ROSALES, Pangasinan – To usher the start of Christmas Season, SM City Rosales conducted the Christmas in Box: Bento Making Competition recently.
With just a simple arrangement of different kind of food on a compartmentalized lunch box and adding some aesthetic values to it, a bento is created delighting the young and adults.
Over 12 participants from Pangasinan share their nutritious bento boxes designed with Christmas elements.
The competition aims to relay the meaning of Christmas thru the decorated bentos. SM Rosales aims to convey the importance of Bento making as a communication channel between the bento maker and eater. The emotions of the maker is then transferred to the food, making it a personalized Christmas present this holiday season; a Christmas in a box which can also be served during the Noche Buena.
Siblings, Debbee Villanueva and Franciso Villanueva, caught the Chefs’ attention grabbing the 1st and 2nd prize consecutively for their “Christmas Surprise” and “Minions’ Carol” inspired Bento. A mother and a homecook, Ivendell Akegria, won the 3rd prize for his “Happy to Eat” Bento.
For Alegria, bento making can be one of a mother’s creative outlet. She has been making bento almost every day for her kids. According to her even her younger daughter also designed bento: a hobby and at the same time family bonding for them.
Bento making, a food art, is one way of appreciating food which do not only satisfy the palate but also pleases the eye, thus, making kids who are picky eaters to love their food.
In Japan Bento is known to be the window of Japanese culture.
The top three winners from the Preliminary Round will advance to the Elimination Round on December 6 at SM City Tarlac. Finals will held on December 13 together with the other winners from other Luzon SM Malls at SM City Pampanga.
