Chef Myrna Segismundo emphasized that educating foreigners about Filipino cuisine helps boost tourism by showcasing the country’s rich culture.

In the 3 October episode of DAILY TRIBUNE’s Pairfect, Chef Myrna shared that Filipino food used to be unfamiliar on the international stage, recalling her early experiences being invited to food festivals abroad.

"I would like to be able to lecture, conduct cooking demos, speak to the press, the media, and the academe to explain what our culinary culture is all about — and to introduce our ingredients and cooking techniques so they can better understand where we’re coming from," she said.

She noted that in the past, the Philippines was often promoted through “fear factor” foods like balut and salagubang. “Filipinos love to scare the audience,” she observed, “but for me, Filipino food is so much more than that.”

Chef Myrna recalled how difficult it was to serve authentic Filipino dishes abroad due to the lack of key ingredients such as vinegar, patis, bagoong, and even saba bananas. "You had to use plantains, which are completely different from our saba," she explained. "Is it still Filipino cuisine if we’re using ingredients that aren’t from the Philippines?"

These challenges led her to seek the support of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Department of Tourism through cultural diplomacy efforts, which included cooking demonstrations and lectures.

At first, their audience consisted mostly of Filipinos abroad who longed for the flavors of home. This, she said, helped build confidence in promoting Filipino food internationally. “Because then, we were making the Filipinos happy,” she said.