Philippine Cuisine: Preserving Culinary Traditions

[dinabaw]

06 May 2011
Say Cheese!
Olive makes cheese
Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting Olive Puentespina, cheesemaker, at a cheese tasting event at Le Bistro Vert. It was to introduce (or re-introduce) Malagos Farmhouse Cheese.



Malagos is in Calinan, Davao City. Apparently there's a garden resort with farm tours plus a bird park, a butterfly sanctuary, even a petting zoo.

These are the creations of husband and wife tandem. Dr. Roberto "Dr. Bo" Puentespina is a veterinarian. He handles the goats and cows that produce the milk for the cheeses. Meanwhile wife Olive, with the beautiful problem of an abundance of milk, first started making goat's milk soap then later started developing cheeses.


The Puentespina brothers, Olive Puentespina, Karin Carmona and the spread of Malagos cheeses
Today she has a gamut of varieties: I tried the traditional kesong puti but with cow's milk. Then proceeded to the more European-style cheeses like Chevre (soft), Blue Goat Cheese (not as stinky as usual if you prefer your cheese stinking to the heavens although still quite sharp), Rustica (a little hard and yellow), Pepato (yellow with pepper). My favorites were the Soft Blush and the Aged Pepato.
According to Karin Carmona, the distributor in Manila, these may be sold as pricey as European or Australian cheeses. However, (1) I guarantee you a delight. Olive's creations can compete with the international market. (2) It's because - apparently - other countries give a subsidy to farmers so they can lower costs while here there's no subsidy plus cost of freight is expensive. When you purchase, just consider it a delicious patriotic move.

More on the kinds of cheese here. Also, check out Jeannie Javelosa's Philstar feature on them here.

These cheeses are now available in Rustan's Gourmet to Go.

Margauxkicious

[dinabaw]

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Sunday, November 11, 2012
Askinosie Chocolates




Ever heard of Askinosie Chocolates? I was looking for a source of Tableya in the U.S. when I stumbled upon the company website. Tableya refers to a "chocolate tablets" used for a chocolate drink native to the Philippines. It is made from raw cocoa beans that are roasted, manually ground and shaped into round discs. Normally sugar is NOT added so the chocolate drink has a bitter, rich chocolate taste that is a bit grainy. Sometimes peanuts are finely ground and mixed before the chocolate discs are formed. I first tasted Tableya as a child. I was so fascinated when I saw how the actual chocolate drink was prepared First, water is boiled then 2-3 chocolate discs/ Tableya are mixed in and gently stirred. Sugar and milk may be added. But I liked best the next step which was to use a wooden whisk/ batirol by rubbing the tool between the palms in a circular motion to make the drink frothy until a thick, foamy consistency is reached. The drink is topped with a bit of butter that gently melts into rich chocolate drink.

Askinosie Chocolates is a small batch chocolate company in Springfield, MO. They source 100% of their cacao beans directly from farmers. The founder and chocolate maker, Shawn Askinosie personally travels to Equador, Honduras, Philippines and Tanzania to work directly with farmers and source his chocolate. So, the chocolates can be traced from source and labeled Authentic Single Origin Chocolate. It also allows them to profit share with the farmers and build genuine relationships with their suppliers.

The Tableya they sell are made by local PTA at Malagos Elementry School in Davao, Philippines to fund a feeding program for extremely malnourished kids in the school. They sell the Tableya to Askinosie Chocolates for $1 and Askinosie Chocolates sells it for $10 and ALL $9 profit go to Malagos for their feeding program!!! In 2012, 185,000 nutritious hot meals have been provided. Each student is assured of a meal for a school year and a half!













A similar feeding program is being planned for malnourished children in Tenende, Tanzania where they have also built deep-water well to provide potable water to 2000 citizens of Tenende, Tanzania.

Askinosie Chocolates is a company with a clear mission -- to serve their farmers, neighbors, their customers and each other, sharing the Askinosie Experience and leaving the world a better place than they found it. This is from a company that has won many awards for the superb quality of their chocolates!!


momgetaway

[dinabaw]

Paksiw na buntot ng tuna

Lyle Santos

[dinabaw]

Red Agreda(flicker)

Saturday, August 18, 2012
Recipe: Durian Halo Halo

Halo-halo is a Filipino iced dessert that may seem like an odd hodgepodge of random foods to western palates. A basic halo-halo is shaved ice and evaporated milk with any of the following toppings: garbanzo beans, kidney beans, gummy candy, fruits, sweet potato, and coconut. It's a bit like the Malaysian iced cendol, but without the green noodles.

Just like with ice cream, there are both roving halo-halo vendors and halo-halo shops. At a typical halo-halo shop, you are given a list of toppings and check the ones you want. The great thing about halo-halo, is it's flexibility in ingredients allows you to choose what you want, making it easily adaptable for vegan, raw food, or any other diets.



