We had a fun filled day at Enderun Colleges talking and cooking all things Salmon together with Marine Harvest and Bocuse d'Or Singapore winner Chef Jimmy Chock.

Please see video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZBrJ15AyiU 

MANILA – This is probably the best time to be in food business, whether in production, distribution, or food service. This is due to the fact that in recent years, the local food industry has been growing steadily and consumption is at an all-time high.

A clear proof of this growth is the restaurants. International and local eateries are sprouting like mushrooms in the metro to the delight of hungry foodies and businessmen.

This is good news for suppliers of raw food ingredients like Mida Food, a distributor of premium fresh and frozen seafood.

“The growth has been amazing. It’s incredible. Not just because there are a lot of restaurants, but it’s the types of restaurants opening up. The average ticket price has also gone up so people are willing to pay for food and they’re more adventurous also. That’s also why the food industry has been so successful in recent years. We pride ourselves as having the largest variety of seafood,” said Mida president and CEO Enrique Valles.

The company is celebrating its 20th anniversary in the seafood industry. Mida is more known for its retail brand Pacific Bay, but majority of its business is still in seafood distribution. Some of its products include tuna, softshell crab, king crab, snow crab, salmon, lobster, shrimp, scallops, squid, octopus, bacalao, halibut, dory and cod.

Among its clients are fast food chains like Wendy’s, Tokyo Tokyo and Shakey’s, as well as high-end hotels and restaurants like Gallery Vask. It also supplies casual grilleries or ihaw-ihaw, which actually are Mida Food’s first customers.

Originally, Mida was a trading company that acted as agent for buyers of seafood, looking for suppliers abroad. In 1997, Mida had the opportunity of buying off cuts or byproducts of seafood in Indonesia like tuna jaw and tail, which happen to be items that Filipinos eat and serve at restaurants.

They first looked for a distributor to handle the job, but there was none at the time. So, they decided to distribute the seafood products themselves. The first batch was especially flown from Indonesia and sold to local grilleries.

“From all of those grilleries we realized there was a much broader market that we can do business with. So we started bringing in a large selection of seafood, like salmon, sea bass, high-end halibut. At that point in the Philippines, hotels were growing and people’s palates were getting more complex so it was a good time for us to enter. So volumes were moving, we started dealing a lot with hotels, high-end caterers. We became known as a supplier of all these high-end goods,” Valles said.

The company sources its seafood locally and internationally. Most shrimp products are sourced from the Visayas while its fastest moving product, the fresh salmon, comes all the way from Norway and Chile.

CELEBRATE IN STYLE

To celebrate its success in the business, Mida held a special luncheon at Gallery Vask with an all-seafood menu prepared by none other than chef Chele Gonzalez. The special lunch showcased the products of Mida Food, from halibut to shrimp to lobster.

The pass-around canapes were simple yet flavorful like the seared hamachi and the king crab meat with hollandaise sauce on crunchy brioche bread.

The first course was a small plate of aromatic tuna tartare with avocado and cilantro. It was followed by a playful and fresh second course, grilled tiger prawns with strawberry and watermelon gazpacho. The tiger prawns were cut into segments and slices of Iberico, and strawberry were placed in between the segments.

The third course was a delicate and flaky pan-fried halibut that was served with pork ragout and crispy Iberico ham chips. This was followed by a squid ink seafood risotto with pan seared scallops, steamed lobster tail and claw, asparagus ribbons and crispy parmesan tuiles.

The lunch ended with a fitting dessert — different textures of calamansi. It had various components like crumbled calamansi cake, calamansi ice cream and calamansi mousse. The tangy and citrusy dessert was refreshing and cleared the palate of any briny taste.

Although Mida already has its salmon bar at Marketplace by Rustan’s where it sells its fresh premium fish, the vision is to have an own retail store in the future. And according to Valles, they plan to expand their existing processing plant in Malate and cold storage facility in Pasig.

“We have a big retail vision. At some point we want to explore a brick and mortar retail store sort of like Santi’s but for seafood, like a high-end fishmonger. Half of that space we want to have dining involved. We also want to be fully integrated and we know the processing plant we currently operate in Malate is far too small for our requirements. We’re looking for a place, just at the outskirts of Metro Manila to scale up our operations to better serve our customers,” he explained.

Enrique Valles, President and CEO of Mida Food Distributors, sees a 20% increase in sales due to the expansion of the food and restaurant industry as well as a growing consumer trend toward healthier diets. (photo courtesy Bridges)

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo / Special to the BusinessMirror

PIONEERING seafood importer and distributor Mida Food Distributors sees higher sales this year on the back of increased demand for frozen seafood products and consumer trends toward healthier eating.

Mida President and CEO  Enrique Valles told the BusinessMirror that “our topline growth [for 2017] is 20 percent year-on-year”.

He added the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) agreements that lower the tariffs on a multitude of products have enabled the company to bring in more seafood to the country. “Afta has helped ease the process of importing and delivering [products] to our customers at better prices,” he said.

He added Mida “supplies all five-star hotels and white-linen restaurants in the Metro, as well as grilleries, fast-food chains and stand-alones. Our client list is varied because we offer products that accommodate differing client needs. We have the capability to produce bespoke products to match client requirements.

We believe in personalized service and have dedicated account managers and business development managers to handle our clients needs.”

Among the fast-food establishments the company supplies are Shakey’s (scallops for its scallops pizza), Tokyo Tokyo (shrimps for ebi tempura) and Wendy’s (fish for fish fillet burger), to name a few.

Valles said most of their products are imported, “although we buy local shrimp and tuna as much as possible, depending on the season and price”.

Mida celebrated its 20th anniversary as a leader in the Philippines seafood business by hosting a special lunch for media at Gallery Vask in Taguig City, showcasing the company’s various product lines and its growth through the years.

