Filipinos are basically a Malaysian-Polynesian race, which is what the main cuisine is based on. However, there have been centuries (in some cases) of colonization and commerce with China, India, Spain and the USA among others, so these nationalities have influenced the cooking styles as well.
The food of the Philippines is, of course, Southeast Asian: however, it's not nearly as highly-spiced as that of some of the other countries in the region (think: Thai food.) Any given Filipino dish will be of one of the basic four flavors: salty, sweet, sour and occasionally bitter. Filipino food is like the soul food of SE Asia. It's simple and just plain good!
The cuisine depends on fresh ingredients and tends to be rich in vegetables and occasionally fruits. Meat, when eaten, is usually eaten in small amounts as an ingredient in the dish rather than as a course in itself. Noted exceptions to this rule include lechon baboy (spit-roasted pig), lechon manok (spit-roasted whole chickens), crispy pata (deep-fried pig's leg) and. of course, things like barbecue and fried chicken.
Filipinos eat a lot of fresh fish. Beef is rarely eaten. Meat is usually pork, but sometimes goat is consumed (don't knock it!) as well as chicken. Vegetarian dishes are typically eaten during Lent, as the Philippines is a predominantly Roman Catholic country: of course there's a large Muslim population as well (no pork for those guys) as well as members of many, many other non-Catholic churches and sects.
Vegetables include the familiar such as cabbage, eggplant, bok choy, Chinese or Napa cabbage, squash, cucumbers, onions, carrots, potatoes, green onions, garlic, tomatoes, okra and green beans as well as the more exotic like ampalaya (bitter gourd), sayote (chayote or vegetable pear), kangkong (water spinach or glorybind), palm hearts, bamboo shoots, yard-long or asparagus beans, and others.
Fruits are used in certain recipes and may include bananas, mangoes, ube (purple yams) or papayas.
Seasonings are usually very simple and may include salt, pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, bouillon cubes and always lots of onion and garlic. A somewhat more exotic flavor is imparted to certain dishes through the judicious use of fish sauce or bagoong (a mild shrimp paste made from tiny brine shrimps) as well as hot peppers: the latter are used very infrequently and, when used, sparingly: just enough to impart a slight "bite" to the dish. Coconut milk is also used in certain dishes, as is tamarind.
Condiments include ketchup or catsup, both the standard tomato-based kind and something they call "banana catsup" which tastes something like a Chinese sweet-and-sour sauce, and typical hot sauce. Various dipping sauces are made and served at the table, usually made with different combinations of vinegar and soy sauce, depending on the dish. These dipping sauces normally accompany roasted or grilled meats, poultry or fish, and sometimes include a few hot red peppers and/or garlic or chopped raw onion, or these latter may be offered such that the diner may add their own to their dipping sauce to their own taste. Sometimes patis (fish sauce) is used at the table as a condiment as well. By the way, fried chicken is usually served with a small container of chicken gravy, which is used as a dip for the meat: bits of chicken meat are torn off the piece with the fingers, dipped in gravy then eaten.
Rice is consumed at almost every meal. Even such dishes as noodles and soups are eaten with or over rice. The few exceptions to this would typically be Western dishes such as spaghetti, pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs. Rice is always consumed with fried chicken, though.
A typical Filipino meal consists of plenty of plain, cooked white rice plus one or more "viands", the latter eaten in smaller amounts as a garnish to add flavor to the otherwise bland rice. Filipinos eat using a fork and spoon, the spoon being used to convey food to the mouth and the fork acting as a helper to assist in packing the spoon full and preventing spills. Typically, a plateful of rice has a bit of viand added along side. A spoonful of rice is prepared, then a small bit of viand added, then the spoonful consumed. Personally, I eat a lot more viands than Filipinos do and I tend to spoon the viand over the top of the rice. That way I get more of the good stuff per bite and I don't have to do as much work with my fork. :)
Most dishes of the Philippines are very simple and easy to prepare, won't cause a lot of heartburn or gastric distress, are very nutritious, and taste exceedingly good. Impress your family, your friends, your Filipino neighbors and your palette, and give these recipes a try!
No comments:
Post a Comment