This unique illustrated tome presents a rather comprehensive guide to Philippine cuisine, covering the length and breadth of the diverse culinary cultures found throughout the country
Food is an element that has drawn the Filipino people together since time immemorial. From the ceremonial feasts staged by the mountain tribes of the Cordilleras, to the whole pigs roasted everyday by lechoneros in Cebu, and even to the mix-and-match 'silog [fried rice and egg] combos offered everywhere from roadside stalls to mall food courts, food is part and parcel of the nation's identity. Ironically, many Filipinos are absolutely unaware of the rich diversity of dishes prepared and eaten throughout the archipelago.
Kain Na!, the newest release from independent local firm RPD Publications, means to rectify that particular situation. Penned and researched by Felice Prudente-Sta Maria, one of the country's foremost food writers and historians, together with Singaporean baker/author Bryan Koh, the book is a delectable, appetising foray into Filipino food culture in twelve chapters. Watercolour illustrations by artist Mariel Ylagan Garcia further add to its charm and appeal.
Each chapter in the book represents a specific aspect of culinary culture: Almusal (breakfast), Lutong Bahay (home-cooking), Meryenda (snacks), Lutong Kalsada (street food), Panghimagas (dessert), Pulutan (bar chow), Pang-pista (food for festive occasions), Inumin (drinks), Sa Panaderya (baked goods made at local bakeries), Kakanin (native rice cakes), Mga Sawswan (sauces and condiments), and Mga Sangkap (ingredients).
It is a charming presentation of dishes that are both dear and familiar: favourites like champorado (spelt tsampurado here) made with grated tablea de cacao and topped with fried salt-fish or adobo and kaldereta are scattered throughout the pages. These join regional delights like budbud kabug (steamed millet cakes wrapped in banana leaves) and torta (a dense, eggy cake made with lard) from the Visayas and tiyula itum, the lemongrass and burnt coconut beef stew of the Islamic South. Each dish presented is identified and its phonetic pronunciation given directly beneath; a paragraph describing the food follows, sometimes with a short explanation of its origins or the etymology of its name.