Recently, I was told about a halo-halo stand in Davao City that offers a special durian halo-halo. This isn't just a regular halo-halo with a chunk of fresh durian thrown on top - it's a special recipe including durian ice cream and durian jam!

If you're in Davao City, check out Aling Foping's halo-halo stand near the Matina Town Square.
For everyone else, here are some more ideas for your own durian halo-halo!

Ingredients

Shaved ice
evaporated milk or coconut milk

Optional toppings:

durian jam
durian ice cream
durian pastillas, chopped
durian jello, cubed
durian chips
dehydrated durian
freeze-dried durian
fresh durian

1. Place a scoop of shaved ice in a bowl. Add toppings, and pour evaporated milk, coconut milk, or sweetener of your choice over the ingredients. Enjoy!

What do you put on your durian halo-halo?

Year of the Durian

[freightrunner]

Originally Posted by dinabaw

Paksiw na buntot ng tuna

Lyle Santos

Da best talaga to. Parang lahat ng flavor nung tuna ay malalasahan mo sa buntot. Nagluto yung nanay ng kaibigan namin ng ganyan minsan at laging yan na lang hinahanap namin eversince pag napunta kami sa kanila.

[RepublicaNegrense]

Originally Posted by xuewei

nutritious,delicious at very affordable...walang conflict( relgion,beliefs,culture)


GINATAAN NA BAGONGON WITH GABI & TAKWAY

Adobo nga Lokus




seafood pasta

I don't see the point of you pointing "Religious Conflict" in cuisine for the big chunk of the people don't mind it. Don't like it? Don't eat it. Besides, these food you pointed out without "Religious and Cultural Conflict" does have one... the Jews would NOT like these ones.

[dinabaw]

Mangosteen Mousse


Mangosteen Ice Cream with sticky rice

From Kusina Selera

http://luvnat.wordpress.com/category/davao-2/

[dinabaw]

Banofee Pie

From Cafe Damitasse

Kusina Maria

[dinabaw]

grilled tuna panga, belly, buntot, bagaybay, bijod etc.




Tuna kinilaw

tripwow

courtesy of Luz Kinilaw

[dinabaw]

Banana Chicken Salad Wrap


HellofromDavao

[ark]

Ted's Oldtimer La Paz Batchoy, Iloilo City
La Paz Batchoy, Puto, and Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

[ark]

Baked talaba in tomato sauce

Route 64, Pavia, Iloilo

[ark]

Lechon manok

Route 64, Pavia, Iloilo

[ark]

Sweet chili shrimp

Route 64, Pavia, Iloilo City

[ark]

Sinigang na pasayan & Lumpia prito

Route 64, Pavia, Iloilo

[ark]

Sizzling squid stuffed with vegetables

Route 64, Pavia, Iloilo

[xuewei]

Bakit ang pinoy food hindi popular sa mga foreigners?

best answers frm pinoyexchange

I live in a very multicultural country where international cuisine abounds. The most popular are Japanese, Chinese, American, Greek, Mexican, Indian, Arab, Thai, Malaysian and Vietnamese restaurants. I see very few foreigners eating in Pinoy restaurants and they are almost always accompanied by Pinoy friends or spouses. Why is that? What makes Pinoy food not appealing to foreigners?

*Filipino cuisine needs more international publicity. Also, we need to improve on our food presentation. Let's admit it, we don't think about presentation when it comes to our own food unlike the Japanese, who treats Japanese cuisine like art.

It would really help a lot if we promote our own cuisine and be positive that it will be as popular as American hamburger. It's quite a long shot but it won't hurt if we think positive.

In case you haven't read, Andrew Zimmern said that "Filipino food will be the next big thing in two years' time".

Instead of questioning: why Filipino food isn't as famous or as popular as other cuisine, let's just do our part in promoting it.

Now I think I'm craving for Kare-kare.

*merong Pinoy restaurant sa lugar namin. hindi nagtagal sarado agad. imagine ang mga pangalan ng mga pagkain ay lumpiang shanghai, pancit canton, arroz de valenciana. kinaramihan ay nasa spanish ang mga pangalan. foreigners are not that stupid especially those from shanghai , canton and spain. saka isa pa, laging nasisita ng FDA dahil sobrang taba. hindi pumapasa sa standard ng mga food critics.

*I can't imagine common pinoy staple such as Dinuguan, Kare-kare, and Papaitan becoming mainstream.

Even real chinese food aren't popular either. The chinese food you see being serve in western countries are very different than what they have in China.

Pinoy food will only become popular if someone could westernize it.

*The concept came from other countries (like Spain or China) but instead of innovating the dishes, we simplified the recipe and reduced its complexity. I think that's one reason why it's difficult for us to compete with French, Thai or Chinese cuisine.

