The Philippines is known for its beautiful landscapes and beaches, but not so much for its cuisine. And, its food certainly doesn't enjoy the same level of popularity as its South East Asian neighbours. Well, we're attempting to change that.

FUSION OF CULTURES
The Philippines is the world's second largest archipelago and is made up of more than 7,107 islands lying between the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea. Because its location placed it within trade and migration routes for thousands of years, the many cultures passing through brought with them new ingredients, dishes and traditions.

MALAYO-POLYNESIAN
As a result, Filipino cuisine today has become a fusion of a number of cultures beginning with its Malayo-Polynesian roots who contributed the first ingredient and what has now become the staple - rice. They also introduced farming and cooking methods such as steaming, boiling and roasting around 3200 BC.

CHINESE
Before the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, Chinese traders made their mark not only on the trade business of the Philippines but also on its cuisine, bringing with them new ingredients like soya sauce, tofu, bamboo and cooking methods so brilliantly adapted by the Filipinos over time. No Pinoy menu is complete without Pancit - thin rice noodles also introduced to the country by the Chinese.

SPANISH
Following the Chinese, the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the 1500s led by Ferdinand Magellan who was then in search of the Spice Islands. The discerning will know that much of the Filipino language, Tagalog, is laced with Spanish words. Apart from the language however, the Spanish also introduced dairy, meat, garlic, onions, tomatoes, corn and potatoes to the Filipinos as well as new cooking methods such as sautéeing and braising. Perhaps the Philippines' most famous dish, Adobo, can be credited to the Spanish who came up with the idea of preserving meat in vinegar and spices in order to prolong the life of meat in the tropical heat.

AMERICANS
The USA took control of the Philippines in 1898 and over the 48 years they spent there, they introduced the fast food side of Filipino cuisine bringing with them spam, fried chicken, burgers and hot dogs. Most importantly, they paved the way for convenient styles of cooking such as freezing and pre-cooking. It was the Americans who cleverly thought of replacing fresh milk in Spanish desserts like the ever-so-popular Leche Flan with evaporated or condensed milk. Canned food was also ushered in during this period.

To discover more about Filipino cuisine through sampling it for yourself, visit c.taste every Saturday for our Flavours of Pinas themed night.  LEARN MORE