Traditional Filipino food consists of the foods, preparation methods(cooking methods) and eating customs found in the Philippines. The style of cooking and the foods associated with it have evolved over several centuries from its Malayo-Polynesian origins to a mixed cuisine with many Hispanic, Chinese, American, and other Asian influences adapted to indigenous ingredients and the local palate.
Traditional Filipino food is distinguished by its bold combination of sweet, sour and salty flavors, and in general most dishes are not heavily spiced. While other Asian cuisines may be known for a more subtle delivery and presentation, Filipino palates prefer a sudden influx of flavor. Traditional Filipino food is often delivered in a single presentation, giving the participant a simultaneous visual feast, aromatic bouquet, and gustatory delight.
Counterpoint is a feature in Philippine cuisine. This normally comes in a pairing of something sweet with something salty, and results in surprisingly pleasing combinations. Examples include:champorabo (a sweet cocoa rice porridge), being paired with tuyo (salted, sun-dried fish);dinuguan (a savory stew made of pig’s blood and innards), paired with puto (sweet, steamed rice cakes); unripe fruits such as mangos (which are only slightly sweet but very sour), are eaten dipped in salt; the use of cheese (which is salty) in sweetcakes (such as bibingka and puto), as well as an ice cream flavoring.
Although the present cooking methods seem complex with varied influences from the Chinese, the Malay, the Spanish and from other foreign settlers of the Philippines, Philipino cooking methods are still distinct and simple.
Filipino Cooking and recipes.. 