EMBASSY
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF FRIED KIND
Something called a UFO landed in Makati from Brunei. Nobody ran. They watched it hit the hot oil, then ate it.
Brunei brought a UFO to Makati.
Small, brown, round. Deep-fried.
They call it kuih UFO, though it is better known as penyaram, a traditional sweet found in Brunei and elsewhere around Borneo.
It landed in Makati recently.
The Embassy of Brunei Darussalam and Royal Brunei Airlines were holding "Taste of Brunei," an event promoting the tiny Southeast Asian kingdom and its Visit Brunei 2027 campaign.
Penyaram starts with a simple batter. Drop it into hot oil and something peculiar happens. The middle rises thick and chewy while the outside spreads into a thin, crisp, scalloped rim.
It ends up looking a little like a flying saucer.
Hence the name.
Brunei's own tourism authority uses it.
At the Makati event, guests watched a live demonstration of how it is made, one of the country's traditional teatime snacks.
The frying was part of a larger pitch. Brunei wants more people to come visit.
Its 2027 tourism campaign carries the theme "Abode of Peace: Discover Brunei," and the Makati gathering brought together embassy officials and people from the travel industry.