What is food to you? Is it a means of sustenance? A passion? Food seems to be a particularly important part of Filipino culture. Whenever there is something to celebrate, Filipinos do it with a lot of food. When Filipinos want to comfort someone, they try to give them something to eat. It is a very Filipino trait to have food around for anything and everything. When I say anything and everything, I mean it! I’ve grown accustomed to people bringing food even when they visit someone at the hospital! Because of the link between Filipino culture and food, I thought it would be a great topic for this post. I want to share how much food has been part of my life as a Filipino, based on my experience. Let me know in the comments if this is something you can relate to as well!
Food as a Love Language
I remember having a friend whose love language was asking someone if they’d already had something to eat. If not she would offer to join that person for a meal. We may have different approaches, but most Pinoys have food involved in our love language.
The concept of food as a love language may be why we bring food to people who are sick. Or why we bring food as gifts for people on their birthdays. It's a common thing, at least with people I have been around.
Food Reflects Pinoy Creativity
There is a term called "walang tapon" in Tagalog. This means nothing gets thrown out. In the culture, one thing you'd notice about food is that Filipinos use every part of meat, fish, or chicken. It shows a lot of creativity how Pinoy used every ingredient to prepare as much food as possible.
One thing that reflects a lot of creativity is the many ways Pinoys can prepare rice cakes. There are many different versions in different flavors and textures. It's still a rice cake, but there is so much variety (and color) made from them.
More is Better Than Less
The thing with this Filipino trait is that it’s not only about having food around but having a lot of it. I remember learning from my older relatives: “may mabuti na ang sobra kaysa kulang." In English, it means it is better to have more food than less of it. That means that when you have people over, a feast will always be ready for those visitors. And that is only for when you have people over. It’s a whole different story if you are having a celebration. That would most likely be a bigger event food-wise.
You can never have too much seems to be common thinking with Pinoys when it comes to food and celebrations. You can always expect in this setting that the host will always invite the guests to eat more, even if they are full. And if they are, you can expect them to give you some of the food to take home, in case you feel hungry later.
Means of Bonding with Others
In my experience, food has been a way to break any awkwardness of people when they are together. It’s like if you share food, there is a tendency to let your guard down, and helps people feel at ease with each other. Plus, it’s always more fun to bond when you are sharing food at the same time. Whenever there are get-togethers with the family, we tend to gather around food. We chat as we eat, rest a bit to chat some more, and go back to the food to start again later.
Even if there isn't a big celebration like if Filipinos are only having drinks, there will be food. And this is where the concept of "pulutan" comes in, which means snacks for drinking. This is not only nuts and light snacks. There can also be heavier and fancier fare that are sure to fill one's stomach. There will not be a lack of food if Pinoys are getting together, that's for sure.
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| Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash |
Another good example of Pinoys bonding over food would be the concept of the boodle fight. People eating together at a table covered with banana leaves and sharing food is a cultural habit. Eating with your hands and being close together over a shared meal forces people to get closer. It can be a fun thing to experience if you have not tried it yet. I heard some places overseas already have this, I recommend everyone to give it a try at least once in their lives!
Preparing Food Together as Part of the Culture
The thing with Filipinos and food is that the importance is not limited to eating together. Even the act of preparing the food together is. I’m not sure if it is the same with everyone though. From what I have seen, it is a good bonding experience for families to prepare and cook food together. The younger ones learn from the adults about cooking and at the same time everyone is getting closer. People bond over something they love, which is food.
Summers at my grandmother's house with my cousins are one of my fondest childhood memories. Our aunts and uncles would make us help them prepare our meals and to this day, those are moments we all remember. There's something about doing that together that feels special even today.
The Pressure With Pinoys and Food
As good as this trait can be, there are some ways that it can be a challenge for some people. Some people feel the pressure to have food for others to celebrate a special occasion. They feel the need to provide for it even when they cannot afford to. I’ve heard of people who would get a loan to be able to celebrate and have food for people. All this to avoid the embarrassment that they don’t have a celebration. That shouldn’t be the case, but it happens. I have seen it happen. It's a bit of a negative aspect of this part of the culture, but I hope this is something that can change with time.
People should not feel pressure to do this because this is part of the norm. I would like to think that people would understand if they can’t afford to celebrate. And if not, these are people you shouldn’t value in the first place. Do it when you can afford it, not when you have to borrow money to do so.
Sharing Our Blessings
The trait of Filipinos and the concept of sharing food is, at its core, about sharing our blessings. It is about showing others that we value them because we share what we have. Food is about sustenance, it is about survival so sharing it is part of Filipino generosity. But it can also be about other things.
With some people having more food than others, it can also be a luxury. The act of sharing food is about opening ourselves up to other people and sharing our good fortune. This includes preparing them and spending time with others over a meal.
Sharing food is a beautiful part of our culture, and it is something that I am proud of. It is one of the best traits associated with Filipinos. I love that Pinoys are popular for their generosity and love for food. I love that people are recognizing that a lot lately.
Sharing food is a trait that I learned very early. When my cousin got a job, he bought us food to treat us. Whenever someone in the family gets a promotion, there will be a celebration over a meal. There's this belief that if you share your blessings, you will get even more in return. This might be why this often happens. But often, it's because people are so happy that they want to celebrate with everyone. That's another Pinoy trait, the love for celebrations. Based on experience, people will celebrate every little thing. They love having a reason to get together and have a good time.
There are plenty more reasons why food is part of being a Filipino. Every reason shows the love, generosity, creativity, and talent Filipinos have to share.
There are so many ways that food will always be part of the culture. It's something that I don't see going away any time soon. For fellow Filipinos and those who have experienced the culture, share your thoughts! Tell me what you think about this Pinoy trait! Do you love it, or hate it? Are you puzzled by it? I would love to know! If you liked this post, you might also what to check out my earlier post on what your favorite food says about you!
An episode of the Fandesals Podcast discusses the most common traits of Filipinos. One of those traits featured is the love for food. If this is a topic you're curious about. I have posted the episode here. It's in a mix of English and Tagalog, I hope you like it!
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