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Is Filipino food a world cuisine?

  • DEFINITELY!!!

    Votes: 187 74.2%
  • NO WAY!!!

    Votes: 65 25.8%

Philippine Cuisine: Preserving Culinary Traditions

2M views 8K replies 318 participants last post by  LuzZzTino 
#1 ·
Is Filipino food a world cuisine? Usually in Asia, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Thai or Indonesian are considered as world cuisines and are enjoyed by people of many nationalities. How about Filipino food? Would Filipino favourites like the Chicken Adobo, Chicken Inasal, La Paz Batchoy or even the halo-halo get the same recognition and admiration as those of Thai food or even Singaporean food?
 
#86 ·
Hindi maganda ang "packaging".

At saka, yung mga ibang cook, lalo na sa mga carinderia, sobra sila maglagay ng cooking oil kaya parang nakakahigh blood.

Okay lang yung parang Kalde-kaldero pero sana yung presentable na kaldero ang gamitin nila hindi yung mukhang napaglumaan.

Hehehe
 
#89 ·
The clay one? okay lang naman siya. When we ate in Solibao one time yung kanina nila nasa maliit ng tranditional na pagluto ng pagkain hindi sa rice cooker. It was nice but their food wasn't tasty enough.

Hehehe
 
#103 ·
By world cuisine in regards to appealing to a majority of the people in the world now. Sorry, but no.

By the way, I´d like to share ths message from Prof. Zialcita. Its really interesting about the world 'almusal'.

> 1. Although the word 'merienda' is of Spanish origin, I am not
sure that Spaniards eat 6 times a day the way Filipinos do. I did
not find this to be the case in Spain. There is no need. The servings
of meat and fish for lunch and dinner are huge. Paella is just a
first course! In our case, we prefer small servings with plenty of
starch. My American doctor in Hawaii, Dr. John McDougall, said that
it is really healthier to eat several small meals thoughout the day.
Also that the traditional farmer's diet of plenty of starch (it
has to be unpolished rice and wheat, or tubers like potato) with
plenty of vegetables AND a limited serving of protein does not
overload the body. The problem is that one gets hungry in-between
lunch and dinner. Thus merienda.
>
> 2. Eating a heavy breakfast is un-Spanish. A Mexican friend tells
me that is more Mexican than Spanish. Upon getting up early in the
morning, a Mexican farmer eats a quick breakfast. When he comes home
in the middle of the morning to escape the heat, he takes a heavier
meal: almuerzo. In Spain, almuerzo is for lunch, my friend says in
Mexico, it refers to this heavy breakfast as well. This, he says, may
be one reason why we Filipinos call our breakfast 'almusal' instead
of 'desayuno.'
>
> 3. Let's ask our Spanish and Mexican friends what they think
about points 1 and 2.
>
> 4. Indonesians eat small meals throughout the day? Not my
Javanese friends who are surprised by our fondness for snacking. This
may be true of the Balinese.
>
> 5. It is not the rural "village" (rural barrio/barangay) that
is built around the church and plaza. More likely it is the town
center (poblacion) where the central plaza is located in front of the
church and the government buildings. Urban barangays like the one I
live in, Tambo in Parañaque, has a parish church. But the barangay
layout does not center upon it.
>
> 6. Neo-gothic and neo-romanesque styles entered during the 19th
century. But the most widespread church style introduced by the
Spaniards is the Baroque, beginning in the 17th century down to the
early 19th century. This is a Baroque that is simplified,
indigenized and colored with Chinese influences. In brief, a Filipino
version of the Baroque.
>
> 7. Wet rice cultivation was known by prehispanic Filipinos. It
was practised on the shores of the Lake of Bai which flooded
annually. However, this is a tedious process on other types of land
in the absence of draft animals and the plow. You have to upturn the
soil manually! The spade becomes your main tool. Hence shifting
cultivation was a reasinable adaptation to the mountainous, forested
environment of pre-17th century Luzon and the Visayas. In the Manila
region, the hills began at Sampaloc and La Loma!
>
> 8. But what about the rice terraces of Ifugao? There is a
controversy as to when these really began. Beyer claimed that these
must have been constructed 2000 years ago. Based on what evidence
though? Others, like Keesing, claim that these were built by the
Ifugaos only during the past 400 years. Escaping taxation and
tribute, the Ifugaos migrated mountainwards and found they had to
construct terraces to survive. Initially this was without the plow. A
colleague, Steve Acabado, is looking into this issue more closely.
>
 
#104 ·
Another one...

