For more than six decades, MAYA has been a trusted name in Filipino kitchens, synonymous with home cooking and baking. Its culinary arts center, The Maya Kitchen, continues to nurture culinary education through lifestyle classes and short courses.

Now, MAYA ushers in a new chapter with the revival of The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite, a special cooking demonstration series that gives chefs and restaurateurs a platform to share curated recipes. Originally held from 2010 to 2016, the program returns with renewed purpose: highlighting heritage Filipino ingredients, strengthening ties with regional food producers, and reintroducing pantry staples to a new generation through contemporary culinary storytelling.

A Brand Built in the Filipino Kitchen

Since its Philippine debut in 1962 with the pioneering hotcake mix, MAYA quickly became a household name. For generations, MAYA Hotcakes have been part of breakfasts, merienda, and childhood memories, helping Filipinos build confidence in the kitchen. Over the years, MAYA expanded to include a wide array of baking and pantry essentials—from chocolate, oat, and whole wheat hotcake mixes to brownie and premium cake mixes, flour, cornstarch, and signature Oven-Toaster mixes.

Strengthening Filipino Culinary Heritage

Ernesto Fajardo, President of Liberty Commodities Corporation, said,
“Reviving The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite allows us to strengthen our legacy by working closely with chefs and storytellers who share our passion for Filipino culinary education and innovation. We continue to inspire Filipinos to cook, learn, and rediscover our food heritage.”

Maya Kitchen consultant Nina Daza Puyat, a long-time advocate for Filipino cuisine, added,
“The Culinary Elite program allows us to promote and preserve Filipino food heritage while adapting it for the next generation of home cooks.”

Collaboration with FEATR

The revival features a creative partnership with Erwan Heussaff, founder of the food storytelling platform FEATR, focusing on heritage ingredients and regional culinary traditions. Together, MAYA and FEATR highlight sustainability, culinary education, and Filipino food preservation.

Heussaff introduces the concept “Not-So Modern Filipino Pantry”, which reimagines traditional ingredients for modern kitchens. Featured ingredients include:

  • Asin Tultol – Cooked sea salt from Guimaras filtered through burned driftwood.
  • Gamet – Hand-harvested dried seaweed from Sta. Praxedes, Cagayan.
  • Pudpod – Traditional smoked fish patty from Eastern Samar.
  • Sukang Paombong – Naturally fermented nipa palm vinegar from Bulacan.
  • Pakaskas – Rare buri palm sugar from Isla Verde, Batangas.
  • Kinuday – Smoked meat from the Cordilleras with bacon-like flavor.

These recipes bridge traditional flavors with modern culinary creativity, showcasing Filipino ingredients as versatile pantry staples.

Celebrating Filipino Culinary Talent

The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite has historically featured renowned chefs and food advocates, including Glenda Barretto, Claude Tayag, JP Anglo, Jessie Sincioco, Tatung Sarthou, Chele Gonzalez, and the late Margarita Forés.

Through this revival, MAYA continues to place Filipino chefs, ingredients, and culinary storytelling at the forefront of its mission, ensuring traditions that shaped Filipino cooking continue to inspire today’s kitchens.

The Maya Kitchen remains dedicated to promoting food education, recipe development, and Filipino cuisine. For over 60 years, MAYA has inspired generations of home cooks with its trusted baking mixes, flours, and pantry staples.

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