Talented Filipino Chef Tim Luym discusses the reason behind the sour flavor profile commonly found in Filipino food and also sheds light on the negative stigma it carries. Luym is optimistic, however, that Filipino food has since freed itself from such a stigma and is soon on its way to becoming the next Asian cuisine sensation in America.
Q: What's the deal with the sour flavor profile that is common in Filipino Food? What are your thoughts on the negative stigma that Filipino food seems to carry?
A: Sour flavors in Filipino cuisine are abundant.
From the many different types of vinegars: coconut, palm, duhat, cane,
pinakurat coconut sap a.k.a. tuba, to name a few, to the awesome fruits and
vegetables: calamansi, tamarind, guava, green mango, kamias, batuan, bilimbi
(tree sorrel), and more, the variety of souring agents naturally available in
the Philippines is a great culinary asset. Many Filipino and international
cooks and chefs have found creative and innovative ways to incorporate "sour",
one of the five basic tastes, into the flavor profile of many of their dishes
using ingredients from the Philippines.
For a more scientific
explanation of the sour flavor profile in Filipino food, the Philippines is a
tropical country. High temperatures and high humidity are both key factors in
the spoilage of food. The Philippines, along with many other tropical climate
weather countries, uses acid not only to add flavor to their dishes, but also
as a way of preserving food. Many cultures have created delicacies with the use
of their abundant natural food resources. From pickled herring in Nordic
countries to bacalau in Spain and Portugal, dried squid and pork floss in
China, dried spices in India, one of my favorite Filipino classic combinations
is dried fish (dangit in particular) dipped in fermented coconut vinegar.
Furthermore, going back to olden times before refrigeration was a household
item, Filipinos needed to make dishes that would not spoil very quickly giving
birth to quintessential dishes like adobo and sinigang wherein proteins
could be kept for extended periods of time while traveling or rationing. The
use of acid (often with a salting agent) is commonly found in many Filipino
dishes not only gives it a delicious sour flavor unique to the cuisine of the
Philippines, but acts as a preservative as well. From the vinegars in adobo, to
the fruits and vegetables in sinigang, to the calamansi in kinilaw, Filipino's
have mastered the use of their natural resources in their recipes that all cooks
and chefs can learn from.
As a chef, being born in Manila and growing up
in the United States, I have often been asked about the negative stigma that
Filipino foods seems to carry to American palates. Years ago, I would have had
many examples to support such a statement. However, today, I see that stigma
changing in many ways for the better! I no longer think that Filipino foods
have a negative stigma here in America; rather, they are being better
understood. Now that information is more widely available through the internet,
media, and television, people's curiosities are sparked and people are more
aware of different cultures and foods, and have access to learn more about a
cultures food and diversity. Filipino's alike have embraced their culinary culture
and some even use what was once a negative stigma of Filipino food to
fuel the flame behind the stove and fire up interest in a cuisine that is
gaining popularity and awareness in America.
Many foodwriters, celebrity chefs,
and Andrew Zimerman is pushing for Filipino food to be the next emerging Asian
cuisine in America. No longer is fish sauce and shrimp paste a stigma of
Filipino cuisine, but a secret ingredient that adds depth of flavors to all
styles of cooking. Calamansi is popping up next to yuzu at farmers markets, and
3 star chefs in French kitchens are using the flavorful X Roads hand harvested
sea salts side by side with fleur de sel. Fish sauce is the new liquid salt,
and coconut oil has lived to see a new day (in spite of hidden agenda's that
led to its crash in the 90's to promote corn and soybean oil). Even more
so,companies like Ramar are making headway by offering artisan Filipino entrees
in upscale markets such as Whole Foods! Food for thought: If Filipino foods
still carried a negative stigma, would all this be happening? I think the time
is now to ask the question where Filipino foods are now going! Optimism is
contagious...
Chef Tim Luym is a Filipino Food Entrepreneur in the San Francisco Bay Area. He currently has 2 venues - Attic Restaurant in San Mateo, and WOWTruck, a Filipino food truck in San Francisco.
