Posts

Philippine Food: Forever Just “The Next Big Thing?”

Image
Thanks to Western media, Filipino chefs, and Jollibee’s massive global expansion, Philippine food has expanded beyond Asia. And while the steps we’ve taken throughout the years have been more of leaps, it seems that the cuisine still hasn’t stuck as in the same way, say, Japanese cuisine has. For several times now, Filipino food has been touted as the “next big thing.” And it makes us wonder when it’ll actually be *the* big thing. Why Isn’t Philippine Food as Big as Its Asian Neighbors? Pepper.ph, a Filipino cooking resource from the Philippines, interviewed chefs, writers, and food personalities in the Philippines to pick their brains about why Filipino food hasn’t taken off as much as its other Asian counterparts. Here’s a summary of their inferred reasons: Ambiguity of Filipino Cuisine The popularity of Filipino food is hindered by ambiguity, leading to a general lack of confidence in our cuisine, especially when it’s pitted against others. This is a shame, given the rich mix of
Post a Comment
Read more

A Guide to Southeast Asian Recipes

Image
  Southeast Asia is a region filled with diverse cultures—and with these comes a smorgasbord of cuisines that explode with flavor and color. Each country boasts its own specialties with distinct tastes from local ingredients in every dish. It can be both exciting and confusing to venture into different Southeast Asian recipes , but with some guidance, you can work your way into those menus like a pro! This guide walks you through some basic Southeast Asian recipes worth trying as you dive deeper into the different cuisines. Philippines The Philippines is a rich agricultural country—and it shows in their food. Here, you’ll find a lot of Pinoy recipes teeming with the abundance of the earth such as fresh fruits and vegetables. That, plus a medley of condiments such as fish sauce, bagoong (shrimp paste), and other fermented goodies, and you’re in for flavor explosion after flavor explosion. Even the simplest dishes, such as sinigang or tinola, can wow anyone. Indonesia There’s one word
Post a Comment
Read more

Looking for Southeast Asian Recipes in Manila? Here’s Where to Find Them

Image
  Southeast Asian recipes can be confusing—and not at all in a bad way. The cuisines are always just exploding with flavors, textures, and history that it’s difficult to grasp the experience at every bite. The only way to acclimate with the region’s food is to break them down, and we can get to know them by regularly eating the dishes that define each country. If you live in Metro Manila, then you can experience different Southeast Asian cuisines without needing to hop on a plane. The local restaurant scene isn’t just exclusive to Philippine food . Here and there, restaurants hawking popular dishes from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian countries have popped up, bringing the best Southeast Asian recipes closer to us. Here’s a list of some Southeast Asian eats and where to get them in the city: Indonesia There’s one word to describe Indonesian cuisine: spicy. And we’re not talking about the tongue-numbing kind. We’re talking about the mix of spices that bring th
Post a Comment
Location: Philippines
Read more

International Versions of Philippine Food

Image
There are dishes that are inherently Filipino, apart from just adobo and sinigang . You’ll find a rich variety of Philippine recipes from the different regions, crafted based on each locality’s abundant produce: grain, fruit, vegetables, seafood, etc. But this heterogeneity goes beyond just tools and ingredients. Philippine food is diverse because it’s also been influenced by the cuisines of other countries. A quick look into the Philippine recipes , and you’ll find several different dishes that bear resemblance to food in Spain, China, Germany, France, and even West Africa. All of these semblances make it easier for some foreigners cook Philippine food because it provides a more familiar groundwork to work off from. Here are some Filipino dishes that may ring a bell to people in the international community: Filipino Lugaw and Chinese Congee Congee isn’t a rare sight in Asian cuisine. The thick rice porridge is a staple on rainy days across the region, with locals enjoying its heat
Post a Comment
Location: Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Read more

All about Filipino Recipes: The Dishes You Should Know

Image
  Filipino cooking is ripe with all kinds of Filipino recipes . There’s so much diversity in the cuisine, thanks to the innate resourcefulness of Filipino cooks, as well as the countless culinary influences in the country: Spanish, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, etc. It can get intimidating to learn how to cook Filipino food , given all of these dishes. But a great starting point is the regular menu of locals—that is, the dishes that Filipinos enjoy day-to-day. Here are some examples of Filipino recipes that you should know per meal: Breakfast: Champorado Champorado is a rich, chocolatey rice porridge dish that Filipinos enjoy for breakfast. This easy Filipino recipe involves cooking glutinous rice in a soup flavored with tablea (Philippine cacao tablets), sugar, and, occasionally, milk. The result is a thick, sweet porridge that can be adjusted when serving with condensed milk based on your preference. Usually, Filipinos enjoy champorado with dried fish. It’s an odd combination, but
Post a Comment
Read more

Will Pinoy Food Always Be “The Next Best Thing?"

Image
  Read about Pinoy food anywhere and you’ll notice that it’s always touted as “the next best thing.” It was exciting to be called at the start of last decade. But in 2021, the cuisine still has that same distinction, begging the question: will Filipino cuisine always be just the next big thing? It’s not like Pinoy recipes aren’t known. Far and wide, people are enjoying Pinoy cooking thanks to thousands of Filipinos scattered all over the globe. But it doesn’t quite have the same level of prominence as its other Asian neighbors. Granted, it’s difficult to be on the same level as Japanese or Chinese cuisine. (Or is it?) But we’ve seen the likes of Thai, Vietnamese, and Korean cuisine boom enough to create a real global following, so much so that their local dishes have become staples in foreign households. But Filipino cuisine still largely remains Filipino, in the sense that it’s, in a way, gatekept from everyone else. An article from Pepper.ph, a leading food resource based in the P
Post a Comment
Read more

Intro to Philippine Food: Pork Sinigang

Image
Right up there with adobo, sinigang is a staple Filipino recipe . You’ll find it on the dinner table of every Filipino family at least once a month—maybe even once a week! It’s a soup that’s distinct for its sour, aromatic broth. What is Pork Sinigang? Pork sinigang is a soup that’s made sour using tamarind and a mix of aromatics. It typically contains pork (and sometimes fish or seafood) and several common vegetables such as eggplant, sitaw (string beans), and kangkong (water spinach). How to Make Pork Sinigang Sinigang is one of the easiest Filipino dishes to make because it only involves making the broth, then cooking the meat and vegetables, which you do in the boiling soup. The biggest challenge to making pork sinigang is getting that signature sourness. But that step’s often fast-tracked nowadays thanks to instant sinigang mixes. That said there’s a lot of value in learning how to make pork sinigang from scratch, especially if you’re learning the foundations of how to cook Fili
Post a Comment
Location: Philippines
Read more