Some foreigners also say that our dishes are either too sweet for their tastes. Almost everything from spaghetti to stewed meat is sweet daw dito. I only realized it when she mentioned it

One aspect of Filipino cuisine that's promising is our sweet goods. My korean friends didn't like Filipino food that much but they loved meringue, barquillos and other delicacies. Apparently we have a Midas touch with sugar and the oven.

*Filipino restos can not serve home cook filipino receipes because it takes a long time to prepare. not unless they are taking a risk with reheated food

thats why most of the popular filipino resto food are quickie sisig and silogs:white and brown sugar are stapple ingredients found in a tradition filipino kusina and not only on the table.

*Filipino food is fatty ... it is full of lard

*Filipino food is very basic....basic cooking (grill, fried, boiled)...basic spices (garlic, onions, ginger)....and that's how we like it. We want our fish to taste like fish, we want our beef to taste like beef, we want our vegetables to taste as it is.

For example: fried fish. Indians will rub all sorts of spices to their fish before they fry it...we Pinoys simply rub salt into it and then fry it as it is.....Why, again because we want our fish to taste like fish and that's how we like it.

Our beef 'sinigang'...we simply boil our beef with onions and nothing much, then the other basic ingredients: fish sauce, tamarind, tomatoes, mild green chilies and veggies...Now, I'm sounding very redundant here...because that's how we like it.....Compare our 'sinigang' to Thailand's 'tom yum' or even Vietnam's 'lau'.....Many Pinoys can't even take the taste of coriander or fresh mint leaves.

*Blah... blah... blah...

It is not that healthy to start with. That's why we don't rank at all.

*Ah, I did not mean uncooked.....we just don't really put that much spices in our food, including vegetables...minsan nga sinasapaw lang natin yung mga vegies natin...kasi nga we want it to taste as it is, lasang gulay kung lasang gulay.

Hindi rin tayo mahilig maglagay ng herbs, di gaya ng mga Thais and Vietnamese (e.g.: coriander, mint, basil, lemon grass).

Ang malimit ko nga sinasabi kahit dun sa mga kaibigan at kakilala kong foreigners, kasi nga yung natural na lasa ng pagkain ang gusto nating mga Pinoy, kaya very minimal lang ang spices.

Kaya gisa-gisa lang, pangat-pangat, prito-prito...simple lang!

*It's all about the market positioning and general image in the minds of these foreigners. Filipino food, as much as Filipino culture, is a mixture of different culinary influences from countries in the East and West alike. It's very hard to conceptualize "what" filipino food is all about. Sa madaling sabi, it lacks identity. Don't get me wrong, I love Filipino food and I wouldn't trade it for any other, well except for italian food. Even for us filipinos, it's really hard to describe filipino food in one handy, simple statement.

For instance, in the mind of every American, chinese food is "simple, convenient, a-bit-on-the-unhealthy-side-but-still-tasty", Japanese food is "delicate, refined, and healthy", Thai food is "spicy", and so on and so forth. We also have no clear "flagship" food. Like for Italian food, it's definitely pasta and pizza, or gelato. Japanese - sushi, tempura, ramen.

Perhaps we could position our food as THE asian comfort food in contrast to Japan's meticulously-prepared cuisines, as much as in Europe, France would be the "refined" dining experience, while Italian is the rustic, earthy, comfort food.

Just sayin

*we tend to scrimp din kasi. masyadong masabaw para dumami. puro preservatives at extenders. at ang daming instant mixes lately, instant menudo mix, kare-kare mix, etc. hindi na siya appetizing.

*I'm here in Vietnam since April 2012, I noticed that Vietnam also has an 'aji-knorr-maggi' cooking culture...Gaya din sa Pinas, ang daming instant mixes dito at ma-vetsin din yung pagkain nila, mahilig din sila sa matamis na timpla ng pagkain (kahit nga dried fish nila matamis eh), mahilig din sila kumain ng balut...Mas marami palang similarities ang mga Vietnamese sa ating mga Pinoy, I thought mas similar tayo sa mga Malay brothers natin from Malaysia and Indonesia, pero sa nakikita ko dito mas pareho ang Vietnamese sa ating mga Pinoy.

Pero sa pagkain, mas kilala ang Vietnam food, agree ako kay NoirAddict dito, dahil may 'flagship food' sila....Vietnam is very famous for their 'pho' dishes, yung noodle dishes nila, kilalang-kilala na sa buong mundo....Isama pa yung 'bahn mi' sandwiches nila!

Kaya dapat siguro, magkaroon din tayo ng 'flagship dishes'....ano ba puede?

*The apparent basic-ness of Filipino cuisine is a product of our geography and history.

As an archipelago comprised of 7,000 islands, it was very difficult for ingredients from one province to be regularly transported to another province, hence there were less interactions between regional cuisines which ultimately results in less innovations.

