Good food reinforces good times.

The Municipality of Manolo Fortich through the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) recently celebrated the 3rd FBS Anniversary Celebration which further cemented Bukidnon with its title as “Food Basket in Mindanao”. The already established Manolo Fortich Farm Business School Foods and Agri-product Processors Association, Inc. (MFFBSFAPPA, Inc.) is an offshoot of the two batches of trainings on Farm Business School conducted by ATI-RTC X in November 2015.

Champorado is a rice porridge variation which uses unadulterated chocolate known as tableya. I like having champorado for breakfast, I grew up pairing it with buwad (dried fish) or buwad bolinao (anchovies). I know a lot of people like that odd sweet-salty combination teasing the taste buds but nevertheless palatable.

Mounting the 1st Info Caravan on Coffee in Maramag, Bukidnon was heaven on earth---at least for most coffee lovers and drinkers attending the event.

The wonders of coffee were discussed through coffee tasting (and testing) and also explored as a beauty soap ingredient. As partner during the event, Kape Maramag (the Rural Improvement Club and the product itself) was the star of the moment. A slew of coffee brands have popped up here and there to invade pantries and kitchen shelves, but for starters, Kape Maramag should be given a try.

A day before celebrating this month’s Rice Awareness Month in Valencia, Bukidnon, we were privileged enough to enjoy a meal with the Engallados at their Rescuer’s Stop. Rescuer’s Stop is a one-stop shop and food hub rolled into one to cater rice-based products to patrons on the go and foodie on the road conceptualized and managed by Nick Jay Arr Engallado (son of rice king Nicasio "Nick" F. Engallado) of Engallado’s Nature Farm.

Kumaykay River Farm in Dahilayan is slowly coming into its own, with its growing reputation for organic produce and its farm-to-table and recreational scene. Surrounded by high mountain ranges as backdrop, green meadows replete with bamboos and fern everywhere, a river with crystal clear cold running water nearby, the place is simply idyllic and as country as one can get. The first impression most first timers experience would be that of a childlike wonder with a sense of awe.

One look and one would think that this fruit is of Tamaranean or Thanagarian origin---very alien! What with the pink dragon-like scales and inside flesh filled with teeny-weeny black seeds.

Once considered as exotic and expensive, this emerging hot commodity being yanked out from obscurity is slowly becoming popular among the health conscious and foodies like me in the form of a smoothie, juice, fruit shake, salad or as a cocktail mix.