#TheSustainableDiner: Mangga Cafe - From Waste to Food

In the 3rd blog post on #TheSustainableDiner Series, we are featuring Mangga Cafe.  At first glance, you might think that this cafe is just an ordinary cafe serving baked goodies with mangoes but you will be in awe once you know their story.  You see, Mangga Cafe serves bread, tea, coffee, and cakes that are made from Mango Flour.   Mango flour is made by processing discarded mango seeds.  Those mango seeds that we usually just throw away gets transformed into delicious food.  It is Food to Waste to Food. I have eaten at a lot of cafes in my life and this is just one of those that I want to heavily promote.

5 Reasons Why I Support Mangga Cafe

#ZeroWasteDining

I cannot imagine that Mangga Cafe is turning food waste back into food.  When I learned about their story, I was simply amazed.  I hate wasting food.  That is probably one of the biggest reasons that I gained so much weight in the past couple of years.

I love mangoes especially the ones from Guadalupe.  I would say that they are the best in the world. When we eat mangoes we just throw away its seeds.  It is amazing to know that somehow I was eating those discarded seeds when I was enjoying my sandwich and iced tea at Mangga Cafe.  If you are a restaurant or a business that is transforming things we deemed useless into useful stuff, you get a hug from me.  Kudos to whoever thought about making mango seeds into flour!

CSR Element

I also learned that part of the income of Mangga Cafe will be used to finance a housing project for garbage scavengers in Lapu-Lapu City.  Not only that this project will provide them housing, the scavengers also get income from collecting the mango seeds that will be made into mango flour.  Every bread that you buy will go a long way to helping other people. 

#EatLocalPH

Mangga Cafe is a local business that promotes local ingredients.  I am definitely going to patronize them because they fall under my #EatLocalPH cause.  I like the idea that some Cebuano businesses are embracing innovation that is relevant not only for profit but also for the environment.  I hope you can help promote this cafe. 

Nutritious

Mango flour is unbleached and it is free from gluten, cholesterol, and genetically modified organism (GMO).  It contains anti-oxidants that will benefit our body.  It is really a good substitute for white flour.  The mango flour is used to make mango bars, bread, pastries, tea, and coffee at Mangga Cafe. 

Yummy

I tried some of their sandwiches and beverages and I really liked it. One of my favorites at Mangga Cafe would the Humba wraps.  Price-wise, it is just like going to your favorite coffee shop.  Sandwiches are sold from 99-148 pesos depending on the filling.  Try it out and most likely you will not taste much of a difference in terms of flavor if you compare the bread here to what you are used to. 

I will definitely be back to Mangga Cafe and hopefully, you will find time to check them out as well.   The cafe is at the 2nd level of Robinsons Cybergate Cebu.

I will be looking for more establishments that have a similar waste to food programs,  I hope that there will be many.  Food wastage is actually a big problem and having programs like the conversion of seeds to flour is one way to offset it.  If you know some program that has a similar goal, please inform me by making a comment or send me an email at calolano911@gmail.com.

*This post is the 3rd blog post on #TheSustainableDiner Series that will be in support of WWF-Philippines' program on sustainable dining.