The company started off as a distributor of tuna products, but the business soon expanded, offering premium seafood items including Chilean seabass and salmon, as well as soft-shell crab, lobster, shrimp, squid, octopus, bacalao, halibut, dory, scallops, mussels and more. It now retails these in major supermarkets under the Pacific Bay brand.

Valles admits, though, that the company’s biggest challenge is meeting the expectations of its clients for high-quality seafood at value price points. “Our biggest challenge moving forward is, as our customer base grows as well as the food industry in general, diners look for greater value on the menu and, in exchange, our customers demand for better pricing. The balance of being able to provide these additional discounts, managing cashflow and being able to supply greater volumes to offset gross margin decline is the key to our success,” he stressed.

Mida has also been instrumental in reviving the local aquaculture industry, considering the prawns industry had already declined from its high-growth years in the 1980s and 1990s. The Philippines used to be among the top exporters of prawns to the world, however, negligent and unsanitary culture activities led to the near-death of the industry.

“As volumes [of demand for shrimp] grew, we started legislating for the ban on vannamei shrimp [white shrimp] to be lifted,” Valles noted. The Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources had suspended the importation of live species of the vannamei in 2013 to protect the local shrimp industry from being infected with a virus that had affected the shrimp industries of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, China and Indonesia.

“Lifting the ban on importation of the vannamei shrimp, and its subsequent culture would help grow the aquaculture industry. We won this case in the end,” he said.

In fact, the local culture of vannamei shrimp has been successful that the Philippines now exports over 60 50-foot container vans of vannamei shrimp every month. The Mida official also said the growth of the company could also be attributed to its close collaboration with its clients. Its services include menu development, customization of products, as well as training on food safety, among others. “Through research and development, as well as client intimacy, we’ve gained a reputation in the market as a seafood expert,” he said.

 

One Asian seafood exec has some strong advice for aspiring female leaders in the seafood industry. 

After 27 years in the seafood industry, Chingling Tanco knows her way around in the sector -- and has some strong advice for aspiring female future leaders: you can only win with knowledge and expertise.

Having built a business with Philippines-based seafood brokerage Mida Trade Ventures International and importer and distributor Mida Food Distributors, in which she is both the managing director and a major shareholder, Tanco knows that the industry is facing difficulties attracting young female talent into the sector. 

       "It's not a glamorous job," she told IntraFish. "The perception is that you have to be out at the plants a lot, looking at fish. It's not an attractive industry and it takes a certain type of personality."

IntraFish Women in Seafood Leadership Summit puts careers, challenges and social impact in spotlight

Recounting her early days in the industry, Tanco said she was lucky enough to have met people who were passionate about their job -- which ignited something in her.  

        "For me it was a build-up of opportunities," she said. "I continued to meet people who were willing to teach me what they loved doing."

Tanco said she doesn't know if being a woman -- especially in Asia -- makes a difference in the sector. "A personality of passion about what you do has no gender," she said. 

Her advice to aspiring female leaders is simple. 

        "Just try and learn as much as you can about what you're doing and just love it," she said. "Learn and get some expertise because that always gets you in the door. Learn the product, love seafood and build on that."

Tanco believes the industry will be growing in the future, which means women will have to play a bigger role in taking over management roles in the future. 

         "There might be more profitable sectors but it has an immense diversity," something that should lure more females into the sector, she added. 

"Once it gets into your systems it sticks with you. To me the key is expertise and real curiosity and not that I'm a woman," she told IntraFish. "That's the traction and that has no gender."

Ingredients:

12 medium green prawns (about 1.4 kilos)

¹⁄₂ cup rice flour

2 teaspoons salt

3 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 cups peanut oil

Peppercorn

1 -2lemon, cut into wedges to serve

 

Method:

1. Devein Pacific Bay Shrimp and butterfly the prawns.
2. Combine the flour salt and 2 teaspoons of the ground peppercorns in a large bowl. Add prawns and toss to coat in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour from each prawn.
3. Heat the oil in a wok or frypan until very hot. Cook prawns in small batches for about 2 minutes or until crisp. Transfer prawns to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.
4. Place prawns on a serving plate and sprinkle with the peppercorn. Serve with lemon wedges.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 (12 ounces) chicken sausage, sliced in 1/2-inch rounds

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups long-grain rice

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth

salt and ground pepper

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

 

Method:

1. In a heavy 12-inch saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp.
2. Add sausage to pan; cook over medium-high heat until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and rice; cook, stirring to coat, until rice is translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Stir in paprika, turmeric, tomatoes, and broth, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed almost all liquid, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in peas; cook 1 minute. Stir in cooked shrimp; serve immediately.

Ingredients:

12 ounces linguine

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

3/4 cup white wine

2 tablespoons butter1 pack Pacific Bay Clam whole

1/4 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

 

Method:

1. Cook pasta until al dente.
2. Drain pasta
3. Sauté onion, garlic in olive oil.
4. Add clams, cover.
5. Pour white wine, and reduce.
6. Add cooked pasta.
7. Finish with butter, chili and parsley.
8. Season with salt

Ingredients:

2 ½ tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 ¼ cups spring onion

¾ white wine

1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 pack Pacific Bay Seafood Chilean Mussels whole

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

 

Method:

1. Heat butter, add oil.
2. Sauté minced garlic
3. Add mussels, simmer for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add lemon rind and lemon juice
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Finish with spring Onions.

