Mama Sita Foundation has opened this year’s installement of its food story contest titled ‘Mga Kuwentong Pagkain: Eskwela Edition’.

This is a project of the Mama Sita Foundation as a way to preserve and promote our Philippine culinary heritage, echoing the mission of Teresita ‘Mama Sita’ Reyes advocacy throughout her life.

With the theme ‘Regional Food Heritage’, MSF aims to broadcast stories of college students as they learn and explore food culture from their lolos and lolas that define regional ingredients of their favorite foods.

With this being said, the 2021 food contest is solely open to all interested Filipino undergraduate students or exchange students currently enrolled in any Philippine college of university.

They can submit their entries either in essay or in video format as long as they abide with the following project objectives:

1. Gather regional food heritage stories and recipes from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao featuring heirloom food (local food sources and ingredients; dishes passed on through generations) and culinary traditions (old cooking methods, food norms, rituals, food beliefs, local food etiquette, etc.) by tapping local communities, schools, and universities.
2. Increase awareness of the public on Philippine heirloom food and culinary traditions by publishing selected entries on different print and social media channels and showcasing these stories in different Mama Sita Foundation initiatives.
3. Preserve these food stories and recipes by printing selected entries in a book format and publishing all the entries online, creating a heirloom food story bank which the public can access.

There will be one grand winner each from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Each grand winner will receive a cash prize worth P20,000. Meanwhile, other entries with merit will be awarded a certificate of participation and will receive a special citation and gift items from Kusina ni Mama Sita.

The contest runs until February 27, 2021 and all entries must be submitted on or before January 19.

For more details, you may visit https://mamasitas.com/join-mga-kuwentong-pagkain/.