusion Manila. After allowing the world to discover the Filipino food, this year’s edition will be highlighting how the Philippines has influenced world cuisine through the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade,‖ Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. said.
As a tribute to the gains of the Galleon trade, MFM 2016 brings together the shared experiences between the best chefs in the world from the East and West — but, this time no longer as trading partners, but as friends in a growing world of culinary connectedness. The event includes three landmark activities: the International Gastronomy Congress, where Michelin-star chefs from across the globe will share talks about progressive gastronomy and their practices; the Trade Exhibition, which will showcase the finest food and ingredients from Europe and Asia; and Flavors of the Philippines, which is a month-long festival featuring a diverse array of exciting food-related activities from food trips, special restaurant menus, gourmet markets, streetfood festivals, to special dinners with celebrity chefs, hotel food festivals, fiestas and food exhibits.
The participating chefs this year are: Dani Garcia (Malaga), David Thompson (Bangkok), Enrique Olvera (Mexico City), Fernando Perez Arellano (Madrid), Joan Roca (Girona), Jordi Butron (Barcelona), Jorge Vallejo (Mexico), JungsikYim (Seoul), Kevin Cherkas (Bali), Leah Cohen (New York), Michael Aspiras (Manila), Tatung Sarthou (Manila), Nurdin Topham (Hong Kong), Oscar Calleja (Cantabria), Richard Camarena (Valencia), Romy Dorotan & Amy Besa (Manila), Virgilio Martinez (Lima), and Yoshihiro Narisawa (Tokyo).