Ingredients:

1 pc Pacific Bay Seafood salmon steak, flaked

Bread Crumbs

 3 Tbsp chopped spring onion

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1 Tbsp fresh chopped dill

3 Tbsp minced green bell pepper

1 Tbsp flour

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Several turns of freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbsp olive oil

 

Method:

1. Mix patty ingredients: In a large bowl, gently mix together the salmon, bread, spring onion, garlic, dill, bell pepper, flour, egg, paprika, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

 

1. Form into 8 patties, each about 1/2 inch thick.

 

1. Brown in skillet: Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Cook the patties until nicely browned on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Ingredients:

1 pound elbow macaroni

6 tablespoons butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

â…› teaspoon chili flakes

3½ cups whole milk

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup mascarpone cheese

1½ cups fresh breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter

salt

1 small clove garlic, pressed or minced

1-2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 pound Boston Lobster meat, cut into chunks

parsley, chopped, for garnish

 

Method:

1. Melt butter, add vegetable oil
2. Saute garlic
3. Add chopped boiled lobster meat then transfer
4. Make the sauce in the same pan: butter, flour, milk, cheese
5. Season with salt and pepper
6. Add cooked macaroni. Put back lobster.
7. Top with lemon zest, pasley, breadcrumbs and cheese of choice. Season with chili flakes.

Ingredients:

2halibut fillets

2tablespoons butter

2tablespoons finely chopped parsley (or other herb of your choice) or 2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano tablespoons finely chopped dill (or other herb of your choice)

salt and pepper, to taste

1teaspoon olive oil

 

Method:

1. Marinade halibut fillets in oregano, parsley, dill and olive oil.
2. Season with salt and pepper
3. Pan fry in butter 4-5 minutes per side.

Ingredients:

100 grams swahe, peeled

100 grams tahong, removed from shell

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 onion, chopped

cooking oil for frying

1 cup bean sprouts

1 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into strips

Spicy Garlic Vinegar

1 cup white vinegar

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 piece chili(siling labuyo), chopped

 

Method:

1. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, egg and water to make a smooth batter. Stir to mix well.
2. Add the seafood, onion, bean sprouts. Mix until seafood and vegetables are well coated.
3. In a frying pan, heat cooking oil and pour about 1/4 cup of the mixture.
4. Deep fry each sides for about 1-2 minutes or until crisp and brown. Drain on paper towels.
5. Repeat until the entire mixture is consumed.
6. Serve hot with spicy garlic vinegar. Enjoy

 

Dipping sauce:

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for spicy garlic vinegar

Ingredients:

4 center-cut bacon slices

3 large navel oranges, juiced

1 1/2 pounds scallops

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon  salt

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons  thyme

Method:

1. Render bacon bits.
2. Take bacon out of the pan, let the oil/fat stay.
3. Sear scallops in bacon fat. 2 minutes per side
4. Deglaze pan with vinegar and fresh orange juice.
5. Season with salt and pepper, add thyme.
6. Serve with fresh orange segments.

Ingredients:

2 cups organic vegetable broth

2 teaspoons thyme

1/2 teaspoon  ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  1 pound medium shrimp

1/3 cup heavy cream

Method:

1. Heat oil in pan
2. Saute onion, carrots, celery
3. Add prawns
4. Add flour
5. Pour in broth
6. Cook for 1 minute add thyme, season with salt and pepper.
7. Add cream
8. Finish with thyme.

 

Ingredients:

250 gr squid (cut in ring shape)

1 salted egg (yoke only)

1/2 lemon

salt & pepper

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 cup corn flour (maizena)

pinch baking powder

5 garlic

4 red chili

spring onion (chopped)

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

5 tablespoon water

2 tablespoon butter or margarine

Method:

1. Marinade squid with lemon, salt and pepper, sesame oil.
2. Prepare dredge mixture, cornstarch salt and pepper, butter
3. Dredge
4. Fry

Ingredients:

1 pound large shrimps

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon oil

3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 Thai chili peppers, stemmed and minced

1 cup evaporated milk

6 salted egg yolks, mashed

½ teaspoon sugar

salt to taste

 

Method:

1. Heat batter and oil
2. Saute onion, garlic, chili
3. Pour evap milk
4. Add salted egg yolk
5. Add sugar
6. Season with salt and pepper
7. Add prawns.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup chicken broth

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp canola oil

Salt

Ground black pepper

500g Pacific Bay Salmon Steaks

 

Method:

1. Make the sauce: simmer lemon broth and cream, season and set aside.
2. Pan fry salmon in oil, season with salt and pepper.
3. Once cooked pour the sauce back in.

Ingredients:

250g Jumbo Shrimp

2 Tbsp olive oil

Zest from 1 lime

2 Tbsp lime juice

½ tsp chili flakes

6-10 strips thin bacon, cut in half (half as many pieces of bacon as there are shrimp)

toothpicks

Instructions:

1. Marinade shrimp: Lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, chili flakes
2. Wrap prawns in bacon and secure with toothpick
3. Pan fry until opaque roughly 3-4 minutes each side.

Ingredients:

250g  Pacific Bay Squid Rings

1 egg yolk

1 cup ice cold tonic water

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup corn starch

3/4 cup flour

Cayenne pepper

Canola oil

Method:

1. Make the batter: combine baking soda, cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper.
2. Combine wet ingredients: tonic water, egg yolk
3. Combine wet and dry
4. Dip squid in batter
5. Fry squid until golden.
6. Drain excess oil.

Ingredients:

160g Pacific bay Atlantic Cod cut into small chunks

½ cup lime juice

½ cup lemon juice

½ red onion finely chopped

½ cup tomato, seeded

1 large siling haba chopped

2 tsp salt

Dash of ground oregano

Dash of cayenne pepper

Spring Roll wrapper

Method:

1. Combine lime and lemon juice in a mixing bowl.
2. Add salt pepper onions.
3. Add fish.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients.
5. Serve with fried spring roll wrapper.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup olive oil, divided

2-3 red, yellow, and green bell peppers, seeded and julienned

1 red onion, julienned

1 carrot, julienned

1 siling haba, seeded and minced

1 cup cider vinegar

160g pacific bay atlantic cod portions

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup flour for dredging

1 bay leaf

6 white pepper

 

Method:

1. Saute onion, carrots, bell peppers, chili and bay leaf in olive oil
2. Add vinegar. Season with salt and white pepper
3. Dust finish with four salt and pepper
4. Pan fry until golden
5. Pour veggie mixture in fried fish

Ingredients:

225g cream cheese

1 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp mustard

2 tbsp powdered sugar

4 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp Paprika

1/4 cup white wine

1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

500g Pacific Bay Crabsticks

1/4 cup parsley

Day old French bread cubed

Method:

1. In a pan add butter, flour, milk, cream cheese – set aside
2. In a separate pan heat oil, add lemon zest, and wine
3. Combine 1^st mixture to pan. Add mayo, mustard sugar and lemon
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Dip bread and crab sticks.

