What are some foods from the Philippines that were influenced by Chinese and Spanish cuisines?

Datu Ulap

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Filipino Sep 27

What are some foods from the Philippines that were influenced by Chinese and Spanish cuisines? How did these influences affect Philippine cuisine?

Chinese influence extends to a lot of Filipino cuisine, and it even goes as far as just food itself. The use of a wok, or locally known as a kawali, is a common feature in Filipino kitchens.

Due to massive waves of Chinese migration, Filipino cuisine has a considerable amount of influence from savory dishes to desserts.

• Braised dishes like humba, a local Visayan version of Chinese braised pork.

• Rice porridge dishes like lugaw

• Noodle dishes such as pancit ( 扁食), originally sold by Chinese hawkers during the colonial period. Dishes like pancit bihon, pancit palabok, mami (肉麵), batchoy (肉碎), and sotanghon.

• Steamed buns like siopao

• Lumpia (from Hokkien 潤餅) is a popular staple in Filipino cuisine.

• Even desserts such as kutsinta (whose etymology can be traced to Hokkien), tikoy, bicho-bicho, butsi, and hopia (好餅).

• The use of soy sauce and other soybean products as a common ingredient in many dishes.

• Taho (from Hokkien 豆腐) is an example of a popular snack item that has Chinese influence, with includes tofu, brown sugar, and sago pearls.

• Siomai (燒賣) is also a popular street food in the Philippines, oftentimes served on sticks.

• Kiampong (鹹飯) is a glutinous rice casserole often eaten by Chinese-Filipinos.

• Chowking is a popular fast-food chain in the Philippines that specializes in Chinese-Filipino cuisine.

Due to Spanish colonial rule, there are also notable influence in cuisine from Spain and its former colonies, notably Mexico as the Philippines and Mexico were in direct contact with each other for a majority of colonial rule.

• The Philippines has some of the longest breadmaking traditions in Southeast Asia, with breads like pan de sal, ensaymada, pan de regla, tortas, and señorita bread.

• Baking traditions even extend to desserts such as the San Nicolas cookie, and many Cebuano baked goods like rosquillos and otap.

• Empanadas being a staple in Filipino cuisine.

• Various stews such as afritada, kalderata, and menudo.

• Crops from Mexico such as tomatoes, peanuts, pineapples, and cacao.

• There is even a local version of the paella in Pampanga.

• Local desserts and snacks have been adapted from Spanish cuisine such as chicharron, yema, polvoron, and leche flan.

Despite adobo, lechon, and arroz caldo having Spanish names, these specific dishes do not have Spanish origins. Adobo in the Philippines refers to a native form of cooking. Lechon, or roasted pig, has existed since pre-colonial times, and was even recorded by Pigafetta in 1521. Furthermore, lechon was historically called inasal in the Visayas. Arroz caldo refers to a local rice porridge, a type of dish that came from Chinese migration and trade.