PAGDIRIWANG PHILIPPINE FESTIVAL 2025
Culinary Art Display
The heartwarming appeal of a Filipino merienda beckons us to partake of a culinary treat in between meals during the day. This year’s Pagdiriwang Culinary Art Exhibit features some of the “Kakanin” or Merienda fares enjoyed at Filipino snack time tradition, which is between breakfast and lunch, between lunch and dinner, or at any time during the day when one needs a snack to consume and enjoy. The treats give a jolt of happiness, comfort, and energy during the day and also serve as a welcome break from work.
This year, the MERIENDA or KAKANIN is featured at the annual Philippine Culinary Art Exhibit by Violeta Noriega at the Pagdiriwang Festival 2025. Some selected fares are displayed using a Filipino arts and crafts background, enhancing the rustic appeal of the variety of native food specialties and offerings.
Merienda offerings come in many forms - fresh fruits, cooked concoctions, and hot or cold beverages. Snacking in between meals is a pleasure indulged especially by Filipinos and friends at any time of the day when one clamors for a snack to help break the monotony of the day, work, or school. It does wonders to reinvigorate the energy. Indulgence in merienda is happiness for some, and for others, it is a necessary lifeline in getting energy and pleasure to continue on with the day’s work.
ABOUT VIOLETA NORIEGA
Violeta Noriega, author, artist, and curator, is the creative force behind the Philippine culinary special events and creative exhibits at the annual Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival at the Seattle Center and in various events in North America. She elevates, enhances, and shares her Philippine food art and presentations with her innovative and inspiring ideas.
Filipino arts and handcrafted items are featured in Violet’s creations of simple or elaborate, and unique table settings. Her “Philippine Tablescape” was featured at a Barong fashion show event reception at the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver, BC. Her most recent culinary art display, Philippine Refreshments or “Pampalamig,” was featured at the 2024 Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, wherein thirst-quenching refreshments were displayed. She shared some of the favorite Filipino drinks, as well as some of her innovative concoctions.
Violeta conducted several culinary art events and exhibits at the annual Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival since 1992: Philippine Cooking Contests; Philippine Table Centerpieces Contests; Food Demonstration on the Main Stage; Workshop on Food Garnishes; Merienda Spread; Saba – Banana Snack Features; Philippine Desserts; Igorot Rood Crop Features; Bahay Kubo-inspired Vegetable and Fruits; Coconut Features; Merienda, Snacks; Philippine Refreshments; A Variety of Filipino Food Spread; Philippine Table Settings and many more.
She is a self-taught artist and does paper art designs and other artworks. As an author and publisher, she wrote the popular cookbook, “Philippine Recipes Made Easy,” which is on its more than 10 printings and garnered many positive reviews on amazon.com and from users. She published language booklets, “Easy Filipino Phrases” and “Selected Filipino Proverbs.” Violeta serves the educational community as a resource for Philippine books, bilingual children’s books, and materials. Violeta holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines, Diliman.
A Philippine Merienda can be sweet or savory. Some of the popular items are: Fresh fruits such as banana, mango, papaya, and other tropical fruits. Cooked merienda fares such as bibingkang kanin (cooked sweetened sticky rice), puto or rice cakes, kutsinta with grated coconut, pitsi-pitsi, fresh fruits, porridge, guinataan or mixed fruits cooked in coconut milk, sweetened just right.
Savory chicken arrozcaldo, a porridge, is a popular fare, with a dash of calamansi or lemon juice, a popular pick-me-upper. Pansit, or a noodle dish with vegetables, can also be enjoyed to the fullest. Or a lusciously rich halo-halo concoction (mixed cooked fruits with cooked sweet beans, gelatin, and other goodies), which is served with or without ice cream on top of crushed ice, can be eagerly consumed by those with a sweet tooth. Desserts can be a form of merienda.
The exhibit display features some Merienda fare pictures and a display of some fruits and other concoctions on Philippine arts and crafts items. Colorful and rustic backgrounds accentuate the Filipino culinary snacks, a treat for the eyes and senses. ENJOY!