Ingredients:

8 ounces Pacific bay Shrimp Jumbo, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 eggs, beaten

2 stalks green onion, minced

4 cups leftover rice, grains separated well

3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots and corn, defrosted

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoon oyster sauce

Method:

1. Saute shrimp in garlic and oil.
2. Add corn, peas and carrots.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add oyster sauce and soy sauce. Set aside.
5. Make egg crepe or thin egg’
6. Wrap rice with egg.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Spring onion

1 Green onion, minced

1 tbsp Lime

​2 tbsp lemon juice

250g Pacific Bay Crabsticks, shredded

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients together. Mix well.

Ingredients:

3 pcs. 2x2 dory fillets

½ cup flour (seasoned with salt and pepper)

1 egg

½ cup parmesan cheese

Vegetable oil for frying

Salt

Method:

1. Prepare breading station, flour, eggs, parmesan cheese
2. Coat fish fillets
3. Fry dory until golden brown and drain excess oil in paper towels
4. Serve over lemon/lime slices.

Ingredients:

200g Pacific Bay Tuna Steak

2 tsp salt

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tbsp. butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp whole peppercorns

Method:

1. Season tuna steaks with salt and cayenne pepper.
2. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the peppercorn in the mixture until softened and pops.
3. Place seasoned tuna in the pan and cook to desired doneness. 1 ½ minutes per side.

Ingredients:

1 dozen Mida baby squid

4 tbsp butter

1 tsp sugar

Cayenne pepper

3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Olive oil

½ cup green and yellow bell pepper, diced

5 cloves garlic minced

Method:

1. In a nonstick pan, heat butter with olive oil
2. Saute garlic and toss in baby squid.
3. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
4. Add Worcestershire sauce and sugar
5. Add bell peppers.
6. Serve.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

3 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ts

p salt

1 tbsp white sugar

1 ¼ cups milk

1 egg

3 tbsp butter

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 dozen 2 inch size octopus meat

Barbecue sticks

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Combine batter ingredients
2. Dip octopus in batter, fry until golden.

Certified  ISO 9001:2015

Mida Food Distributors, Inc (Mida Food) is proud to announce that we are now ISO 9001:2015 certified. To become ISO 9001:2015 certified, Mida Food underwent an evaluation process that included: quality management system development, a management system documentation review, pre-audit, initial assessment, and clearance of non-conformances, all of which work to identify corrective actions that eliminate non-conformance to the quality management standard.

Mida Foods decision to become ISO 9001: 2015 certified is a proactive one that not only anticipates the demands of our customers, but also demonstrates a commitment to providing quality products and services to all current and future customers. To maintain our certification, Mida Food together with Intertek, its certifying body, will perform audits to ensure compliance and to assess initiatives for continued improvement.

This certification further strengthens our commitment to our customers and our Company Quality Policy:

We at Mida Food are committed to provide the best quality seafood products, accompanied by excellent services beyond customer expectations. Our people’s capabilities shall be developed and improved so that they may be more competent and able to provide a working environment that reflects quality as a way of life.

We would also like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to our customers and suppliers for their continued commitment and loyalty. Mida Food will always strive to exceed their high expectations. With our goals focused on the emphasis of quality assurance and product innovation, we look forward to bringing the business to new heights in the months and years to come. 

For more information please feel free to contact us.
Mida Food HQ
T: +63 2 5240006
E: mfd.sales@midafood.com
W: www.midafood.com

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The recent surge in the culinary landscape has resulted in an increased interest in cooking, encouraging many to experiment in their own kitchens. With Pacific Bay, sourcing ingredients is not a problem. The seafood specialist makes it easy to duplicate dishes served at restaurants or seen on television with its wide range of frozen fresh products harvested from the seven seas.

Pacific Bay carries Chilean seabass from the Antarctic, Salmon from Norway, and Halibut from Greenland. The brand also offers Atlantic Cod and Bacalao from Iceland and Black cod or Gindara caught in Alaska. Vietnam is where Pacific Bay gets its Cream Dory, clams and squid rings. Crab sticks are obtained from Thailand and scallop meat is from the US. Tuna and shrimps are gathered from local territory as well as nearby Indonesia. Soft shell crabs are from Indonesia too.

Every item released to the market is carefully selected. “We only buy from certified plants,” reveals Enrique Valles, President of Pacific Bay. The company works very closely with the Food and Drug Assocation and runs its own facility which strictly abides by mandated manufacturing practices. Quality inspections of equipment and personnel for food handling and safety are done regularly. “

A cold chain is strictly followed when handling and transporting the products so quality is maintained and natural seafood texture is retained. The taste and freshness are locked into each double-packed bag. Pacific Bay monitors its products up to the selling points. “We have on site merchandisers that monitor and take care of the products at the supermarkets,” assures Valles.

 

Pacific Bay products are available at Rustan’s, S&R, Puregold, Shopwise and other leading supermarkets nationwide.

Pacific Bay is the retail brand of Mida Food, which has been in the business of importing and distributing seafood products for almost two decades. It is under the umbrella of the 25-year old Mida Trade.

For more information, log on to www.midafood.com, like pacificbayph on Facebook and follow @pacificbayph on Instagram.

