Filipino Cuisine - Case Study Example

Jacob Manro Mrs.Mennuti English 12CP December , Filipino cuisine Filipino cuisine comprises of the foods, methods of preparation, and eating traditions found in the Philippines. The republic of Philippines is a nation of eighty one provinces. Each province has different cuisines. Usually, people in various regions eat what is easily available or grown in their locality. Filipino foods are so diverse; each province has its unique way of preparing individual dishes so there is a variety one can choose from. Typically, most of their diets consist of locally produced agricultural products, livestock, and fish. However, most of the dishes are made of vegetables since beef is expensive not unless one comes from where cattle are reared. Most Filipino’s typical diet consists of locally produced agricultural products, livestock and fish; however, special culinary dishes served at holidays posses strong cultural ties (Galbadores). Filipino foods Filipino foods are a blend of Spanish and Asian cuisines. They are prepared from traditional foods of Philippines but slightly changed to accommodate the use of the abundance of fresh local products and a few specialty spices (Pimental). Philippine food traditions are based on their cultural differences taught by their ancestors of oriental cooking, but modernized by years of influence on new generations. Since Spain ruled the Philippines from the 1500’s till the 1800’s, Filipino food is heavily influenced by Spanish food. The Spanish brought with them a lot of Mexican influence. And then there were the American’s, the Japanese, the Chinese influences woven into the recipes. Early Chinese brought pansit noodles and bean curds to the Philippines, which are still one of the most popular ingredients used in the Philippines today (Pimental). A variety of different rices is employed in Filipino cooking. Rice dishes are sometimes molded into fried cakes and rice noodles, which are very popular in restaurants and roadside stands (Dacasin). Popularity of Filipino foods What makes Filipino food different and unique is that it endorses the best of all worlds. Spanish, American and Chinese influence that makes for a very distinctive cuisine”. (Cash) The 2013 census estimates that there are about four million Filipinos in the U.S.(Besa), ”One-third of all Filipino-born settlers lived in three main municipal areas: greater Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York”(Stoney). Filipino food may not be as well-liked as that of its Thai and Vietnamese neighbors, however, with more than 7000 islands, this archipelago has some yummy dishes of its own. Having been blessed with an abundance of seafood, tropical fruits, and creative cooks, there is more to Filipino foods than the mind blogging bault (duck embryo). As Philippines relocate to other continents like America, they still treasure their local foods, hence increasing their popularity. However, they are not as popular as Chinese or Japanese dishes (Galbadores). Sources of ingredients The Filipino diet consists of locally grown, fresh agricultural goods. The Malays, the islands’ original inhabitants, influence the food in the Philippines still by their heavy reliance on ingredients such as coconut, hot chilies and, mango. “Most Filipino food is generally healthy, especially the vegetable dishes mixed with seafood and lean meats” (Dacasin), The Philippines is still primarily an agricultural country as the majority citizens still live in rural areas and hold up themselves through farming. The countrys agriculture segment is made up of four sub-sectors: farming, fisheries, livestock, and forestry (the latter two sectors are very small), which together make use of 39.8 percent of the workforce and add twenty percent of GDP. With farming being a massive employer of Filipino people, they are very self-sufficient and depend on very little but themselves. Farming is an also an enormous part of the economy (Cash). The countrys principal agricultural crops include sugarcane, rice, pineapple, corn, coconut, banana, cassava, and vegetables. The primary livestock products are hog, cattle, goat, carabao, and dairy products. Chicken and duck are the most important poultry products. Having enormous stretches of coastlines, the Philippines boasts of a vast quantity of fish species. ‘Among the leading species are tuna and tuna-like varieties, rounds cad, sardines, anchovy, and slip mouth’(Cash). ‘The Philippines sell overseas its agricultural products around the world, as well as Europe, the United States, Japan, and ASEAN countries (members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations). Major export products include coconut oil and other vegetables, coconut products, fruits, bananas, and shrimp. Coconut and other coconut products are a large part of the country’s primary exports with a total value in U.S. dollars being $989 million in 1995. A major concern for the country is the agricultural land being turned into golf courses, residential subdivisions, and industrial parks or resorts. The country loses irrigated rice lands at a rate of 2,300 hectares per year (Dacasin). Common dishes Filipino dishes vary from a very simple, for instance, a meal of fried saline fish and rice, to the complex Paellas and Cocidos prepared for fiestas of Spanish origin. Filipino cuisine is usually spicy and salty. Many traditional Filipino dishes have Spanish ties. Tamales can be traced back to when Spain ruled both the Philippines and Mexico. Filipino tamales are made with banana leaves and coconut milk, instead of corn husks. Another favorite dish tied to Spain is paella, shellfish with rice. At Christmas time eating imported keso de bola (from the Spanish queso de bola) meaning a ball of Edam