Rice: The Staple that Filipinos Can't Live Without

Rice is the staple food of Filipinos and that's one reason why we eat rice with almost everything, and normally with more than just one cup, three times a day—it's the staple that completes the meals on the table. A rationale that no wonder Filipinos still do not feel  their hunger has been satisfied if rice isn't part of the meal. "Can't live without rice," a very common statement of Filipinos, because rice has also been an important part of the Philippine culture, that one basis of growing up and maturity is whether or not you can cook/steam rice properly.

Rice is versatile and it's what makes the dish unique. Besides the fact that a meal is more scrumptious with rice, it is also nutritive. It helps control blood pressure, improves metabolism, and promotes cardiovascular health. Rice is also rich in carbohydrates that provide energy, and has small amounts of protein but has no fat.

Rice can be served in many different ways—from simple to creative. Some examples are sushi, rice porridge, rice pudding champorado, bibimbap, rice cereal, rice cakes or simply just steamed/fried rice. Its versatility is just one of the many reasons why rice is the most dominant cereal crop.

A well-known local company, Sunnywood Superfoods Corporation, has made it a corporate mission to actively promote the local production and marketing of native and traditional varieties of rice. Sunnywood has launched numerous initiatives that strongly support local producers of rice, including sources of native, traditional rice varieties. And no one takes rice more seriously than they do, which is evident in their slogan, "More than just rice – It's the Meaning of Life."

Sunnywood focuses on attentive, personal, quality service which helped gain interest from consumers and loyalty from customers.

With its rising success, Sunnywood has become a market leader. Upon reaching the 20th year milestone, Romeo Ong, president of Sunnywood, is palnning on introducing Sunnywood overseas. "We are looking into exporting our products very actively as we go forward. We really like to see our products out there in the other countries. So show the flag, so to speak. That will be another source of pride for the Philippines. I hope we can do that in the near future." And in the next five years, they hope to be a vibrant and dominant band. Besides rice distribution, Ong has also been considering business in other agricultural products, which, according to him, is "anything that looks interesting and healthy." In light of celebrating its second decade, Sunnywood is looking to increase its capabilities and improve its product quality though upgrade and expansion of its facility.

Sunnywood offers different variants of rice that are beneficial to the body and superior in quality. One of them is Harvester's Dinorado Rice, which is genuine dinorado rice that's deliciously sticky when cooked, making it great for paella and risotto. Harvester's Sinandomeng Rice, on the other hand, is only slightly sticky and is very versatile. You can eat it steamed or fried, and pair it with your favorite viand, making it great every day, every-occasion rice. But when it comes to taste and texture, you will surely have to try Harvester's Thai Jasmine Rice! This genuine Thai Hom Mali Jasmine Rice has the distinct all-around goodness that will leave you wanting another cup of extra rice. It might become a habit, but a good habit it is!

Harvester's is just one of the three well-established brands of Sunnywood.The other two are Jordan Farms, which focuses on health and nutrition, offering healthy organically-grown rice as well as specialty rice variants, and Farmboy, which offers good rice varieties at a modest price.