For a good part of our history, our trade was largely limited between Spain and China. While the two have some of the most complex cuisines in the world, a lot of key ingredients weren't available hence we didn't have any choice but only to adopt the easier dishes of the two cuisines.

In contrast to China, France, Italy or the US, these were ports of trade and melting pots of different cultures, so their cuisines thrived.

ure sisig, tapa, lechon kawali or sinigang are tasty, but these dishes do not give any distinct Filipino flavor which makes it stand out.

*Common complaints I hear from foreigners:

"Why are you guys using ketchup for your barbecue?"

"So Adobo is just soy sauce with garlic?"

"Everything here is too sweet".

"I don't think I'd be able to eat a chuck of deep fried pork fat".

Well kung ganyan ang sitwasyon, wala tayong magagawa. It's unfortunate that our cuisine isn't patronized by a lot of foreigners but we're not alone. The same is true with British cuisine.

*I also asked myself this question and a trip to Bangkok answered it.

Those who have been to other cities in Asia particularly Bangkok and Hong Kong will know why Filipino food is the least appealing.

Sa South East Asia, tayo na ang may pinaka 1 dimensional na pagkain. Walang spices, tapos karamihan ang tatamis. Walang symphony of flavors ika nga.

Go to Thailand and you'll realize why not even Abe and Fely J's can beat the taste of a street food vendor in Thailand at 1/10th the price.

Just look at our fastfood inside malls, pare-parehelas lang ang binebenta. Go to a fastfood in Bangkok, lahat iba.

Ang streetfood natin kadududa ang hygiene and quality ng ginamit na ingredients. Ang streetfood sa ibang bansa pwedeng pang lunch at dinner ng office workers. Hindi lang masa ang kumakain sa streetfood nila.

We also advocate fastfood too much which 1. isn't healthy and 2. isn't quality food. Sa Bangkok bilang na bilang ang KFC at McDo. This is because their street food is healthier and cheaper than fastfood.

Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, all these countries have food that taste distinctly different than ours because of all the spice and variety. Variety in the taste and variety in the choice of dishes.

Nakakalungkot pero ganun na talaga ang pagkain natin.

*Filipino food is the best, kaso lang, some things I noticed in pinoy restos abroad,

1. Preparation takes too long, inaabot ang isang meal or ulam ng 20-30 min to prepare,

2. If ready naman na, its either its reused, recooked or bara bara ang pagkakaluto, halos sunog sa labas tapos hilaw at madugo pa sa loob.

3. Presentation is poor, may ulo pa yung tilapia, yung adobo masyadong mamantika, magulong tingnan yung pagkakaayos pag plate meal.

4. Mahal maningil ang pinoy restos compared sa chinese or vietnamese tapos small servings pa ang pinoy food.

somehow kahit pinoy food, dapat iakma din or makipag meet half way sa culture ng pine presentan ng pagkaing pilipino.

I mean, Chinese and other Asians even serve live food, yung mga gumagalaw pa na seafood, and yung mga extra ordinary meals like frogs, eels, rats, snakes, octopus etc. in their local diners,

but they dont of course when they're customers will be westerners. kulang sa pagiging tactful ang pinoy in other words.

*there was this one restaurant, the kare-kare tasted like peanut butter and most of the food were
nearly deep fried.

the presentation is poorly done because filipino cuisine is peasant food which never requires any presentation. ever watched those old movies, featuring people cooking with gigantic kawalis out in the open.

have to disagree about the 3rd comment. most asian cuisine offers fish with heads. only the western cuisine fillet most fish dishes.

*

I agree. Di talaga healthy Filipino food. I rarely cook Filipino food at home only when i'm really homesick kasi puro meat, usually sweet at oily.

On presentation, Filipino food kasi is communal so it's a shared meal lagi. Western food I noticed is more individual. As in when you order this is my meal that is your meal.

Pero foreigners i know who've tried Filipino food, maganda ang feedback (or they're just trying to be nice)

*

[xuewei]

Do you think that Filipino Food is BLAND?

A lot of our Asian counterparts claim that pinoy food is bland. Minimal usage of spices for a country blessed wih spices.

I agree. Well, most of it is bland. It is only made tastier with the sawsawan.

Then we are moving towards what the States has gone to...Proliferation of junkfood. Sheesh.

What do you think?

*I have always wondered why Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and lately, Indonesian and Malaysian food have captured the tastebuds of people from the US, Europe and other parts of Asia, and why Filipino food is nowhere in the radar.

Then it hit me. It must be because Filipino food is generally "unexciting", meaning no spices and less use of other flavoring. Also, another reason maybe the "non-artistic" presentation of the food. For example, when I see kare-kare being served, it looks like a hodgepodge of ingredients strewn everywhere. Compare it with Thai and Japanese food where they give as much importance to the presentation as to the taste.

Another is the Filipino penchant for using "unique" ingredients like fish head, pig's blood, gizzards, "bituka" and others which foreigners find "horrific".