 

http://cookmagazine.ph/blog/2015/05/11/the-freshest-catch-from-pacific-bay/

For this session, there are five (5) mouth-watering recipes that CHEF RIKKS shared with us. Crabcakes with Aioli Dill Sauce,  Poached Salmon with Dijon Cream Sauce, Honey Sesame Glazed Prawn with Arugula & Raspberry Vinaegrette, Pan-Grilled Sea Bass with Port Wine Reduction, Cream Dory Tandoori with Raisin Couscous

Personally I like all of them, after Chef Rikks showed us how easy to cook them and after eating the portions we were given. It's not the traditional tasting, because the sampler came in big portions unlike in other cooking demos I have attended. But what keeps me wishing to have a go at cooking them are the Crabcakes with Aioli Dill Sauce, the Honey Sesame Glazed Prawn with Arugula and Raspberry Vinaegrette, and the Cream Dory Tandoori with Raisin Couscous.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• Fresh ParsleyWorcestershire Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 piece lemon and zest
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lb Blue Swimming Crab Lump Meat
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• Half stick butter

for Aioli:

• 1 piece garlic clove
• Sea salt
• Black Pepper
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• Around 600ml extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice and zest
• Fresh Dill

1. Beat eggs in a bowl and add parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice and seasoning. Mix well.
2. Gently fold in crabmeat and normal breadcrumbs until mixture is no longer moist.
3. Gently make 6-8 balls out of the mixture. Then flatter into thick patties.
4. Ligtly coat the patties in panko breadcrumbs and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Fry in butter until golden brown. Squeeze lemon when done.

For Aioli:

1. Smash garlic and salt in a large bowl (or pestel and mortar)
2. Combine with egg yolk and mustard. Mix together.
3. Start adding the olive oil little by little, whisking continuously.
4. Add the lemon juice/zest, and dill.
5. Season to taste.

 

For this session, there are five (5) mouth-watering recipes that CHEF RIKKS shared with us. Crabcakes with Aioli Dill Sauce,  Poached Salmon with Dijon Cream Sauce, Honey Sesame Glazed Prawn with Arugula & Raspberry Vinaegrette, Pan-Grilled Sea Bass with Port Wine Reduction, Cream Dory Tandoori with Raisin Couscous

Personally I like all of them, after Chef Rikks showed us how easy to cook them and after eating the portions we were given. It's not the traditional tasting, because the sampler came in big portions unlike in other cooking demos I have attended. But what keeps me wishing to have a go at cooking them are the Crabcakes with Aioli Dill Sauce, the Honey Sesame Glazed Prawn with Arugula and Raspberry Vinaegrette, and the Cream Dory Tandoori with Raisin Couscous.

Ingredients:

• 500 grams peeled prawns
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• Canola Oil
• 1 piece Birdseye chili (labuyo)
• 1 bunch mixed salad leaves and arugula

For Vinaigrette:

• Raspberry Vinegar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Grainy Mustard
• Salt and Pepper

Method

1.  Stir fry prawns in oil for 2 minutes. Add chili and sesame seeds. Let simmer for 10 seconds.
2. Add honey and mix well. Set aside to cool.
3. Combine raspberry vinegar, mustard and olive oil. Mix well until emulsified. Season. Serve over salad.

 

 

For this session, there are five (5) mouth-watering recipes that CHEF RIKKS shared with us. Crabcakes with Aioli Dill Sauce,  Poached Salmon with Dijon Cream Sauce, Honey Sesame Glazed Prawn with Arugula & Raspberry Vinaegrette, Pan-Grilled Sea Bass with Port Wine Reduction, Cream Dory Tandoori with Raisin Couscous

Personally I like all of them, after Chef Rikks showed us how easy to cook them and after eating the portions we were given. It's not the traditional tasting, because the sampler came in big portions unlike in other cooking demos I have attended. But what keeps me wishing to have a go at cooking them are the Crabcakes with Aioli Dill Sauce, the Honey Sesame Glazed Prawn with Arugula and Raspberry Vinaegrette, and the Cream Dory Tandoori with Raisin Couscous.

Ingredients

• Cream Dory fillets, cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp Garam masala, cumin powder, turmeric, curry, nutmeg, coriander seeds, cardamom, cinnamon seeds
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup couscous (dry)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• A handful of raisin
• 1 lemon/box of couscous

Methods

1.  Mix yogurt and all dry spices together. 
2. Skewer the fish cubes and season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour over yogurt mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Bring chicken stock to a boil.
5. In a large bowl, pour heated stock over couscous mixture. Add lemon zest.
6. Cover and let set for 10 minutes.
7. Mix with a fork to ensure couscous is nice and fluffy. Add raisins.
8. Place skewers over a grill on high heat.
9. Serve over couscous.

After plating, each dish was taken to a designated table where the invited food photographers could take pictures without disrupting the class.  We had picture takings, too, with Chef Rikks. Wonder if Tess will send me a copy for posterity.One thing is sure, though this is my first, it certainly won't be the last Maya class I'll attend.So MTL, be ready.

 

IT ALL STARTED WITH AN IDEA, says Lourdes "Chingling" Tanco, Managing Director of MIDA (originally, Management Investment Development Associates), a name closely associated with brother, former Philippine agriculture minister, 
Bong Tanco, but which now has hardly anything to do with its founding objectives. "It just rings a bell, so I decided to use it (the acronym)," she laughs. MIDA is Chingling's seafood trading and distribution business that counts around 15 years of servicing many of the country's top fine and casual dining spots. 

Ask the edgy chefs behind Le Soufflé, Cibo and Ilustrado, to name a few; throw in some five-star hotels, like the Shangri-la group, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and the Peninsula Manila, caterers, like Miascor and Philippine Airlines, resorts, like Tagaytay Highlands and Island Cove, and the more accessible dining places, like Cabalen, Jollibee, Don Henrico's, TCI Fridays, Fish & Co., Dencio's and Goldilocks, and you get the picture. Through the years, MIDA has acquired a roster of satisfied customers coming from practically all market sectors, including, as Seafood Product Manager Lynette Jugueta affirms, small cafeterias and even private households. 