Here are some of the results done by a cultural anthropologist about
Filipino cuisine and I quote:

1. "....the consensus of Filipinos and American food critics is that
when Westerners think of Asian cuisine, 'Whether it is Thai, Burmese,
Indonesian', they always associate it with indigenous spices, 'which
Philippine cuisine does not have' (martel 1997)

(Source: Zialcita, "Why Insist On An Asian Flavor" p. 1.)

2. " A pan-Spanish way of cooking present in Spanish-inflenced
countries are such habits like sauteeing in garlic, onions and
tomatoes or stewing (puchero, cocido)..."

(Source: Zialcita,"Why Insist On Asian Flavor: The Hispanic World"
p.20)

3. "those who identify 'Asia' with complex seasoning find Tagalog or
Visayan cooking 'uninteresting' because of the restrained seasoning.
Worse still as unoriginal. Unfortunately, they overlook the
distinguishing feature of Lowland Christian Filipino cuisine which is
not the seasoning, but the fondness for sour flavors... the sour is
used as a foil against the texture of fat and oil... Adobo and paksiw
both pickle meat and fish in vinegar, pepper and garlic before
cooking them..."

(source: Zialcita, "Why Insist On An Asian Flavor"p. 15-16)

And finally, another conclusion which I equally share:

"Simplistic notions of what Asia is and should be in relation to the
West have succeeded in marginalizing, on the international scene, the
achievements of Lowland Christian Filipinos, not only in cuisine, but
in the arts as well. They have also succeeded in making many educated
lowland Christian Filipinos apologetic about their culture when they
reflect on it and have to articulate it before outsiders. Often they
assume that since the costume, the music, the architecture, and the
literature of lowland Christian Filipinos have an obvious Hispanic
component, they cannot be Asian, for to be Asian means to be non-
Western. Therefore, they cannot be 'authentic' either, for to be in
Asia means thinking and behaving like a true Asian. Thus the anguish
in defining the Christian Filipino's identity..."

(Source: Zialcita, "Why Insist On An Asian Flavor". p.2-3)


In other words, the very denial by the Filipinos of their own culture
because of their never ending quest for what's indigenous created
their identity problems. When everything has to be measured according
to the culture of their neighbors but not their own and use blame to
reject the outcome of history for what's politically correct. Then
there is no Filipino Nation to fight for because the factual Filipino
identity was not allowed to exist in the first place.

---

Prof. F. Zialcita

1) At least in Java and Sumatra, a taste for sourness is disliked. But
this is precisely what characterizes Tagalog cooking and some aspects of
Ilonggo/ Cebuano cooking. The idea of cooking in vinegar, as in adobo and
paksiw, repels my Indonesian students. They have a version of sinigang called "sayur
asam." Asam means both "sour" and "tamarind." But they sweeten the
sourness of the tamarind with sugar!

2) Garlic is also used in their cooking. Same word as here: "bawang."
Onion is "bawang putih" (white bulb). But they don't use it as much as we
Tagalogs and Visayans do. Like we enjoy sauteeing (guisa) our noodles and
fish in garlic. We even sprinkle raw garlic on our lumpia (spring rolls).
Not them.

Why the difference? The use of garlic for sauteeing is nto indigenous to
Luzon and Visayas. The main flavoring, according to the early 16th-27th
century accounts, was SALT. Plus presumably with patis and bagoong --
both of which are common throughout Southeeast Asia. The reasoin we like
garlic is because we have assimilated this very Mediterranean habit --
Spain, Southern France and Italy -- and made it our own.

3) Our pancit and other dishes are cooked with "achuete." We are unique in
the region for doing so. Why so? Because of Mexican influence.
 
