Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — Madrid Fusión Manila tags itself as an “international gastronomy expo,” one where the best of chefs, here and abroad, share what they know of one of the rare things that bind the world together: food. For a pedestrian newcomer, however, the food congress at the SMX Convention Center looks like this: a wonderland of organic produce, local ingredients, regional cuisine, and foreign fare over at the second floor, where trade exhibitions are held, and a showcase of different chefs churning out their own renditions of plates based on a theme or a key ingredient, at the first floor, where regional lunches are served.

On its first day, the spotlight for the regional lunches is on the ubiquitous white grain that most Filipinos can’t live without: rice. Specifically, these are heirloom rice varieties passed on from generation to generation, whose flavors differ subtly from the usual varieties sold in markets. To focus on rice is also to focus on farming as a source of livelihood, and incidentally the need for more farmers, whose numbers are decreasing as agriculture faces a decline.

Here’s a glimpse of what they served.