Just my opinion, though.

* I find it very bland and unexciting, too, compared to our Asian counterparts' dishes. Everything is simply fried or sauced up, and there's really not much in the way of spices in the average Filipino kitchen--salt, pepper, garlic, and onions and you can actually make a Filipino dish. There is no distinct flavor with Filipino dishes, and I agree with Lightspeed, it looks unappetizing.

*i think jap food is even blander. i guess compared to indian food an some kinds of chinese food, wala mashado lasa pinoy food.

*Yes there is nothing remarkable about it. However I've given Lumpia to my class here in the states and they think they are the best egg rolls in the world. I HAVE TO AGREE. They've been my favorite since my mother first gave me one on my b-day.

*mas walang lasa ang japanese food. although i love sushi, shabu shabu, tempura and the like. iyong iba, susmaryosep, wala talagang lasa.

ang thai food naman, sobra ang anghang, hindi ko alam ang lasa kasi ang anghang. ang indian food naman, overwhelming ang curry. although masarap ang tandoori chicken

the pinoy likes sour and salty taste. i still love pinoy food. although we have to work on the presentation side.

*Ooooohhhh this makes me really maaaaaaddd!!! Filipino food is NOT bland. I think Filipinos have the most seasoned tastedbuds in the world. Yeah, other countries may use a lot of spices, but that does not mean that they taste good. Filipino food is a perfect balance of flavors .. not too strong but really tasty. You don't realize this until you set foot on another country and live there for a few years. In general, north America really has no taste (no offense) and Europe usually has stronger, deeper and oiler flavors. Minsan masarap yung luto nila, pero lintek naman yung presyo! The reason why Filipino food has not captured the hearts of foreigners, especially in North America is because there has never really been a Filipino restaurant in America that has not been degraded into a karaoke bar or a simple cantina. Most Filipino restaurants are made into just that, parang walang ka-class class. I'm not saying that our restarants should be extrmely fancy, pero paano naman makokonbinse yung mga tao kung ang nakita na restaurant ay mukhang nightclub o karaoke bar? If you go to the only Filipino restaurant in New York that has really been presented nicely, you'll find that it has gotten many good reviews. I'm talking about a restaurant called Cendrillon in New York city, which was actually voted the best Pan-Asian restaurant by New York magazine ... not bad for a restaurant whose mainstays are adobo and lumpia ubod! Sigurado, pag-dinala yung Kamayan, Barrio Fiesta o Via Mare sa ibang bansa, foreigners will be tempted to discover our cuisine. We tend to take for granted the food that we eat, and I hope we Filipinos will understand how good our cuisine really is. Filipino food is a fusion of flavors, lahat ng masarap nakuha natin. If you go to some respectable internet sites such as Epicurious which is the internet arm of Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazine, you'll find that the recipes for Chicken Adobo all have a 100% "I'll do it again" rating by readers. A few years ago, I had doubts about the potential of our cuisine, but now, I think Filipino cuisine has some of the finest flavors in the world. I hope Filipinos will be proud of what they get to experience everyday, and that is good food coupled with good friends and great hospitality.

*Filipino food is delicious. I really think it would be the next big thing. I also think Buray is right. Jees, I've lived abroad for about 3 years and it's still a mystery to me why food sa Pinas tastes better. If you compare food chains such as Wendy's, MacDonald's, KFC and the other big U.S. chains that are in the States compared to the same food chains na dinala sa Pinas, you'll notice na mas-masarap sa Pilipinas! It's because they actually change the recipe for their products to suit our taste. Ibig sabihin noon, talagang mas-malasa ang pagkain natin! In terms of presentation, that really is no problem. Like Buray said, ginagawang karaoke bar o cantina lang yung mga Pinoy restaurants sa ibang bansa, eh di, paano naman magiging maganda yung presentation? Go to the Via Mare website and look at their presentation of kare kare .. it looks absolutely appetizing! Or eat at Josephine's where they kick it up a notch when it comes to presenting our food. Filipino food is still the best!!!

*All my Chinese colleagues think that Filipino food is too oily, salty or sweet. Mahilig daw tayo sa pamatay! Kungdi high blood eh diabetes naman ang makukuha natin . Pero sila lang ang nag-iisipin noon...hehehe!!!

I believe that Filipino cuisine is generally a fusion of all the different best cuisines there are. Kasi naman iyong timpla natin, halos may similarity sa ibang cuisines eh. Like iyong ulam natin na may tomato sauce, very Spanish yon. Tapos iyong gamit natin ng gata, akala ng iba, Thais lang daw gumagawa noon. Tapos iyong curry, kala nila Singaporeans lang daw ang may curry sa pagkain. Eh iyong kinilaw natin, parang may influence ng Japanese di ba? So parang walang originality.