#105 · (Edited)
^^ Huh? How can Pan-Asian or Asian fusion food be international cuisine and not Philippine food just because it is a mix of Asian and Spanish?

It is really more about marketing our food.

For a long period of time, Westerners used to gag at the idea of eating raw fish (sashimi) and raw fish/seafood rolled in vinegared rice and seaweed, until it was packaged as being 'trendy'. It became an acquired taste.
 
#107 ·
Anak ng baka, that article sounded like all the spices in the world are owned by Spain. :lol: Since they are the once who discovered the world of different spices... :)

3) Our pancit and other dishes are cooked with "achuete." We are unique in
the region for doing so. Why so? Because of Mexican influence.
Pati ba naman pancit nilalagyan ng Atsuwete?, ang tunay na sotanghon ay walang achuete but paprika or walang pang kulay.

By world cuisine in regards to appealing to a majority of the people in the world now. Sorry, but no
The world cuisine then would be McDonalds, Chinese dishes and Pizzas. :lol:
 
#108 ·
Anak ng baka, that article sounded like all the spices in the world are owned by Spain. :lol: Since they are the once who discovered the world of different spices... :)

Pati ba naman pancit nilalagyan ng Atsuwete?, ang tunay na sotanghon ay walang achuete but paprika or walang pang kulay.
Oo nga. Eh hindi ba kaya nga sila ng circumnavigate the world, in search of spices? Saka hindi nilalagyan ng achuete yung pancit no?

Plus, if the use of bawang is not indigenous to the land, how come we refer to it as 'bawang' and not 'ajo'? Plus, paksiw makes extensive use of vinegar (suka) and garlic (bawang).

Maybe the writer meant sibuyas (onion) which was derived from cebollas.
 
#112 ·
Yes, we do have a lot of common food. Even the clear broth fish soup is very similar. The use of fresh ingredients and lots of vegetables, the fish sauce, the coconut milk base as well as coconut and rice cake desserts. The crushed ice dessert with beans and milk, etc. The taste for meats that are grilled. The pickled grated papaya, the spring rolls (lumpia for us), etc. etc. This is the reason why I am fond of Vietnamese cuisine.

Actually, Vietnamese food is one of my favorites.

I think the only difference is that we don't use mint and basil leaves. And I love that added fresh taste.
 
#126 ·
Yeah cabbage, potato and carp bland bland bland.
our food is just bland ,not enough spices. most famous cuisines are full of spices .
 
#124 ·
I heard Vietnam has also their version of Balut...

But I think Lili is talking about the non-pulutan food.

In Business, packaging is equal to 5 second advertisment.
 
#129 ·
How do we define world cuisine anyway? If we mean acceptance of the majority of people, aside from Filipino of course, then i think it's not. I think filipino cuisine survives outside the philippines because of the present of Filipinos there and not because it is being patronized by the locals of that country. A lot of feedbacks i heard from other nationalities of our food, it's too salty, sour, too sweet, overcooked, etc...in short they think it's unhealthy:lol:
 
#136 ·
A lot of feedbacks i heard from other nationalities of our food, it's too salty, sour, too sweet, overcooked, etc...in short they think it's unhealthy:lol:
But that's what makes it uniquely Filipino! :lol: The way I see it, don't force anyone to eat what you're eating if they don't like it, that way there's more for you to eat! :hilarious
 
#130 · (Edited)
Exactly. I don't define world cuisine as exotic. Asian-ness or lack thereof of the food has nothing to do with it. It is the palatability of the food not just to the stomach but to the eyes. And for those who are health conscious, these options should be offered and presented to them because we do have food that are healthy (e.g. lumpiang sariwa, togue, sinigang na isda, tokwa't isda, pinakbet, diningding, sinugba, saluyot, ampalaya, seafoods, insalata etc. etc. )
 
#132 ·
im a huge fan of dinuguan, and how i wish that the rest of the world would feel same...

maybe some entrepreneur could market it into a status similar to that of caviar...coz IMO, dinuguan tastes great with alcohol (although i havent tried it with fine wine)
eat the liver, some fava beans and a nice chianti. sftp...sftp...sftp...
--- Hannibal Lecter.
 
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