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Introduction
Like the culture in general, Filipino food is basically of Malay
origin, with Spanish, Chinese, and American influences. Regardless
of origin, lechon, lumpia, and pork adobo are now considered national
dishes. Regional variations in the fresh ingredients available account
for provincial specialties. Centuries of Spanish rule have resulted
in about 80% of Filipino dishes being of Spanish derivation. Interestingly,
there was relatively little Mexican influence, despite the ties
to a Mexican-based administration and the galleon trade. The Spanish
colonialists preferred Iberian dishes, such as arroz valenciana,
to those of the Mexican Indians. Adobo preparation is the only exception
as the tomato, corn, avocado, and potato in adobo were all introduced
from Mexico.
The most obvious Chinese contribution is noodles,
which form the basis of the popular pancit dishes. The Chinese also
gave the Philippines lumpia and chop suey. Some standard dishes,
such as the coconut-based ginataan, have retained their Malay origin.
The Muslims never entered the Spanish sphere, so their cooking has
remained heavily Malay. It's spicy, and marked by the use of coconut
milk and chilis, the prevalence of cassava as well as rice and seafood,
and the absence of pork.
What to eat
Though the Philippines has an abundance of fresh seafood and a wide
array of succulent tropical fruit, the daily food of the common
people tends to be uninspiring. With a few exceptions, such as Bicol
and the Muslim areas of the south, the seasoning isn't spicy. Native
cooks have, however, devised some tasty recipes using ingredients
such as coconut milk, jackfruit, garlic, and ginger. An unusual
feature of Filipino cooking is the combination of major ingredients,
e.g., chicken and shrimps, and pork and fish. Soups like sinigang
and tinola are delicious, as is well-prepared lechon (roast suckling
pig). An array of sweet morsels is made from glutinous rice, while
halo-halo is a common dessert based on layers of preserved or sweetened
fruit, gelatin, custard, and crushed ice. The special halo-halo
is topped by a scoop of ice cream. So while Filipino dishes rarely
reach sublime heights, it's possible to enjoy satisfying meals,
accompanied by the excellent local beer, rum, or coffee.
Eating Habits
Filipinos love to eat, and since they're naturally
hospitable and gregarious, food is the basis of their social life.
Because the feeling of fulfillment after eating rice, their staple
ingredient, is relatively short-lived, they eat three meals a day
and two snacks in between. Filipinos, especially country folk, rise
early. Some will eat a segundo almuerzo (second breakfast) around
10:30, plus a merienda, or mid-afternoon snack. Rural folk eat their
main meal at midday, while city dwellers emphasize the evening meal.
The diet of poor families is usually rice, fish, vegetables, interspersed
with starchy snacks. At fiesta time, all families try to eat meat.
Since few provincial households own a refrigerator, ingredients
are customarily either fresh or salted. Housewives go to the market
daily to buy their immediate requirements. Leftovers rarely remain
after a meal. Extra food is eaten by servants, helpers, and hangers-on,
and scraps go to the dog or pig. Food isn't served in courses; people
like the complete meal laid out before them so that they can eat
simultaneously from all dishes -- soup, meat, and vegetables --
at random. Cooks provide condiments, flavorings, and dipping sauces
to be used at the diner's discretion. Food is eaten with a fork
in one hand and a spoon in the other, knives are seldom used. Rural
Filipinos prefer to use their hands. Some upscale native restaurants
in Manila serve food this way (kamayan-style).
Hospitality
A stranger passing Filipinos who are eating will
automatically be invited to "come and eat." It's polite to say you've
already eaten. If people insist, or if there's an abundance of food
such as at a wedding or fiesta, then by all means participate. Don't
accept the first invitation. It's better to point out how inconvenient
it would be for the host, or to make a polite excuse, then wait
to see if you're pressed further. It's the Filipino way, enabling
the visitor to gauge whether an invitation is genuine or not. Travelers
should always take into account the reverence Filipinos have for
food. Regular mealtimes are strictly observed. When visiting a home,
you'll be offered food and drink. It's polite to wait to be urged
to sit at the table or begin eating. If you don't like the food,
eat a little and make an excuse rather than reject it outright.
Guests leave a little food on the plate to indicate they're satisfied.
Beverages & Native Drinks
Bars are everywhere. Outside strictly Muslim
areas in the south, drinking is basic to Filipino social life, and
vast quantities of beer, gin, and rum are consumed. Native rums
like Tanduay are good: five-year-old brands are worth the modest
premium. Local gin and whisky are cheap but inferior. The hot climate
is conducive to beer drinking, and the ubiquitous San Miguel is
excellent. Competition comes from Asia breweries. Manila has numerous
open-air beer gardens. Several kinds of homemade beverages are prevalent
in rural areas. Tuba (coconut wine) is common in coconut-growing
areas. Gatherers climb nutless trees twice a day to collect the
sap emanating from the lopped-off, growing tip of the tree in bamboo
tubes. The fresh sap is sweet and nonalcoholic; allowed to ferment,
it becomes sour and mildly alcoholic and is sometimes dyed with
mangrove bark. Tuba can also be made from the sap of buri and nipa
palms. In prime coconut provinces, such as Laguna and Quezon, the
sap is also distilled into lambanog, a potent liquor. The Ybanag
of the Cagayan Valley make layaw, a very strong corn spirit. In
the mountain provinces of Northern Luzon, rice is fermented to form
tapuy (rice wine). The Kalingas and Ilocanos are noted for basi,
a sugarcane wine; at its best, it's deliciously smooth. Wine from
grapes is produced at vineyards in Cebu and Ilocos.
Recipes will be uploaded when available.
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