"Chingling Tanco and Mida Foods are the best seafood purveyors in town," says J Camboa, executive chef of El Cirkulo. "We've been working together since 1995. They have consistently provided quality and unique seafood for El Cirkulo and our other restaurants (Milkyway Café, Tsukiji and Azumaya). Chingling even calls me while she's on a buying trip in Europe or the States to ask if I am interested in a particular item. Now, that's service!" 

"Chefs are always looking for something new: I wanna have something special that only I have, that you can't find in any other restaurant. The ideas come from them or from us. That's why I love attending those monthly chefs' tables, where we talk about food and new ideas," explains foodie Chingling, who is no stranger to the trading business.

From college, she joined an American company that traded feed ingredients and fertilizers in the USA and Asia. In 1985, she moved into shrimp trading, her old company being acquired by ConAgra, the second largest food company in the USA and owner of Singleton Seafood Company, the largest shrimp processor in the US. In 1986, she went to Indonesia as country manager for a joint venture trading company between ConAgra and a private banker to capitalize on Indonesia's promotion of its non-oil! gas exports. In 1990, she was assigned to the Philippines to start a trading office that would source shrimp for Singleton and other ConAgra seafood companies. She left the firm soon after to put up MIIDA Trade Ventures International, Inc. and MIDA Food Distributors, Inc. 

"In 1997, seafood was getting scarcer in the Philippines-not much to export. We noticed that the products that we were buying from Indonesia could be brought to the Philippines and sold for profit. We started with tuna pangu and tuna belly, sent them by air from Bali to Manila and sold them directly to restaurants in the Philippines. The cargo sold like hotcakes and we got enthused. We did this for several shipments before we gathered up enough courage to bring in a whole container of stuff."

It is difficult to imagine a table devoid of pork and all its by-products at this time. Beef, too, cooked in numerous ways. But I truly wonder if it is ever possible to have a table filled with fish of all sorts, in lieu of our old-time favorites.

I recently got in touch with Enrique Valles, chief commercial officer of Mida Food, the country’s premier seafood specialist and a direct importer for and distributor to top restaurants, food chains and retail establishments.

I asked if he thought a meatless Christmas is even conceivable. “Of course, but unlikely,” he said. “I’ve always thought that serving a whole fish, say a whole salmon or halibut (poached, baked, grilled) is more decadent and looks as much of a feast as lechon. Add Christmas flavors like cinnamon, honey or even berry (strawberry, raspberry, etc.) glazes, and you’ve got yourself a wonderful and refreshing alternative to your typical ham!”

Just this week, Mida launched Pacific Bay, which aims to provide consumers easy access to great-quality restaurant-standard seafood at affordable prices.

“We have a select range of items sold under Pacific Bay, namely Cream Dory Fillet, Halibut Fillet, Chilean Seabass Steaks, Gindara Steaks, Halibut Steaks, Tuna Belly Premium, US Scallop Meat, Crabstick. We’re also developing King Crab, Tuna Saku Bars, Hamachi, among other things, in the pipeline soon,” said Valles. “You can find Pacific Bay in most SM Hypermarts, Robinsons Supermarket, and soon in S&R, Rustan’s, Shopwise.”

I have always wondered how home cooks can share in our joy of being able to pick from a colossal list of tasty treats from the sea; now, with Pacific Bay, it has become possible. Its blue packaging is hard to miss and is loaded with information. It has facts on fish and shellfish, cooking tips, the best way to thaw, how to pick seafood right, etc.

So to add to your holiday repertoire, I asked Enrique to suggest ways to cook and serve their new product line. Valles, who also happens to be a chef and owner of Chucks Grub, a fish and chips restaurant, quickly agreed.

Cream dory: Coat in beer batter a la Chucks Grub! The secret is in making a perfect beer batter that forms a solid crust around the fish, allowing it to steam inside.

Halibut, sea bass, gindara: Pan-fry with a bit of butter over high heat. Gindara has the highest fat content and therefore will caramelize the most. Halibut is the firmest and smallest of the three.

Tuna: Perfect raw (toro) or lightly cured, or at most grilled over low coal flame.

Scallops: Pan-fry over very high heat, basting constantly with butter. Takes less than 3 minutes to cook.

Crabstick, kani salad: Japanese mayonnaise, cucumbers, tobiko—you can even add mangoes and some greens if you wish.

Shellfish: Cast over a grill; the clams will cook for about 5-6 minutes. Let them cook in their own juice. When they open, dab with parsley butter.

Squid: Score squid fillet and grill for 2 minutes per side, or until it folds. Cut into strips, squeeze lemon and season.

Shrimp: Gambas al pilpil, but shrimp needs to be super-fresh for the oil to emulsify. With garlic plus a bit of chili, low-heat in a clay pot; mix it around until sauce thickens and shrimp is cooked.

Nice crab lump meat: Mix with garlic and chili and mix with linguini. Use very good extra-virgin olive oil!

The best way to cook fish, added Valles, is for one to start with a very hot pan and, halfway through cooking, turn the heat off. This guarantees that you lock in the flavor without overcooking the fish.

For his festive fish recipe, Valles combined two recipes into one for that extra holiday feel.

“For me, the most festive Christmas seafood you can find is salmon. A nice fresh Norwegian salmon slab will give our good old ham a run for its money any day of the week,” he said.

 

Roasted Norwegian Salmon Fillet with Ginger Strawberry Glaze

1 Atlantic salmon fillet 2-3kg/pc skin on

1 lemon

½ c strawberry jam (the chunkier

the better)

1 thumb-size ginger, no need to peel

¼ brown sugar

3 c water

1 tsp fennel seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 180ºC.

