Filipinos on the West Coast of the United States can now get a taste of their favorite street food from the Philippines.
This was after, Pampanga-based food manufacturing company Mekeni Food Corp., one of the largest in the country, brought its packed street food products to the West Coast last month through a partnership with Island Pacific Supermarket, which is one of the biggest Asian/Filipino supermarkets in the West Coast.
“If there is one thing that Filipinos living abroad miss a lot, it is probably their favorite street food,” Mekeni President Prudencio Garcia said.
“Through our partnership with Island Pacific Supermarket, one of the biggest Asian/Filipino supermarkets in the West Coast, we are bringing them not just authentic Pinoy flavors, but also the feeling that they are closer to home through our products,” he added.
Following this deal with the supermarket, the food company’s kikiam and fish balls are now available in 17 branches of Island Pacific Supermarket across California and Nevada.
According to Garcia, this is just the start for Mekeni as they are looking into making their products available in other parts of the US.
Garcia eyes bringing more Mekeni products such as its flagship products tocino, gluten-free chicken longanisa and hotdog to other parts of the United States.
He also said that the food company is hopeful that aside from the expansion and bringing the products closer to more international markets, they are also able to bring more livelihood.
“The past two years have been challenging. What inspired us, however, to push forward with this is our desire to showcase what Timplang Atin is like to the rest of the world. We want to give them access to quality and taste that Mekeni can bring,” Garcia said.
“We have always been committed to helping our communities through generating jobs and creating product lines that can sustain their income. Bringing our products to the US could mean expanding our operations and employing more people across the supply chain amid the pandemic,” he added.
Before making waves in the United States, the food manufacturing company also supplied food items in other international markets including Dubai, Bahrain, Brunei, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
It is also the first Filipino food company allowed by the Japanese government to export products to the country.
In the Philippines, Mekeni is a known meat processing company and a homegrown brand loved by Filipino families for more than 30 years.
It exclusively manufactures Bayani, a street food line for entrepreneurs.
Its product range includes Filipino snack favorites such as siomai, siopao, squid balls, fish balls, chicken balls and kikiam.
The Pampanga food giant is said to be the first in Asia and the second in the world overall to receive the certificate of compliance to ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System standard.
Last month, it started its #TimplangAtin campaign to convey what the brand has to offer to Filipino families in the country and overseas.
In the same month, it also unveiled its flagship store called Mekeni Marketplace in Porac, Pampanga.
This is where the founders Felix and Meding Garcia envisioned the family business from a backyard enterprise in 1986.
The store offers family favorites like Mekeni Picnic Hotdog, Mekeni GoLite Gluten-free Chicken Longanisa; and Mekeni Classic Sweet and Tamis-Alat Tocino as well as ready-to-cook and fresh meat products.
“We’ve been in the food business for over 35 years that is why we think it is high time for us to show that we are continuously innovating and making improvements to the brand. We are making significant changes in the next months, and we encourage our customers to stay tuned for what is in store for them,” Prudencio said. —Rosette Adel
