Breadfruit is the New Rice
Photos Above: Rice alternatives made from corn, sweet potato, and tapioca/bamboo leaf flours respectively;
The Philippines is, by and large, a rice-eating nation. Rice is served at nearly every meal. It produces about three-quarters of its rice supply but is also the world’s largest rice importer! The USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates the Philippines will import a record 3.8 million metric tons of rice in 2024, mainly from Vietnam and Thailand.
The Philippines government must hold a buffer stock equal to at least 9 days of rice in storage at all times, purchased from local farmers. It is permitted to sell aging stocks to private entities if they have been stored for over 3-6 months, and then they must be repurchased to fill the stockpile.
However, Secretary Estrella believes that breadfruit can provide an alternative, supplemental staple food with a better nutritional profile than rice and greater resilience to natural disasters and impending climate change. Secretary Estrella is already thinking about how the breadfruit can be processed to appeal to a population hooked on rice and is sharing his ideas with local manufacturers.
One option is to turn excess fruit into flour, which can be used for baked goods and value-added products, such as an orzo-like extruded product resembling rice – check out the photos below!