But my American roommate is very happy when he's in Manila because among all the countries he has visited in Asia, sa Philippines lang daw maraming choices when it comes to food. Spanish, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean - kahit anong pagkain, madali daw hagilapin, parang fast-food daw tapos mura pa. (Kasi when you go out in other countries, sobrang mahal talaga...unless kakain ka doon sa mga Chinese resto.)

By the way, ADOBO is the Philippines' very own contribution to world cuisine. Kilala na siya. All the foreigners I deal with always tell me that it's their favorite! In fact, sa US meron nang instant Adobo powder na pwede mong gamitin. Timplado na!

*I would die if I couldn't taste Filipino Food ever again...especially Kare kare and bagoong..ahhhh yun nga lang mamantika masiyado.

But I guess the oily ones are only the PARTY FIESTA foods...yung pang hadaan. At pag kumain ka sa Pinoy fast food like the ones here sa States or diyan sa Pinas parang talagang hinahaluan nila nang taba or they make it more oily siguro para lumasa na masarap. Its best if you cook your own food so you can regulate the oils and fats.

The plain simple foods like mga sinigang or nilaga na manok or isda na grilled and mga gulay like lumpiang sariwa or nilagan talong na salad are pretty healthy...I guess it depends

Mas bland is better....we should cut our use of MSG or betsin...but still Filipino food is soooo good.

:Tama sila kasi pag alis ninyo nang Pinas and puros American or European and Mexican and Indian and Chinese foods ang available to you..you will miss good Pinoy homecooking...ha ha haha

*"Bland" is definitely not the word. I always though that Filipino food is greasy and most of the time, unhealthy, not to mention that it lacks presentation. In fact, though I'm just in the country, I hardly eat Filipino food. I mean it's not on my list of favorites, not even close. I think a lot of you will share my opinion on this. Think of Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian, Indonesian and there goes an endless list. How do you think Filipino cuisine compares to our Asian counterparts at the very least? However strange it is, I am Filipino but I don't particularly like our own food. Maybe I'm just so used to it or maybe it's because of other cultural influences, but still, the painful reality is I don't patronize it. Imagine how many Filipinos are just like me. Besides, most of the restaurants we have in the country rarely promote Filipino food, and to think most of the owners of these establishments are Filipinos themselves. Well this writing has gone way beyond the topic, but the bottomline is if we ourselves don't support and encourage our own, I don't think anyone else will care to. I hope I'm not giving the impression that I'm advocating anything here. I'm just trying to set an understanding on why Filipino cuisine has not fully developed over the years. I know I'm one of the culprits to be blamed coz I'll always be the same "pasta lover". Peace!

*On the contrary, Fillipino food is too flavorful for the Western tastebud. The problem is, Filipino cuisine, as opposed to Thai or Indian cuisine which use spices, uses salt and grease to add and bring out flavor. Kaya walang appeal sa foreigners.

My Korean friends so far only like Sinigang and other sweet Filipino delicacies.

*I wouldn't say bland per se...

Filipino food in my opinion is not evolved. They're all basically STEWS.

*Except for a few dishes, most pinoy food are basic and easy to prepare. Nothing extraordinary.

*" I'd like to know your standard of right sweetness and saltiness. I'm just curious. "

basic tastes ng filipino cuisine:

salty, sweet, or sour.

Toyo, Suka, Patis. Only herb we use is bay leaf/ dahon ng laurel. and it's in dried state pa.

*You can attribute it to our history and our country being an archipelago.

Filipino cuisine is simplified Chinese, Spanish and Malay cuisine made with local ingredients. One can probably describe it as a chef being handed a cookbook from China or Spain, but lacking the ingredients he just decides to use what's available in his surroundings.

Unlike China, India or Spain, the Philippines wasn't exactly a port city so exotic ingredients were scarcely available. Trade was largely limited to Spain and Mexico, and the common Filipino couldn't afford the exotic ingredients brought in by the galleons. Trade with China, while existent, was limited as well compared to their trade with Korea, Japan and Russia.

One might argue that Thailand wasn't an international port city as well yet its cuisine flourished. Well it's because the Philippines is an archipelago and Thailand is one big piece of land. It was very difficult to travel from one province to another hence cuisine was largely limited to local ingredients. Kaya our cuisine is not as complex or intricate as that of Thailand.

*Just look at the way fish is done, laging nalang prito aka deep fried. Tapos ang sawsawan, isang klase lang, toyo o toyomansi.

Look at how the Thais cook and eat their fish, ang daming variation at sawsawan na pwede.

Our food is one dimensional. Walang symphony of flavors. Either puro sweet or puro salty or puro sour. Sa Asia, best talaga ang Chinese, sumunod ang Thai and the other south east Asian countries.

Hindi lang yung way of cooking ang problema, even the ingredients are not fresh. Sa Thailand sobrang fresh lahat, mura pa. Sa atin hindi na nga fresh, mahal pa. Agriculture is also part of the problem.

