An Israeli chef brought a taste of the Middle East to the Philippines.

Chef Nir Liv from award-winning Tel Aviv restaurant Taize spent a week in the country hosted by the Israeli Embassy in Manila at the beginning of December.

His visit was part of the culinary diplomacy efforts to expose Filipinos to the Israeli story and diversity through Israeli food.

Liv prepared his dishes for several events reaching very diverse audiences. Among those who tasted his food were local influencers and high officials including the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, Martin Romualdez.

Chef Nir cooked for the Israeli buffet section of the Manila Hotel - one of the most famous and historic hotels of the Philippines - Besalk stew, Mujaddra, Morrocan fish, and Basbousa. He also prepared some of the most iconic Israeli dishes, such as shaksuka and spinach burekas on a local TV show, reaching millions of people throughout the Philippines.

In addition, the chef held a cooking demo for the culinary students at Enderun Colleges, sharing how to prepare Arias, the freshly baked pita stuffed with minced lamb and herbs kebab grilled over flame.

Liv concluded his visit by volunteering at White Cross Orphanage in San Juan City where he cooked some classic Israeli children dishes, including “ptitim,” also known as  Israeli couscous. Some of the dishes were then delivered to patients at the San Juan Medical Center.

“Israelis and Filipinos both love to eat,” said Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss. “We love sharing food with our family and friends. Everything is served for sharing – this is the Israeli food culture.”

“This initiative is a way of creating bridges between Israel and the Philippines through food,” he added.