California Raisins: Chefs share versatility of 'secret ingredient'

MANILA, Philippines — Raisins are dried grapes. They are healthy and nutritious. You can munch on them for a light and healthy snack or add them to a host of other snacks, such as trail mix, oats and cereals with milk for breakfast, salads.

There are so many varieties of raisins available in the market today, depending on where they are produced and with what type of grapes. California Raisins are perhaps the most common type of high-quality and nutritious but affordable raisins available today.

As much as they are healthy and nutritious, they are also versatile that chefs and homemakers alike love to use them in their dishes. Raisins are great when baked into raisin bread, cinnamon rolls, pies and other pastries. They also add an extra dimension of flavor to savory dishes, such as Rellenong Bangus, Embutido and Chicken Galantina.

From desserts that dance on your taste buds to savory viands that leave you craving for more, California Raisins bring a burst of natural sweetness to every culinary creation.

“Because California Raisins are sweet by nature, they lend a natural sweetness to a wide variety of dishes, from hearty meals to delectable baked goods to refreshing beverages, that will surely excite the Filipino sweet tooth. Besides adding natural sweetness to different dishes, the highly versatile ingredient also has various benefits that make them must-have kitchen staples. For example, they help absorb moisture to lengthen baked goods’ shelf life and can be used as a starter in making bread,” said Thomas Wee of the Raisin Administrative Committee (RAC).

To demonstrate the versatility of California Raisins and to share delightful recipes using them as an ingredient, RAC recently organized "Sip, Savor and Sweeten: Hi-Tea with California Raisins" in Sawsaw, Makati City. It brought together two of the most talented chefs in the country today — Chef Sau del Rosario and Chef Miko Aspiras — with fashion stylist and mom Jenni Epperson to share how they use California Raisins to make mouth-watering dishes that Filipino families would enjoy.

Chef Sau, an award-winning Kapampangan chef and restaurateur, prepared Salmon en Croute with California Raisins and California