cheese with a brownish covering. Popular Christmas dishes include tsokolate a hot chocolate, salabat a warm ginger tea a traditional drink after early morning mass, putobumbonmg a purple-colored rice treat cooked in upright bamboo tubes, ensaymada a soft, fluffy pastry topped with thinly grated cheese and white sugar, leche flan (from the spanish word for milk: leche) a soft custard made with egg yolks, has a delicious caramelized topping, macaroni salad, prepared with lady’s choice mayonnaise. ‘Filipinos believe that it is fashionable and chic to serve Western foods, fruit salad, almost always with a combination of sweet thick milk and cream , roasted kastanya piping hot chestnuts (from the Spanish castanas) , hamon especially Jamon dulce a sweet-cured Christmas ham (from the Spanish Jamon) (Galbadores)’. ‘ Philippine’s national dish, adobo - stewed pork or chicken in cane vinegar, bay leaves, and soy sauce - was introduced by the Spaniards” (Pimental). Chinese trader’s influenced Filipino food by introducing traditional dishes of pancitor noodles and lumpia or spring rolls. “Filipino food is incredibly diverse. It is that diversity that makes it so good. There are so many dissimilar tastes and ways to present it that there is something for everybody.” Marvin Gapultos, author of the Adobo Road Cookbook, “Notes people ask me what Philippine food is, I say it is the best fusion cuisine in the world. It is the total of our cultural influences: Chinese, Malay, Arabic, Spanish, and Japanese.” states Noel Perdigion co-owner of 7,107 flavors excellent dining Pinoy restaurant in Marina Square, Singapore. Their popular dishes include: lechon, sisig, crispy pata, chicken inasal, tab and talangka, pancit palabok, bulalo, arroz caldo, fish tinola, kare kare, Kamaro, among others. Some of these are discussed below; i) Lechon Lechon is the best food for parties in the Philippines. It is prepared by spit-roasting the entire pig over coals, with the crunchy, reddish-brown skin served with liver mush, the most famous part. In areas like Cebu, the stomach is stuffed with lemongrass, pepper, laurel leaves, star anise and spring onions which result in a delicious lechon hence no need for sauce (Stoney). ii) Sisig This dish was invented by Aling Lucing in Angeles City, Pampanga. It made from pork’s cheeks, liver, and head, which is a preferred appetizer before a cold beer. iii) Crispy pata It’s made from pork knuckles that are simmered, drained and deep fried until crisp. Its tender and juicy inside, with a brittle, crackling exterior. It’s served with vinegar, soy sauce and chili (Dacasin). iv) Chicken inasal This is grilled chicken, extraordinary grilled chicken. The meat is marinated in, pepper, calamansi, salt, lemongrass and garlic and brushed with knife. Every part is grilled from the drumstick, breast, gizzard, liver, wings and heart. Must be eaten with garlic rice, with some of the orange oils used to immerse the chicken poured over the rice. v) Taba ng talangka The best taba ng talangka is found in tarlac and bulacan provinces in Pampanga. It’s prepared by taking the fat of a small variety of crabs that is pressed and sautéed in garlic. This is often used as a sauce for prawns or eaten with fried fish and rice. vi) Pancit palabok It’s served on most birthday parties which are oozing with flavor and textures. It’s layered with rice noodles, and creamy orange sauce made from shrimp soup, pork, hard boiled eggs, shrimps, pork rinds and at times oysters and squid. vii) Bulalo It’s prepared from freshly slaughtered Batangas beef. The broth is filled with flavors oozing from the meat after boiling for many hours. It becomes tasty depending on the quantity of bones for provision of bone marrow, the more the bones and the tastier broth. viii) Arroz caldo It is thick chicken rice porridge cooked with ginger or sometimes garnished with a hard boiled egg, green onions, and toasted garlic. Filipinos use it to soothe the sick. ix) Fish Tinola This is a sour soup flavored with tomatoes, onions, and tamarind, cooked over coco-lumber firewood for hours. This brings out the freshness of Cebu’s marine life (Stoney). Most Filipino’s typical diet consists of locally produced agricultural products, livestock and fish; however, special culinary dishes served at holidays posses strong cultural ties. We find that some dishes are very common to every household such as the adobo. Americanized Filipino’s still enjoy traditional Filipino food prepared by the elders in their families. “Filipino cuisine is usually spicy and salty. It has a strong smell since we use fish sauce instead of salt for most dishes”. (Dacasin) “The mixtures of taste and textures make the food special” (Galbadores), It is hard to find good Filipino food in restaurants in America. They are not as popular as Chinese or Japanese restaurants. It takes longer to cook good Filipino food and in our society of fast food it’s not as convenient to find (Besa). Works Cited Besa, Amy.  ”Will Philippine Food Ever Go Mainstream in America?” Filipinas. 01 Dec. 2007: 28.eLibrary. Web. 28 Aug. 2014. Cash, Leonor. "Filipino Cuisine."Telephone interview. 22 Oct. 2014. "Countries and Their Cultures."Culture of the Philippines. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept.     2014. Dacasin, Rex.  “Filipino Cuisine.”Interview. 30 Oct, 2014. Galbadores, Arabella. “Filipino Cuisine.”Interviews. 22 Oct. 2014, 1 Nov. 2014, 4 Nov.     2014, 8 Nov. 2014. Pimental, Joseph. “Family Say’s Your Thoughts of Filipino foods are Wrong.” The Orange County Register. McClatchy-Tribute Business News. 28 Jun. 2014. library. Web. 02 Sep. 2014. Stoney, Sierra, and Jeanne Batalova."Filipino Immigrants in the United States." Migrationpolicy.org. N.p., 5 June 2013. Web. 10 Sept. 2014. Read More