*I think foreign ingredients reached our shores naman but most of it was expensive. Most locals weren't able to fully appreciate the products brought in by the galleon trade because of their price hence the cuisine was limited to what Philippine soil can produce. I remember a professor of mine saying that "spots" in these Galleons were extremely expensive.

Well that aside, sa Filipino cuisine ang naeenjoy ko lang talaga ay yung Sinigang. I think it's one of the few Filipino dishes with a unique and complex taste. Iyan lang rin ang dish na gusto ng Korean friends ko.

One aspect of Filipino cuisine we can probably be proud of are our sweet goods. Somehow Filipinos have a magical touch with sugar. Koreans love barquillos, meringue, otap and other baked delicacies.

*Foreign and local analysts have said that Philippine food is a largely unimaginative and uninspired collection of stews and fried stuff seemingly made for peasants and fisherfolk while Thai food is a very ornate, elaborate and exquisite cuisine that is worthy of its royal heritage. Agree?

*ako top ko Filipino - Japanese - Chinese, problema kase sa Pilipinas madaming hindi marunong magluto ng mga ulam, basta basta nalang baka yun ang nakakain nyo

*Sa mga lasenggo ang filipino food ang the best. Kailangan mo malaseng para masarapan.

Meron ako kilala kapampangan na pagkayabang-yabang. Natikman na daw nya lahat ng masarap na pagkain. Nung dinala ko sa authentic chinese resto biglang tumahimik at kain lang ng kain. Pag uwi namin sabi nya next tine dadalhin nya family nya para matikman. (Ganito ang mga typical pinoy-pride)

Feeling ko ang nakainan nya before eh siomai lang.

At yung lagi ko nababasa na argument na bakit hindi sumisikat ang pinoy food sa america? or bakit walang sikat na filipino resto sa ibang bansa? Ang sagot ay hindi masarap.

*Filipino cuisine doesn't place a premium on aroma, it puts a premium on strong flavor. I'd probably even go as far to say that most Filipinos don't like food with strong aromas such as Thai or Indian food. Kaya hindi nauso dito ang herbs at spices.

Filipinos enjoy eating Chinese, Japanese and French food but most Filipinos dislike Thai, Indian, Middle Eastern and even Korean food, cuisines which are heavy on aroma.

I personally don't like the smell of lemongrass and I don't enjoy Thai food as much, but I acknowledge the creativity of their cuisine. Neither do I like Korean cuisine but I'm a sucker for Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine.

*You shouldn't be surprised to see comments like that.

There are a lot of people, not just Filipinos, who cannot appreciate foreign cuisine. Sanay na sila sa lasa na nakasanayan nila. If they taste something new, "weird" na agad. Just look at the comment at the previous page, "sumisingkit" daw siya pag kumain ng Chinese food.

It's a disappointing reality for people who love to eat and who appreciate all the good food in the world.

Kaya nakakainggit ang cities tulad ng Toronto where all types of cuisine are well-represented and all are very authentic.

*There's always a point of reference. So when the title says Filipino food is Bland, you compare it to other Asian cuisine or more particularly, South East Asian Cuisine, yes it is the most bland.

There's a reason why French, Indian, Thai, Italian and Chinese cuisine are recognized world-wide; and why Filipino isn't. Given the fact that there are Filipinos everywhere (much like the Chinese), don't you find it funny that our cuisine isn't exposed as theirs is? Yes there are Filipinos everywhere but our cuisine never really took off, no matter where that is. So it's either the entire world has a wrong taste/impression or it's simply our cuisine not being that good at all.

It's funny how discussions about anything Philippine-related always end up in patriotism. Filipinos are so sensitive (not to mention defensive) to criticism even when it comes to food.

Go abroad, Travel the world, Taste it for yourself. Start with our neighboring countries so you'll find out how inartistic, one dimensional and lacking in fresh ingredients/spices our dishes are. How can a nation that adores and patronizes fast food be a nation of people with taste when it comes to food? Sorry to say majority of Pinoys simply do not have the taste to enjoy and appreciate authentic foreign cuisine.

It's easy to defend the local cuisine if you lack the pallet to appreciate foreign cuisine or if you haven't tasted authentic foreign cuisine yet.

[dinabaw]

Originally Posted by champagne_supernova

Eat through Davao in a day
By Mike Aquino for Yahoo! Southeast Asia – Fri, Jan 11, 2013 5:33 PM PHT

Mention Davao to a life-long foodie, and a few things will come up more often than others. First, durian: that odoriferously delicious fruit grown in the farms around Davao City. Second, kinilaw: the tasty raw-tuna dish that pairs very well with beer. Third, tuna: Davao diners’ favorite fish from General Santos City's fish ports.

If you're visiting Davao with plans to gorge yourself silly on local fare, then this one’s for you. Do a whole day's worth of traveling and eating through Mindanao's premier city.

