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

 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?

Pinoy food



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 Philippines, interviewed some Filipino chefs and local food personalities to know their thoughts about Filipino cuisine’s place in the global food scene. They’ve made a lot of valid points as to why they think Pinoy food hasn’t come into its “big thing” status. For one, Filipino ingredients are largely unavailable in Western countries. Secondly, there’s a lack of confidence in the cuisine, which may have caused its uncompetitive quality when offered in restaurant form. Thirdly, the various influences that brought forth Filipino food have prevented it to stand out from similar dishes. One chef also noted how Pinoy food is always exoticized, stealing its chance to become mainstream.


Pinoy food



All that said though, another question was raised: does it matter? Should we even care that Pinoy food isn’t as big as its Asian neighbors? The verdict isn’t so clear, but the bottom line is that it should be the least of our concerns for now. While it’d be great for Pinoy cooking to get the recognition it deserves as a rich cuisine, there are other issues related to Filipino food that needs more immediate attention. Before we can even think of dominating the world market, we have to be able to lay a solid foundation for ourselves, which generally involves creating more confidence around the cuisine.


Filipino cooking



A lot of Filipinos admittedly don’t know a lot about the different food across the archipelago. We’re often boxed into our own regional cuisines, leading to ignorance about the nuances of Pinoy recipes from other parts of the country. We have to be informed about these ourselves first, and we must be able to take inspiration from this diversity when displaying our food to others.


Will Pinoy food always be “the next best thing?” We don’t think so. But until it definitely becomes the “big thing” for each Filipino, we still have a long way to go.

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