Cultural advocacy group, The Entree.Pinays, is launching a ready-to-drink cider made from calamansi – the Philippine lime.
The new Calamansi Cider Crush is a ready-to-drink beverage that features a blend of calamansi and Victorian DV Cider. It is part of a three-element project, The Calamansi Story, to showcase Filipino cuisine, culture, and community.
Unlike Japanese yuzu, whose awareness has grown globally in recent years, the calamansi has yet to achieve the same global recognition despite being an integral part of Filipino cuisine.
Fides Mae Santos and Grace Guinto, co-founders of The Entree.Pinays, shared that they launched The Calamansi Story to raise awareness of the valuable contributions of migrants, especially in food, and the many possibilities of using Filipino produce.
“With Filipinos being the fifth largest overseas-born migrant population in the country, the momentum is now, and Australia has been invited to their table,” said the co-founders.
Aside from the beverage launch, other project elements include a short documentary filmed in the Philippines and Victoria, co-produced with Erwan Heussaff of Featr Media, which will be screened in a special presentation with the Centre for Projection Art inside the Norla Dome at Mission to Seafarers Victoria.
A publication titled “The Calamansi Story: Filipino Migrants in Australia” will feature a curated collection of original works of essays, stories, recipes, art, and music.
Santos added that The Calamansi Story is a call to action for the sustainable future of the Filipino citrus fruit and fair trade for Philippine farmers and communities to move Filipino food forward.
“We are proud immigrant daughters born in the Philippines and bred in the western suburbs of Melbourne,” she concluded. “From where we came to where we are, we are no longer waiting for a seat at the table; we’re building our table for our cuisine, culture, and community and inviting Australia to join us.”
Calamansi Cider Crush retails at RRP $22 for a four-pack and is available from independent bottle shops, including Audacious Monk, Preston, Hudson Wine Deli, Spotswood and Cellarbrations, Gisborne.