Breakfast: Sinangag at Taps

Taps has long been synonymous with quick, hearty fried rice breakfasts for as long as your correspondent can remember. Its eponymous and inexpensive tapsilog aside, Taps serves plenty of other creatively named meat-rice-egg team-ups, including bellybangsilog (bangus belly), hulongsilog (hubad or skinless longganisa) and primasilog (pritong manok or fried chicken).

Most Taps branches are open 24 hours a day. Try one of its newer branches at Damosa Gateway, JP Laurel Avenue cor. Mamay Road.


BluGre's cozy interiors. Photo © Rexes Villa/Creative Commons.

Morning Coffee: Durian-flavored coffee at BluGre Cafe

The much-maligned durian is surprisingly good friends with milk; pastillas and ice cream do very well when flavored with durian. So does that coffee shop favorite: cappuccino.

Enter Davao's BluGre Coffee and its durian "gatchpuccino", or hot durian-flavored cappuccino. (The "gatch" in the name refers to BluGre's proprietor, "Gatchie" Gatchalian; the cold cappuccino is named the "larcepuccino" after Gatchy's wife Larcy.)

Visit the BluGre branch at LandCo Corporate Center on JP Laurel Avenue across from Victoria Plaza, down the street from Taps.


Tuna Marina's famous kinilaw

Lunch: Kinilaw at Marina Tuna Restaurant

To experience tuna at its most versatile, you'll need to travel north up the old airport road to a unique fish restaurant. Marina Tuna boasts of serving different versions of tuna—from the usual ways (tuna sashimi, grilled tuna jaw, grilled tuna belly) to unusual adaptations (tuna kare-kare, crispy tuna tail) to the positively exotic (tuna eye soup, sizzling tuna pancreas, tuna roe, tuna tendon).

Marina Tuna also serves its very own tuna kinilaw, made from fresh, raw tuna soaked in vinegar and served with chopped vegetables and chilies. Who knew tuna had so much personality?

To get to Marina Tuna Restaurant, go up Km. 8 Barrio Pampanga in Sasa.


Durian at Magsaysay Park

Dessert: Durian at Magsaysay Park

Your durian gatchpuccino experience at BluGre will have primed you to try the real thing, and where better to experience absolutely fresh durian than at Magsaysay Park? The road in front of this small, dingy seafront park is lined with fruit stalls selling durian and a few other Davao agricultural products.

Be warned, though: the Magsaysay Park experience isn't for visitors who don't like to get their hands dirty. To really enjoy your durian-eating spree, you need to get knuckle-deep in the fruit, eat the pulp, and lick what's left of it off your fingers.

Snack: Coffee for Peace

The cramped, one-floor space that Coffee for Peace calls its own reflects its owners' back-to-the-grassroots aspirations. It is filled with handmade knick-knacks, shirts, and artwork for sale. The coffee shop serves freshly-brewed Arabica coffee bought from Davao coffee growers at more-than-fair prices. Their revel bar is unusually rich, a perfect match with the house brew.

The revenues from Coffee for Peace go to educating coffee farmers and helping them with livelihood programs.

Coffee for Peace is across the street from McDonald's Matina, on McArthur Highway. Visit their site: coffeeforpeace.com.



Dinner: Ronaldo's

Davao's best foot forward for fusion cuisine comes to us at Ronaldo's, a Filipino restaurant.

Ronaldo's uses Davao's fresh, tasty ingredients in Filipino dishes infused with French influences. Ronaldo's pizza is one of its more popular appetizers, using locally made cheese and topped with arugula. End your meal with yet another durian-based dish—Ronaldo’s durian sans rival is a rich little pastry morsel topped with a spun-sugar garnish.

Find Ronaldo's at the Holiday Gym and Spa Complex, F. Torres Street. Visit their Facebook page.

Nightcap: Matina Town Square

Finish your day-long Davao food trip with a beer or three at Matina Town Square, known as "MTS" to locals. A sizeable performance space in its center is surrounded by bars, grills and restaurants, some with interesting entertainment of their own, whether through up-and-coming musical acts, flea-market shopping, or random beer-bonding sessions with friends.

Matina Town Square is at McArthur Highway, near the Ateneo de Davao campus.

http://ph.she.yahoo.com/eat-through-...qdWMWahqr_#_=_

[dinabaw]

Askinosie Chocolate
January 9

Tableya is back!

Warm up with our favorite traditional Filipino hot chocolate and support our sustainable lunch program at Malagos Elementary School in Davao, Philippines.

Like our new Premium Kyela Rice, each package of Tableya purchased will provide the funds for a lunch for every student for one school year. Each package purchased provides 70 meals-- that's 140,000 meals for 700 students.

Read more about Tableya and our lunch program here: http://bit.ly/Tableya-is-back.



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