A year after pili nuts became available in the European Union (EU) market, EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Veron turned to his social media followers for his own version of “Who Did It Better?,” but pili nuts version.
On X (formerly Twitter), the envoy posted a video slideshow of two pili nuts delicacies in Bicol: the pili roll and pili nut pastries.
“Back to Bicol’s merienda scene with a (Philippine flag) Filipino favorite that’s exported to the (EU flag) EU: Pili Nuts!,” he wrote.
Admitting that his visit to Bicol is part of his #MeriendaNiLuc series, the ambassador asked his followers to vote for their preferred pili nuts recipe.
“This time, I’m doing another #MeriendaNiLuc taste test – will it be Pili Roll or Pili Nut Pastries? Share your pick!,” he said in his post using hashtags #MeriendaWeek and #BicolEats.
“Are you Team Pili Roll or Team Pili Nut Pastries?” Veron added.
In February 2023, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced that pili nuts were authorized as a traditional food from a third country and would be included in the regional bloc’s novel foods.
The EU resolution that authorized the placement of pili nuts in its market said that pili nuts have a history of safe food use in the Philippines.
Previously, the envoy also sampled popular fastfood chain’s mango pie and the taho, a silky tofu topped with sugar syrup and small tapioca pearls, for his #MeriendaNiLuc series.