PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — The country’s fragrant rice variety NSIC Rc218, also known as ‘Mabango’ and sold locally as Dinorado, bagged the silver at this year’s World’s Best Rice Awards held at the Cambodian capital during the World Rice Conference.
Judged by Chef Robert Nieto, known as Chef Buttercup, the winner of the Lord of Rice culinary competition in California last September, ‘Mabango’ bested 27 other entries from major rice-producing countries such as Thailand, India and Australia.
“Mabango held its own with flair, showing the Filipino farmer’s harvest can hold its ground against the best from the Mekong Delta or the Chao Phraya plains,” Rowena Sadicon, founder of the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement (PRISM), cited after the win.
PRISM is the team behind Rc218’s submission as an entry to the competition. Sadicon is optimistic about the possibility of Rc218 winning the gold award next year.
Top honors were given in a tie between Vietnam and Cambodia’s ST25 and Phka Rumdoul entries. Vietnam’s ST25 became a three-time champion while Cambodia’s Phka Rumdoul is now a seven-time winner.
According to Sadicon, Rc218’s silver award was an improvement from last year’s third-place finish.
“This win isn’t just about quality,” she pointed out.
“It’s about identity—a reminder that the Philippines is not only the world’s largest rice importer, but also a nation capable of producing world-class, sustainable, and export-worthy rice,” she added.
Agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. applauded Mabango’s second best award, saying that “(it) is proof that our local farmers and scientists can hold their own against the world’s best.”
Developed in 2009 by the Philippine Rice Research Institute, the variety was said to have been “crafted for tenderness, taste and that irresistible fragrance that can turn even the simplest ‘ulam’ (viand) into fine dining.”