National Dish - Is there one?

A segment of the youth-targeted TV show “Flip” once asked a number of young Filipino-Canadians what the national dish of the Philippines was. The question elicited answers from adobo (most expected) to bopiz (a surprise). The variety of replies only shows the diversity of the cuisine and not the ignorance of the youth.

It is natural for the young people to assume that the dish they are most familiar with is the most common in the Philippines, and therefore, is the national dish. But these young people are oftentimes mostly exposed to their families’ Filipino cooking. What they cook at home, of course depends on where their families came from. If the family’s from Ilocos, pinakbet would be a familiar dish. If the family’s from Bicol, laing and other hot, coconut-based dishes would be common to them.

Regional cuisine is influenced by two factors: geography and history. Food from the Ilocos Region is different from food in Mindanao partly because of their locations. The north is rugged and has a dry climate. The Spanish colonizers had a strong presence in the area. The Chinese boat men also came to trade. Mindanao, on the other hand, was frontier land with abundant natural resources. Some parts of Mindanao were not colonized by Spain. And since the region is close to other Asian countries like Malaysia, Borneo and Indonesia, it became part of the barter trade in the area. Not surprisingly, it received the cultures of these neighbouring countries. The cuisine of Southern Mindanao, especially of Muslim Philippines, shows a strong Malay influence.

There are, however, dishes that are known from north to south. They cross regional lines and are considered national dishes but there may be variations in the ingredients or the process of cooking.

Adobo, sinigang, pancit bihon, dinuguan, kare-kare and lumpia are standard menu items in every Filipino restaurant in Canada and so every Filipino-Canadian youth who is connected to his heritage should know these dishes.

The question, however, was “What is THE national dish of the Philippines?” There could only be one answer.

Just what should be the characteristics of the national dish, granting that none has been officially proclaimed? Should it have an affinity with the culture? Should it reflect history? Should it be indigenous or have, at the very least, a Filipino-sounding name? Should we go simply by popularity?

Adobo is admittedly the most popular dish of the Philippines and the most well-known across outside the country. It comes from the word “adobado” which describes a method of slow cooking in vinegar and spices. We suspect that the original recipe for our adobo traveled from Mexico through the Spanish galleon trade. Over the years, the recipe was modified and soy sauce as an ingredient was a Chinese or Japanese influence. The recipe was also interpreted liberally in some parts of the country. In the Tagalog Region, mashed liver was added to the sauce. In coconut-producing provinces like Quezon, the meat was simmered in vinegar, garlic, black pepper and coconut milk and the variation was called “Adobo sa Gata.” Then there is Adobo, Bisaya style. It is dry and does not have soy sauce. Pork liempo is cooked as adobo and preserved in the fat. The meat is fried when reheated and becomes crisp like lechon. There are also less common variations that include onion (a no-no to traditionalists) and even sugar (yaks).

Adobo already enjoys the title of “THE national dish of the Philippines” but this can still be contested. The final or correct answer to the question is still evolving, as the identity of the Filipino, likewise, is still being defined.