1. Season the salmon fillet with salt and pepper.

2. Squeeze half of one lemon over the meat side.

3.  Place in oven and bake for 4 minutes, skin side down.

In the meantime, make your glaze.

4. Mix strawberry jam, brown sugar, ginger, water, fennel seeds and the rest of the lemon in a sauce pot.

5. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer and thicken, around 7 minutes.

6. Take salmon out of the oven and drizzle half the glaze over the meat; make sure to spread out evenly.

7. Bake for another 6 minutes.

8. Take out of oven and drizzle the rest of your glaze over the meat.

Serve immediately.

 

Ever since I started getting my smoked salmon from Chingling Tanco of Mida Foods, it has been difficult to find others that are as satisfying. Her salmon is firm, with no aftertaste, and it never crumbles even after defrosting. It remains chewy and simply delicious. 

Hers is salmon trout, smoked fresh,  then frozen. Because it does not go through refreezing, the natural oils and wonderful flavors of fresh salmon are locked in.

This year, Mida Foods has come up with gravlax. No need to cure salmon in salt, sugar and dill and to wait days before you can enjoy it.

I serve mine sprinkled with freshly cracked pepper, lemon wedges, crisp bread and mustard dill sauce made by combining ½ c sour cream, 2 tsp wine vinegar, 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp chopped capers and 2-3 tsp fresh dill, pinch of sugar and salt.

Alaskan king crab leg

This is another treat: sweet, large chunks of crab meat, a satisfying mouthful that tastes of the sea. It has been par boiled, thawed and quick-steamed for five to eight minutes.

Although I made a sauce, I didn’t serve it after I tasted the crab meat. I believe it is best eaten alone with just a squeeze of lemon.

For gravlax, king crab, smoked salmon and hamachi, call 5240006.

See more at:

http://www.inquirer.net/travel-philippines/articles?pid=141891&chan=8#sthash.lyl4wbD1.dpuf

I have relied on Mida Food  for just about every seafood need: fish of any kind (bass, skate, roughy, trout, apahap, tuna, halibut, salmon), fresh or smoked, whole, headless, fillet, steak cut, fresh, belly, tail cut, head,  any part and any which way; crustaceans (shelled, in a half shell, soft-shelled, whole, claws); mussels, scallops, shrimp (shrimp balls/shabu-shabu balls); kani, lobsters (whole/tails); cephalopods (octopus and squid of all sizes, cleaned whole, etc.).

The list goes on.

I just concluded a seafood class and was once again very happy. The unbeatable Mida team of Chingling Tanco, Enrique Valles and Lynette Jugueta always delivers supplies on time, wherever, even on very short notice.

I cooked a delicious black seabass with lemon truffle sauce. The black bass tastes very much like the Chilean. The difference is that the flesh is darker, with  slightly firmer bite. It’s a whole lot cheaper, too, and the sea still has an abundant supply of it, according to  Valles, Mida’s chief commercial officer.

The baby squids were equally delectable, an inch in length, including the head. This was how I cooked them: I washed, cleaned and removed the bone, then drained and seasoned the squids with salt and pepper, with a good squeeze of lemon juice.

I then put the squids in a Glad Zip bag where I mixed 2/3 cup cornstarch (I like it better than flour) and 1/3 cup potato starch with a pinch of salt. I shook them until the squids were evenly coated with the flour mixture.

Then, I  deep-fried them in hot oil until nice and lightly golden.

Do not overcook, and do not overload your pan either.

Cook the squid in batches and wait a few seconds for the oil to once again heat up (between the removal of the cooked batch and the frying of the next).

I served the dish with homemade aioli (garlic mayonnaise), salsa (onions, tomatoes, cilantro, olive oil, parsley, salt, pepper and lemon juice) and lemon wedges.

New service

I have worked with Mida for so long but never have I been as excited as I am now, with Mida’s new service of delivering  to customers. It’s a fishy Christmas present in Styro cooler with dry ice, put together based on your budget, with recipes, a beautiful bow and your Christmas wishes on a card!

It even accepts credit card payments. Its delivery trucks are equipped with  wireless credit card machines. How cool is that?

You need not order in bulk. Mida will deliver any order for a  P300 fee. (Delivery fees are waived for orders P5,000 and above.)

On Mida’s Christmas promo list: halibut, salmon, seabass, US scallops, soft-shell crab, New Zealand half-shell mussels.

According to Valles: “Special mention must go to our smoked salmon, as it really is the best in town, promise!” (Mida Food, tel. 0917-8902327 or 5240006).

Gourmet desserts

Nic’s Gourmet Desserts has opened its doors at 172 A. Mabini, San Juan.

I got to know of Nic’s while dining in a coffee shop. The caramel cake we brought home had a sticker that read Nic’s  with contact number.  I then ordered mini caramel cakes (in its outlet it is called dulce de leche) and a couple of  mini apple pies.

The apple pie is classic, the  type we grew up with before everything became so complicated—packed with apples and capped with nice generous helping of moist crumbly streusel. I enjoy it warmed in  toaster oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I’d forgotten about Nic’s until a month ago when I was on my way to pick up my son Diego. I saw the cake box-like structure that serves as its store in San Juan, and I just had to drop by.

I was hungry and had a few minutes to spare before dismissal time. I had a slice of meat lasagna and a slice of dulce de leche. I like eating sweet and savory at the same time—weird!

The lasagna was delicious. It was meaty, and the wavy lasagna noodle used perfectly held the chunky pieces of meat and thus gave the dish a substantial bite. A satisfying mouthful, it was the perfect comfort food at its finest.

The quantity of béchamel was also just right, enough to keep it moist and tasty yet not cloying. And it is generously slathered with cheese.

The lasagna is always available and comes in three sizes. Perfect for a holiday potluck or even if you’re just too lazy to cook for the family.

The store even carries vegetable lasagna. I’ve vowed to try it sometime, though the meat lasagna always calls louder than the vegetable one.

