MAYA and The Maya Kitchen open a fresh chapter in their long-standing legacy of home cooking and culinary education with the return of The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite, a special cooking demonstration series that brings together chefs and restaurateurs to share curated recipes, champion local ingredients, and celebrate Filipino food heritage.
For more than six decades, MAYA has held a trusted place in Filipino kitchens, becoming synonymous with home cooking and baking. Alongside it, The Maya Kitchen has continued to nurture generations of home cooks through short courses, lifestyle classes, and practical culinary education. Together, the two brands now revive the Culinary Elite program with a renewed mission: to highlight heritage Filipino ingredients, build stronger connections with regional food producers, and reintroduce pantry staples to a new generation through contemporary cooking and storytelling.
First introduced from 2010 to 2016, the Culinary Elite program served as a platform for some of the country’s most respected chefs and food personalities. Its return signals a deeper commitment to preserving Filipino culinary traditions while making them more relevant and accessible to today’s home cooks.
Introduced to the Philippine market in 1962, MAYA quickly became a household name with the launch of its pioneering hotcake mix. What began as a simple breakfast staple soon became part of everyday Filipino life, finding its place in family breakfasts, merienda gatherings, and childhood memories. For many Filipinos, preparing MAYA Hotcakes was also their first experience in the kitchen, helping build confidence and familiarity with cooking at home.
Over the years, MAYA expanded its product line beyond hotcakes to include a broad range of baking and pantry essentials, from chocolate, oat, and whole wheat hotcake mixes to brownie mixes, premium cake mixes, flour, cornstarch, and its signature Oven-Toaster mixes. Through these products, the brand has remained a steady presence in Filipino households, supporting both everyday meals and special family moments.
According to Ernesto Fajardo, President of Liberty Commodities Corporation, the revival of The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite reinforces the brand’s enduring 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,” he said.
For Maya Kitchen consultant Nina Daza Puyat, who has long championed Filipino cuisine and food education, the program’s return reflects the brand’s continuing role in shaping the country’s culinary identity. “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,” she said.
A key part of this revived initiative is MAYA’s collaboration with FEATR, the food storytelling platform founded by Erwan Heussaff. Built on a shared commitment to celebrating Filipino cuisine, local ingredients, and sustainable food practices, the partnership brings together two platforms that value culinary education and the preservation of food traditions.
By highlighting regional ingredients and the communities behind them, the collaboration encourages more mindful cooking while drawing attention to the richness and diversity of Philippine culinary heritage. Heussaff, whose work has focused on documenting Filipino food traditions across the country, said the project reflects the deeper cultural value of food.
“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 featured in our documentaries,” Heussaff said.
As part of the revival, Heussaff presents “Not-So Modern Filipino Pantry,” a culinary concept that reimagines heritage Filipino ingredients through modern, accessible cooking. The project spotlights ingredients rooted in small communities and traditional food practices, transforming them into contemporary recipes suited for today’s kitchens.
Among the featured ingredients are Asin Tultol, a rare cooked sea salt from Guimaras made 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, prized for its natural umami and mineral content; Pudpod, a traditional smoked fish patty from Eastern Samar known for its rich, savory smokiness; Sukang Paombong, a naturally fermented nipa palm vinegar from Bulacan valued for its depth and complexity.
Pakaskas, a rare buri palm sugar from Isla Verde, Batangas, recognized for its smoky sweetness and grainy texture; and Kinuday, a traditional smoked meat from the Cordilleras rooted in indigenous preservation techniques linked to the Cañao ritual and known for its deep, bacon-like flavor.
Through these ingredients and the recipes built around them, the series reframes Filipino heritage food items as versatile pantry staples, bridging traditional flavors with modern culinary creativity.
Over the years, The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite has featured some of the country’s most respected culinary figures and restaurateurs, including Glenda Barretto, Claude Tayag, JP Anglo, Jessie Sincioco, Tatung Sarthou, Chele Gonzales, and the late Margarita Forés. With its return, the program once again places Filipino chefs, local ingredients, and food storytelling at the center of MAYA’s mission.
As The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite begins a new chapter, MAYA and The Maya Kitchen reaffirm their commitment to inspiring Filipinos to cook, learn, and celebrate the traditions that continue to shape the nation’s food culture—ensuring that these flavors and stories remain alive in the kitchens of today and tomorrow.
For recipes and a list of upcoming cooking classes, visit The Maya Kitchen website and its official Facebook and Instagram pages. More information on MAYA Hotcakes events and promotions is also available through its official social media channels.