DEAR AMERICA, YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON FILIPINO CUISINE.

What is Filipino Cuisine?

Various food scholars have noted that Filipino cuisine is multi-faceted and is the most representative in the culinary world for food where "east meets west" (Wikipedia 06JAN2020). The predominant factor in Filipino cuisine is the connection to Spain and their nearly 350-year rule of the Philippines. With names like Gonzales, De La Cruz, and others, it’s easy to see the influences Spanish culture has on this South-East Asian archipelago country. Dishes like Kaldereta, Afritada, Paella, and Menudo all have deep Spanish influences and flavors, but the differences between Spanish Menudo and Filipino Menudo, one being a soup and the other a thick, hearty stew, serves to highlight just how much Filipino cuisine has evolved into it’s own unique cuisine unlike anything else in the world.

Another predominant contributor to Filipino Cuisine is obviously due to its location to other South-East Asian countries. Fish sauce, most notably used in Vietnamese and Thai dishes, is very prevalent in the Philippines, and is a staple in any Filipino Chef’s pantry. From simple dipping sauces to building complex flavor profile’s in dishes, Fish sauce is just one example of how Filipino cuisine has evolved past its Spanish origins into something truly unique. Many of my America readers might hear “fish” and “sauce” used in conjunction and their noses might instinctively crinkle, but I have to express to these people that fish sauce, while it is made from fish, doesn’t exist to add the dreaded “fishy” flavor many American’s so desperately avoid. Fish sauce is PACKED with umami, or what we might call Savory. If you want more information on Umami, check out my other article [here]. Suffice to say, Umami, or Savory, is that ever-so addicting flavor that bacon, Worcestershire sauce, and mushrooms/tomatoes have that we crave most often. Savory/Umami and Sugar is the flavor combination that makes ketchup so addicting. If you’d like to try using fish sauce as a dip for other meats, or in your own dishes, you can find it at My Tindahan in Lou, KY.

For as long as Filipinos have been cooking, they’ve been carefully balancing their dishes with the 6 flavor profiles, which are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, spicy, and savory. Tomatoes, mushrooms, hard cheeses, fish and fish products, and many others all have a Savory/Umami flavor profile. Filipinos have dishes, such as Sinigang, which is a sour soup with savory meat components, that embody one entire flavor profile that many Americans have never experienced before.

An example of a bitter dish, which is still savory and delicious, is Lagat or Ginisang Ampalaya, or sautéed Bitter Gourd with Egg, vegetables, and Ground Pork. Bitter Gourd is a cousin to the cucumber but is less juicy/watery and has a bitterer flavor. While this might sound off-putting to the traditional American pallet, and admittedly takes a bit of getting used to, you’ll find yourself craving this dish simply due to the uniqueness of the flavor profile that you’re unlikely to find anywhere here in America.

Also, like most Asian cultures, Filipinos have spicy dishes in spades. Bicol Express, or what I call Spicy Coconut Pork, is exactly what it sounds like, Spicy Coconut milk broth over braised pork cutlets. Kapampangan Cuisine, which is the region and culinary discipline my wife, Shaira Samonte Braden utilizes (check out our website Ate Shai’s Home Cooking LLC on Facebook), predominantly creates savory dishes, whereas the exact same dishes in other Filipino subcultures might have a slightly sweeter flavor profile.

An example of a sweet Filipino dish that I consider a must try is Filipino Spaghetti, which has a much sweeter flavor profile than the traditional Italian Spaghetti but is different enough, and still quite savory and delicious, that you definitely won’t mind. My best friend was born and raised into an Italian-American Family, his grandma passed down a traditional Italian recipe book, and he grew up eating authentic homecooked Italian Cuisine, and even he enjoyed Filipino Spaghetti.

In summary, Filipino Cuisine is entirely unique but oddly familiar, and my Wife’s cooking with Kapampangan origins has the kind of flavor profile most palatable to the Standard American Diet that I think would be a great stepping-off point for most Americans. If you like American-Chinese food (please stop calling it Chinese food) or “Thai” food, and want to experience the next great cultural cuisine to hit America, why not give Filipino food a try?

If you want something safe and palatable, something I can guarantee you’ll love, try chicken or pork Adobo. If you want something safe and palatable with a genuinely spicy kick, try Bicol Express. Sinigang is a good place to start for those looking for a sour dish, something hearty and healthy, that you’d love to have on a cold and rainy day to chase away the common cold. Lagat or Ginisang Ampalaya I recommend for those that want to try a dish with a bitter flavor profile.

And lastly, if you love bacon, and you thoroughly enjoy all things Savory, try any of my Wife’s Kapampangan dishes. Head over to our website or Facebook where I break down the flavors and profile of each dish, and even preface the dishes that may or may not have “exotic” cuts of meat or ingredients.

As Americans, we are so used to fast-food, imitations of authentic food, and we’re all just going from one meal to the next trying to feed ourselves and our families. For many of us, we can’t remember the last time we had a genuinely hearty, healthy, home-cooked meal. While this may bother us, it’s also something we usually can’t help. If you want that home-cooked meal without breaking the bank, give Filipino cuisine a try. Check out my other article [here] where I break down how to eat Filipino cuisine. Long story short, everything is so strongly seasoned you’re going to eat 1 to 1 portions of plain white rice to whatever dish you’re enjoying, yes, including soups.

I’m Shawn Braden, your American Liason to Filipino Cuisine. Stay happy and healthy, friends.

Photo Credit from: The New York Times