I also enjoy eating the wheat crisps with just about anything—dips, spreads, patés and the tasty parmesan ensaimada (bread-y, not the soft, airy kind). These are all welcome additions to our list of Christmas gift ideas. (Nic’s, tel. 5711818, 7160321, 7155831).

For information on my new cooking class schedules, call 0917-5543700/ 0908-2372346/ 4008496/ 9289296.

This is one of the most popular ways to prepare codfish in Portugal. Wine suggestion: a full-bodied red wine. The intensity of the flavors of the dish needs a strong balance. Guadalupe Red is an excellent wine to pair with this dish. 

Ingredients

• 500 g salted codfish 
• 750 g freshly fried potatoes (shoestring cut) 
• 6 eggs 
• 150 ml white wine 
• 3 medium onions 
• 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 6 garlic cloves 
• 2 tsp chopped parsley 
• Salt 
• Black pepper 
• Nutmeg 
• 12-18 black olives (not chopped) 

Instructions

1. Fry potatoes until golden. Do not brown. Drain. 
2. Bring water to a boil and add the codfish; cook for 7-10 minutes. Usually, when you start smelling the fish, it is time to take it out. Leave to cool. 
3. Flake fish. 
4. Drizzle pan with olive oil. 
5. Add bay leaves and onion. Cook until golden but not caramelized. 
6. Add garlic. 
7. Two minutes later, add fish. 
8. Season with pepper and nutmeg. 
9. Cook for 3 minutes, mixing gently and not allowing it to stick to the bottom of the pan. 
10. Add shoestring fried potatoes. 
11. Add wine. 
12. Add half of the olives and half of the parsley, the whole time mixing gently. 
13. Add eggs over low fire. 
14. Stop cooking while eggs are still slightly wet. 
15. Garnish with remaining olives and parsley. 
16. Serve immediately. 

In the season of Lent, bacalao is the ultimate indulgence. So, when I received a text message from Chingling Tanco saying that she finally had slightly salted bacalao (Atlantic cod premium loins, the type that needs no overnight soaking and behaves more like a meaty, juicy fish steak when left whole and soft and supple when flaked), I was overly excited. More so when I found out how much they were being sold for. 

I asked João Branquinho (who, by being Portuguese, has earned the right to be a bacalao whiz) to share his recipes with us. My personal favorite dish of his is the homey Bacalhau al Bras. João also happens to roast the finest chicken with piri-piri sauce (the thought alone makes my mouth water) and imports excellent yet reasonably priced Portuguese wines of distinct character. 

João says his recipes are good for four, and best eaten with bread, boiled or baked potatoes, or rice. Note: If you are using regular salted bacalao instead of loins for these recipes, soak the fish overnight with several water changes. 

Bacalhau com Ameijoas

Wine suggestions for this excellent dish: Vinho Verde or Alvarinho. 

These are wines with character and aroma—perfect with seafood and hot spices. 

Ingredients

• 500 g codfish loin (about 4) 
• 500 g clams 
• 200 ml Vinho Verde (Casa do Valle is the one I use) 
• 3 medium onions, diced 
• 4 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced 
• 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 12 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
• ½ bunch each of flat leaf parsley and coriander, chopped 
• Diced red bell pepper 
• Diced bird’s eye labuyo (to taste) 
• 1 tsp butter 
• Salt 
• Black pepper 
• 2 tsp lemon juice 

Instructions

1. In a pot, put 2 tbsp of olive oil; when hot, add 2 sliced onions. Let it cook in low fire for 5 minutes before adding 8 cloves of garlic. Let it cook for 2 minutes. 
2. Add 2 tbsp bell pepper and labuyo to taste. 
3. Add clams and cover the pot. Let it cook for 2 minutes. 
4. Add parsley and coriander. 
5. Add 150 ml of wine and cover. Let the clams open and add butter. Turn off heat. 
6. Season to taste and add lemon. 
7. In another pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil, add bay leaf, onion and diced tomatoes. 
8. Add 50 ml wine, 4 cloves of garlic, black pepper and mix gently. Let it cook in low fire. 
9. Add codfish and slow-cook for 5 minutes; turn the loins carefully and cook another 5 minutes. 
10. Arrange on a serving platter.

Mida Foods is a supplier of  frozen seafood, but now it also supplies fresh salmon, ocean-farmed from Norway. Enrique Valles of Mida sent me a link to a website (salmonfromnorway.com) developed by the brand who supplies their salmon, which I found very interesting.

“While some have expressed concerns that ocean-farmed salmon are dyed to mimic wild salmon,” the website says, “this is inaccurate. The pinkish-red color of wild and ocean-farmed salmon comes from a natural oxycarotenoid called astaxanthin—not from dyes or coloring agents.

“In the wild, fish absorb astaxanthin by eating small crustaceans. Ocean-farmed salmon receive astaxanthin as part of their diet in supplement form, the same way humans take vitamin supplements. Studies have also shown that consuming astaxanthin is beneficial to humans as it can boost immune response and acts as a free radical antioxidant.”

The fish are fed with dried pellets that contain marine raw materials (fish oil and fish meal from wild fish) and vegetable raw material, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

“To better utilize resources, the marine life used in salmon feed comes from sustainable stocks of fish species that are not suitable for human consumption. In addition, vegetable oils have been added to the feed to reduce the strain on limited marine resources. While this has caused the level of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids in fish to fall, the remaining amount of omega 3 found in ocean-raised fish is still several times higher than the internationally recommended amount of 0.5 grams per day.”

Isn’t it good to know that our food has likewise been fed and raised in a manner that’s sustainable and humane?
According to Valles, customers’ orders are received by 3 p.m, Friday. Then the orders are air-freighted to the Philippines and delivered to the Mida plant Wednesday evening the following week, ready for delivery on Thursday.
Customers do not need to order in bulk,  they can order per piece with delivery daily (following our delivery schedule) in case they do not have enough storage.