On the Rise
Much has been written and predicted about Filipino cuisine’s ascent to the global stage. Cheryl Tiu finds out what makes 2017 finally the year
ilipino food is the next big thing—again.” Bloomberg Pursuits kicked off 2017 with this attention-grabbing headline by respected food journalist Kate Krader. According to Krader, Google searches for “Filipino food” had doubled since 2012 and queries for “lumpia near me” (fried Filipino spring rolls or mini popiah) have skyrocketed by 3,350 per cent. Much has been written about this cuisine’s rise but is 2017 finally truly its year? There are several factors that would point to a resounding yes, and it is safe to say that all of them coming together at relatively the same time is what has given Filipino cuisine its long-awaited “push”. First, there is a massive shift in the food world where going back to basics—from using local ingredients in their purest forms, cooking over fire and wood, to natural fermentation—has become one of the biggest global movements. Not coincidentally, Filipinos have long been cooking in this manner, and the sour taste profile (often associated with fermented food) is not uncommon to the cuisine. “There’s currently a food revolution happening in the Philippines,” declares Chele Gonzalez, chef and co-owner of Gallery Vask, the sole Philippine restaurant on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, which went up four spots to number 35 this year. “It happened with Spanish, Mexican and Peruvian cuisines. Filipinos are starting to value what is in their country even more now.” Jordy Navarra, who staunchly advocates Filipino produce at his Makati-based Toyo Eatery, where he is chef and owner, shares the same sentiments about the coming of age of Filipino cuisine. “The emergence of Filipinos being proud of the food we have was a turning point,” he says. “There are less mentions of balut (fertilised duck egg) and other intimidating food, and rather more of the tasty day-to-day food we grew up with, that made people realise we don’t need to be quirky or different, we can just be ourselves.” Gonzalez adds, “Other people, not just Filipinos, want to learn about what’s locally available in the Philippines and therefore Filipinos have started to become even more proud of their cuisine and produce.”