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The Philippine Embassy in Vienna hosted a four-course gourmet Filipino dinner on 18 October 2023 in Das Mezzanin Restaurant in Vienna to promote MSC-certified Philippine yellowfin tuna in the Austrian market. Chef Margarita Fores prepared a special dinner menu, highlighting the freshness and quality of the Marine Stewardship Council-certified yellowfin tuna imported from the Philippines and featuring innovative Filipino haute cuisine. An additional serving of tuna sashimi was paired with sinuglaw marinade as dipping sauce from the fresh tuna served to guests within 48 hours of landing in the Philippines bound for Vienna.
In her brief remarks during the dinner, Ambassador to Austria Evangelina Lourdes A. Bernas emphasized the significance of sustainable practices and responsible sourcing in the seafood sector. “The Philippine government recognizes the importance of the tuna industry in our country’s economy and remains committed to ensuring its sustainability for future generations,” she said. Ambassador Bernas further underscored the local impact of the successful entry to Austria of MSC-certified Philippine yellowfin tuna. “The successful entry of MSC-certified tuna caught by handline by Filipino fishermen changes their lives directly and ensures they enjoy a proper income for years to come,” she stated.
Other speakers during the program included SPAR Austria Managing Director for Vienna and Lower Austria Alois Huber, SPAR Austria Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Carmen Wieser-Nussbaumer, Binca Group CEO Oliver Fritsch, and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Austria Marine Expert Axel Hein, all of whom discussed their respective roles in the export of MSC-certified Philippine yellowfin tuna to Austria and their organizations’ strong commitment to sustainability and ethically sourced seafood.
During dinner, 80 guests from the diplomatic corps, Austrian federal and local government, representatives from the business sector, and friends of the Embassy dined on sinuglaw with MSC-certified Philippine yellowfin tuna, pork sugba, tuba vinegar, Austrian cheese, crispy corn, and adlai cracker; seafood sinigang with sustainable seabass, shrimp, scallop, Negros between, pink guava essence, patis gelatina, heirloom vegetables, steamed milagrosa rice pearls; bistek tagalog with braised and grilled Austrian short rib, soy-calamansi reduction, onion crisps, leek hay, sayote guisado, and adlai sinangag; and cashew-crusted hojaldres with ube espuma, mango, pulot coconut glaze, and latik crumble.
The Philippine Embassy in Vienna organized the dinner in close collaboration with organizations involved in the export to Austria of MSC-certified Philippine yellowfin tuna possible, namely Sea Trace International, Binca Group, and SPAR. Sea Trace International, a company providing ethically sourced seafood, is the Philippine partner of Austrian seafood importation and distribution company Binca Group. SPAR, considered one of the largest high-end supermarket chains in Central Europe, currently sells MSC-certified Philippine yellowfin tuna in select stores in Vienna.
- source: Text/picture: Philippine Embassy, Vienna
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