For more than six decades, the trusted Filipino kitchen staple MAYA has been synonymous with home cooking and baking. Its culinary arts center, The Maya Kitchen, continues to promote culinary education through short courses and lifestyle classes.
Today, the two brands present a new chapter with The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite—a special cooking demonstration series featuring chefs and restaurateurs who are given a platform to share their curated recipes.
Originally held from 2010 to 2016, the Culinary Elite program now returns with renewed purpose: to highlight heritage Filipino ingredients, strengthen connections with regional food producers, and reintroduce Filipino pantry staples to a new generation through contemporary techniques and storytelling.
A Brand Built in the Filipino Kitchen
Introduced to the Philippine market in 1962, MAYA quickly became a household name with the launch of its pioneering hotcake mix. The product soon became a breakfast staple among Filipino families and remains one of the most recognizable products in the brand’s portfolio today.
For generations, MAYA Hotcakes have been part of Filipino breakfasts, merienda moments, and childhood snacks. The simplicity of preparing hotcakes from the mix introduced many Filipinos to cooking for the first time—helping build confidence in the kitchen.
Over the years, MAYA expanded beyond hotcakes to include a wide range of baking and pantry essentials—from chocolate, oat, and whole wheat hotcake mixes, brownie mixes and premium cake mixes, to flour, cornstarch, and its signature Oven-Toaster mixes.
A New Chapter for the Maya Culinary Elite
According to Ernesto Fajardo, President of Liberty Commodities Corporation, the initiative reinforces the brand’s deeper connection to Filipino culinary culture. “For decades, MAYA has been part of Filipino family traditions – from breakfast hotcakes to first baking experiences in the kitchen. Reviving The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite allows us to strengthen that legacy by working closely with chefs and storytellers who share our passion for promoting Filipino culinary education and innovation. Through this initiative, we continue the work of both Maya and The Maya Kitchen in inspiring Filipinos to cook, learn, and rediscover our food heritage.”
A Legacy of Culinary Education
For Maya Kitchen consultant Nina Daza Puyat, who has long championed Filipino cuisine and food education, the revival of the program reflects MAYA’s enduring role in shaping Filipino culinary culture. “The Maya Kitchen has always been about sharing knowledge and teaching Filipinos how to cook confidently at home. The Culinary Elite program allows us to promote and preserve our Filipino food heritage while adapting it for the next generation of home cooks.”
A Creative Partnership with FEATR
Rooted in a shared commitment of celebrating Filipino cuisine and championing local ingredients, the collaboration between MAYA and FEATR brings together two platforms that advocate for sustainability, culinary education, and the preservation of Filipino food traditions.
By highlighting regional ingredients and the communities behind them, the partnership encourages more mindful cooking while shining a spotlight on the richness of the country’s culinary heritage.
A key collaborator in the revival is Erwan Heussaff, founder of the food storytelling platform FEATR, whose work focuses on documenting Filipino culinary traditions and regional ingredients. According to Erwan, “Filipino food has always been more than sustenance: it’s a record of who we are, where we came from, and what we’ve been through. FEATR exists to help make sure those stories aren’t forgotten, to deepen how we understand and appreciate our food and ingredients today, and to help shape what Filipino food could become tomorrow. We communicate everything we learn about our culture through our digital platforms and shows, but we always felt like something was missing. This year we hope to hold more events like this, where people can interact with the ingredients and stories that we’ve featr’d in our documentaries.”
Collaboration Rooted in Heritage
For the Maya Culinary Elite, Heussaff presents “Not-So Modern Filipino Pantry”, a culinary concept that reimagines heritage Filipino ingredients through modern, accessible cooking.
The project explores heritage Filipino ingredients many of which come from small communities and traditional food practices – and presents them through contemporary recipes designed for modern kitchens.
A Collaboration Rooted in Heritage: “Not-So Modern Filipino Pantry”
As part of the collaboration, Heussaff introduces “Not-So Modern Filipino Pantry”, showcasing a curated approach to Filipino heritage ingredients through creative, contemporary interpretations.
This initiatives highlights locally sourced ingredients- rooted in regional traditions, and transforms them into thoughtfully crafted recipes suited for today’s kitchens.
Asin Tultol – A rare cooked sea salt from Guimaras created by filtering seawater through burned driftwood before evaporating the brine over fire, producing a mineral-rich finishing salt.
Gamet – A hand-harvested dried seaweed from Sta. Praxedes, Cagayan, known for its natural umami and mineral content.
Pudpod – A traditional smoked fish patty from Eastern Samar made from flaked fish mixed with aromatics, prized for its rich, savory smokiness.
Sukang Paombong – A naturally fermented nipa palm vinegar from Bulacan recognized for its complex acidity and depth of flavor.
Pakaskas – A rare buri palm sugar from Isla Verde, Batangas, valued for its smoky sweetness and grainy texture.
Kinuday – A traditional smoked meat from the Cordilleras rooted in indigenous preservation techniques linked to the Cañao ritual. Known for its deep, bacon-like flavor, it has become a versatile ingredient in both traditional and modern Filipino cooking.
Through these recipes, the series reframes Filipino heritage ingredients as versatile pantry staples—bridging traditional flavors with modern culinary creativity.
Celebrating the Culinary Elite
Throughout the years, the Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite has featured some of the country’s most respected culinary figures and restaurateurs, including chefs and food advocates such as Glenda Barretto, Claude Tayag, JP Anglo, Jessie Sincioco, Tatung Sarthou, Chele Gonzales and the late Margarita Forés.
With the revival of the Maya Culinary Elite, Maya once again places Filipino chefs, ingredients, and culinary storytelling at the forefront of its mission—ensuring that the traditions that shaped Filipino cooking continue to inspire the kitchens of today and tomorrow.
The Maya Kitchen is the culinary center of MAYA, a brand dedicated to promoting food education, recipe development, and the celebration of Filipino cuisine. For over 60 years, Maya has been a trusted name in Filipino kitchens, inspiring generations of home cooks through its baking mixes, flours, and pantry staples.
For recipes and a list of upcoming cooking classes:
Website: https://themayakitchen.com
The Maya Kitchen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themayakitchencac
The Maya Kitchen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themayakitchencac/
