Filipino Cuisine in America
I frankly have very little knowledge of Filipino Americans, despite them being the second largest Asian American minority group, after Chinese Americans. Tagalog has been the fourth-most spoken foreign language in the US since the turn of the century. Yet, I have not been very much exposed to Filipino American culture. Today’s passage will be a primer on something that catches a glimpse of any groups’ culture: their food.
Filipino food is a melting pot of cultural influences from multiple major cuisines of the world. Due to the Philippine’s history of colonization by Spain and America and the proximal influence of Chinese culture, Filipino food has a wide range of dishes and ingredients that incorporate those flavors and techniques. One way of seeing this is looking at the names and origins of common Filipino food. Lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) and pancit (rice noodles) have Hokkien and Chinese origins respectively, whereas Lechon (roasted baby suckling pig) and Arroz Caldo (Filipino chicken and rice soup) may have some Spanish influences. Then again, there are some that originated from the Philippines, such as Sinigang, a soup known for it sour yet savory flavors and Kare-Kare, a type of Filipino curry. Then again, it is unclear of the origins of all these dishes, and it may be possible that there was some influence from other cultures. Filipino adobo, meat braised in a vinegar marinade, while can be comparable to the Spanish adobo, is said to have a distinct origin, using native ingredients such as cane vinegar and soy sauce.
Because of its amalgamation of so many cultures, it is often hard to pinpoint the identity of Filipino American cuisine. Perhaps I am biased because of my East Asian American background, seeing the likes of Chinese dumplings, Japanese ramen, and Korean bibimbap. Yet, I have found it hard to identify a dish when thinking about Filipino food. Some Filipinos apparently felt ashamed of their cuisine, one ethnic studies professor saying Filipino food had negative stereotypes such as “smelly” and “weird”.
However, there has recently been a resurgence of Filipino Americans establishing the identity of their cuisine--and in a much more positive light. Many Filipino American chefs look towards their own familial dishes as well as written works from Doreen Fernandez to understand the origins of Filipino food. In fact, Fernandez’s book of essays on Filipino food Tikim has seen an increase in popularity, being treated as an authoritative source for authentic Filipino food.
I’m personally excited to try out an entirely new food. Perhaps I’ll try out the Purple Yam in Brooklyn once I move back to NYC.
—
Sources and additional materials: