Meet your i-Workshop Instructor: Chef Waya Araos-Wijangco
Chef Waya Araos-Wijangco is the executive chef and owner of Gourmet Gypsy Art Café. She has 20 years of experience in the culinary scene and is one of the most respected movers and shakers in the food and beverage industry. When she’s not cooking up good food to her loyal customers, she prepares teenagers and young adults with special needs towards gaining independence through vocational courses and subsequent employment at Open Hand School for the Applied Arts.
Inside the kitchen, Chef Waya has championed safety and sustainability of food ingredients through innovative “Bottling and Food Preservation” techniques. These techniques extend the life of produce through jams, pickling, and bottling. By applying the correct procedures and exploring a multitude of ingredient possibilities, Chef Waya is able to create unique dishes with fruits, vegetables, and other materials that would otherwise be thrown out. It is also an exciting way to preserve ingredients that are soon to be out of season, since the technique centers on lengthening shelf life.
In a world that values sustainability, these methods have become a trend amongst customers, according to WGSN. There is a growing importance for sustainability and holistic experiences when it comes to food, as the mindset of nutrition and health grows in the market. The “Rooted Transendents” and “Sensory Seekers” are customer personas that are looking for food that is new, natural and sourced locally. Chef Waya’s i-Workshop recipes like the Strawberry Apricot Surprise and Spicy Tomato Jam cater to this market, and is sure to bring inspiration to your business.
Want to explore the possibilities of “Bottling and Food Preservation” with Chef Waya? Start your journey by picking up the professional tips and creative recipes she has to impart with you in her i-Workshop course.
Hi chef,Thank you for your free demos.I was inspired by your creations though it’s not my forte and my first time to do it,but I accepted the Taste Setters challenge and I choose preserving fruits and veggies.I have a tree of Kamias here and using it as a typical pang asim both dried and fresh.Honestly I also wanted to turn them into jams so I can use it to my dishes as a main ingredient even it as already out of season.I just want to ask what other ingredients that goes well with kamias since it is very sour in nature ?Do I need to squeeze its juice to lessen its sourness before preseving them?What can you advise or share some tips you can give me po chef so I can turn it into a perfect taste match/combination?Look8ng for your reply and Thank you very much po.God Bless😇
Hi Rose,
Thank you for reaching out!To preserve the kamias, you have to squeeze out the juice after brining for 1 hr with salt. Then you can bottle it and put sugar and vinegar as your preserving ingredients. Other ingredients you can add for a more flavorful preserve- spices like cloves, black peppercorns, cardamon. Or you can also put fruit peels like orange, lemon or dalandan! Depends on where you will use it. Let us know what flavors you have tried.
-Tastesetters® Team
I really wanted to learn the art of bottling. The proper way of preparing it, but I’m still hesitant to do so most of the time, beacause I have this fear that when I boil the bottles it might explode.
Hi Julianne!
Thank you for reaching out to Tatsetsetters® Team!
When boiling the bottles, make sure it is uncovered and fill the bottles with water too not just the pot. Boil for 10minutes then air dry. It’s ready to use. Make sure to boil the lids as well.
Hope this helps.