A thousand years ago, the Malay people came from Eastern Asia and settled in the Philippines. They brought with them the knowledge of raising animals for food, and methods of bridge cooking, and preparing food by boiling, roasting, steaming, and drying. They also had the knowledge of making meal from rice. They settled along riverbanks, using the water as a source of fish and other food. The Malay diet was typically fish and rice, with a few vegetables and using salt as a seasoning. This is still the Filipino standard. The Malay immigrants also brought coconut and palm sugar, and the method of making use of them as cooking ingredients can still be seen in certain Filipino dishes today. Also around this time, the Chinese traders introduced the wok for cooking, soy sauce, and the method of noodle and dumpling making. This has been a major influence in Filipino cuisine, although Chinese food is seldom identified as part of the cuisine.
Once a well-kept secret of the traveling gourmand, the Philippines is emerging as a must-see stop on the global culinary circuit. But Filipino cuisine is still not well understood, which is a source of disappointment to Filipinos. This essay gives an overview of Filipino cuisine and the historical forces that shaped it. It will attempt to demonstrate that Filipino food is indelibly connected to the Filipino way of life and the way Filipinos view themselves vis-à-vis their peers and the world at large.
Historical Background
Coconut milk, which is widely used in Filipino cooking, is another example of an ingredient introduced from the mainland. The Spaniards took it with them from Mexico, and from there, it made its way to the Philippines and the rest of the region. Prior to this, Filipinos had been using coconut water (the juice) and coconut oil as their basic ingredients for cooking. Some dishes such as bibingka and the puto, both types of rice cakes, which were originally considered as foods for the gods in celebratory feasts, were used as peace offerings to the gods and were only then consumed by man. Ironically, these rice cakes are made special during Simbang Gabi, a 9-day dawn mass before Christmas, usually sold after the mass in church courtyards, as well as the puto bumbong, another version of puto, is served only during the Christmas season. Today, these and other native delicacies can be enjoyed at any time of the year.
The history of the Philippine cuisine reflects the influences of the Malays, who brought in the ancient art of sautéing, and the Chinese, who introduced the use of soy sauce, which is a staple seasoning in Filipino cuisine. The Chinese also introduced the use of the wok, which has become an indispensable tool in Filipino cooking. The Spanish, who colonized the Philippines for over three centuries, greatly affected the way Filipinos eat. The Spanish, Americans, and other European and Asian people introduced food to the country, greatly fusing it into the pre-existing local food, creating a unique blend. Foreigners introduced ingredients such as corn, potatoes, tomatoes, chili, and pepper, which are now commonly used in Philippine dishes.
Influences on Filipino Cuisine
Japanese occupation during WWII, although very short, was still enough to leave its mark with the introduction of soy sauce, fish, and other cooking methods used in today’s Japanese food. The occupation had nearly become a painful memory of Filipino history. To a lesser degree, it has become quite possibly the best cultural influence in food. The Japanese food products have no comparison in quality, and Filipinos have seen this by exporting quality Japanese food products to Japan. Japanese trade has introduced many high-quality food products and goods to the Philippines. A final large culinary influence is the Chinese influence. China has a large range of influences, as some were not very noticeable. The fact of the matter is that Filipino native cookery and Chinese methods of stewing, steaming, and cooking of noodles, while adding a flair of Philippine food products, have been deeply rooted. A way in which Chinese cookery is more noticeable is the method of dining – with family and having a meal of several dishes shared by many people, which is the traditional method of dining in the Philippines.
Philippine food has undergone several centuries of blending with its colonial, Chinese, Malay, and Spanish origins. The food was not native to the Philippines only by the ingredients; the cooking method for stews and simmering was a large influence from Spain. During the American colonization, US influence on Philippine cuisine introduced new food products and cooking methods that still permeate today. American culinary influence brought wheat transportation and production of wheat flour for breads and pastries, which can be seen in special occasions with specialty breads, sandwiches, and cakes. A large common commercial product that is American in origin with influence from British rule are factory canned products such as Spam and corned beef, and canned goods used in stews, picadillos, and American-influenced meatloafs.
The emergence of Philippine cuisine, while distinctly a native cookery, was a mixture of foreign influences and native ingenuity. As to the native cookery, many of the names were retained for native dishes and pastries despite the foreign origin. The method of preparation was Asian, the use of spices was adapted to a more available variety of the local tropical spices, which turned out to be an improvement or better than the original native version. In this aspect, the Filipinos surpassed the Spaniards, Mexicans, and other colonizers. They were able to make a fusion and created a better version of the European dish such as relleno and adobo.
Significance of Food in Filipino Culture
In a traditional old Filipino home, the father is the strict head of the household and makes all significant decisions, though consultation with his spouse is common. He is the master of the family and the main income producer. The mother’s role is to look after the children, their education, the house, and convey family traditions. The mothers traditionally transfer knowledge to their daughters, though sometimes to their sons. Shamans and witches are accepted within many groups, practicing divination or healings. And last, until recently, Filipino families were patrilineal. Today, it is normal for a nuclear family to live in close proximity to kinsmen or in a compound.
The normal Filipino diet comprises of rice (or corn) served with meal (fish, chicken, pork or meat) and is quite often accompanied by either soup or vegetables. At breakfast, it is not strange to consume leftovers from the former night’s dinner. Lunch is taken during a short break from work, and consists of a single viand. Supper is another meal of yet another singular viand. Between dinner and lunch, it is not implausible for a Filipine to consume snacks which might consist of such things as fruit, rice cakes, salted peanuts, popcorn, or “merienda”, a bit sized amount of something.
A good deal of Philippine life is dedicated to the preparation, consumption, and clearing away of nourishment. Food serves as a social occasion for the family to assemble and trade stories at the table. There is typically no activity or special occasion in which nourishment is not served. The conventional salutation among individuals is “Kumain ka na?” meaning “Have you eaten?” When an individual has not really consumed much, it is presumed that the individual is sick, miserable, or troubled about something.
