Travelers may visit a new city and appreciate its history, architecture and sites, but they cannot claim to know a people until they have appreciated their cuisine. Food and culture are so intertwined that the characteristics of a people are readily uncovered by the quirks in their eating habits. The American cowboy culture is reflected in their passion for a good steak; the Singaporean penchant for cleanliness is apparent in their squeaky clean hawkers; the Japanese emphasis on discipline is exemplified even in the way they prepare and present their sushi, sashimi, Wagyu beef, etc., while the Chinese practice of feng shui is evident not only in the arrangement and decor of their homes but also in the way they serve and slice their fish and eat their noodles. Filipinos? We are a barrel of quirks that to describe our eating habits would take an entire book!
The book’s cover may hint that this is a normal cookbook, but this book in fact is a collection of insightful essays on Philippine culture and cuisine, complete with illustrations and recipes. Through personal narratives, the author shares his perspectives on appreciating cuisine as a visual art and a historical study on human consumption.
“This book rouses up a great menu of memories, especially since the author also establishes a wondrous correspondence between food and places, and tosses everything into his salad of precious insights.” – Krip Yuson, poet and columnist
Table of Contents:
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Food Musings
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Foodways (Philippines and Asia and Beyond)
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Food Fests
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Food Joints
Limited quantities available.
Imported from the Phillippines
