Why Filipino Foods are not Popular Abroad Compared to those of other Asians'
Posted on Monday, 2 November 2015
Why Filipino
Foods are not Popular Abroad
Compared
to those of other Asians’
By Apolinario Villalobos
To put a straight answer to the question….it’s
because names of Filipino foods in classy restaurants are “proudly” in Spanish
or French, unlike those of other countries with authentic native names. As we
know, people of other nations, especially those in the west, prefer the exotic,
the native…and not what they already have in their country. So, in their desire
to try something exotic, they would go to Korean, Japanese, Indonesian and Thai
restaurants for a taste of Asia.
I am expressing this concern after reading
an article in a weekend supplement of a broadsheet about a Filipino cook who
has gone places, and the write-up is complete with photos of recipes that are
his masterpieces – all with French names, though prepared with native
ingredients! Filipino cooks who prefer to be called “chefs”, are obviously, so
ashamed to name their dishes based on the main ingredient that they use. Perhaps,
they should name, for instance, snail cooked in coconut milk, just as
“ginataang kuhol”, the fern tops salad as “kinilaw na pako”, the “pinakbet” as
just that, as named, coconut pith salad, as “kinilaw na ubod ng niyog”, misua
soup as “sopas na misua” instead of “angel’s hair soup”, etc. There is,
however, a problem with the “bird’s nest soup” that should be named “sinopas na
laway ng ibon”.
There are a few Filipinos based in other
countries, and who have ventured into the restaurant business, but most still
prefer to hide their Filipino identity by using foreign-sounding names for
their establishment, afraid that they will not attract customers, other than
fellow Filipinos. Most also prefer to offer Mediterranean dishes introduced by
the Spanish colonizers in the Philippines, such as the “arroz Valenciana”,
“chorizo”, “estofado”, etc. when these can be prepared the Filipino way and
given Filipino names. The hypocritical effort is obviously, an acrid residue of
colonial mentality.
It is interesting to note that, in Arab countries,
“saluyot” is used as an ingredient in spicy chicken curry, but in our country,
only the lowly Filipinos eat the said vegetable, despite the already known
fact, that it can prevent diabetes. A classy Chinese restaurant in Manila
serves “alugbate” as an appetizer, but again, only mostly Visayans appreciate
the said vegetable which is also known as Madagascar spinach or Chinese
spinach, and those who cook it, know only of monggo as the appropriate taste
enhancer. Still in the Middle East, one way to prepare eggplant is to sauté it
in oil and spices until it becomes mushy, which then, is eaten with bread. But
in the Philippines, despite the abundance of eggplant, what most Filipinos know
as a dish for it is “tortang talong” or an ingredient in “pinakbet”, or an
insignificant ingredient in “achara” or pickles, and still for the lowly,
“binagoongang talong” or just “inihaw na talong”.
In Thai restaurants, they serve “bagoong
rice” with thin slices of green mango and toasted dried krill (alamang) or baby
shrimps on the side. Filipinos love it, but local carinderias do not serve them
or only very few even attempt to cook it at home, despite the availability of
ingredients in wet markets. Still, Filipinos do not mind paying for the pricey Thai
coffee, although, it is just an ordinary black coffee mixed with “condensed
milk”, that can be prepared at home. And, to top it all, the mentioned
offerings are listed in the menu with Thai names!
So far, only the street food vendors are
bold enough to give their palatable goodies “exotic” names, such as ‘adidas”
for chicken feet, IUD for chicken intestine, “pares” for soupy mixture of shredded
beef, cow skin, chili flakes, soy sauce, and toasted garlic – paired with
quick-cooked fried rice.
When Fiilipinos have foreign visitors, they
are brought to classy restaurants, unless the latter request for something
local. Oftentimes, no initiative is taken by most Filipinos to introduce what
are ours. A classic attempt, however, was made by a Filipina when she brought
her German guest to a mall and went to the Filipino section for candied
tamarind. While picking up a pack, the host was proudly talking about the fruit
as being abundant in the Philippines. When the guest looked at the label, she
saw a “Made in China” printed prominently as the source of the product!....well,
at least the proud Filipina tried.
Discussion