Debunking Misconceptions on Halal Food
It means permissible in English, and though it’s a word that’s been prevalent in many food conversations, it still gets a lot of misuse and fallacy. In a nutshell, halal food is food that is acceptable according to the teachings of Islam and not considered to be haram...
Philippines seeks increased share of halal market at Gulfood 2023
18 Filipino exporters to showcase top halal-certified and healthy food products
Eating I Love You
Let’s begin with something controversial: not everyone likes chocolate. Some people can't even physically eat it. While Valentine’s Day began as early as the 1300s, its association with chocolate happened in the 1800s. By the 1840s, the Cadbury family had just...
Herbal teas of the Philippines
When you say tea, it exclusively refers to the dried leaf and stem of one plant: Camellia sinensis. All the other variants—white, black, and green tea—are based solely on this plant. In the Philippines though, tea has been used as a catch-all to any plant used for hot...
Turmeric’s place in Filipino cuisine
It may not be as popular as ginger, which is of the same family, but turmeric still finds its way and takes its rightful space in traditional Filipino cooking. Known for its orange color, which can leave stubborn stains on hands and clothes, this mighty rhizome lends...
Queso de Bola Recipes
A ball of queso de bola is the gift that keeps on giving. The sight of this red ball immediately elicits joy and excitement. This salty cheese, actually Edam, is delicious to munch by itself or paired with other charcuterie items. It’s also wonderful when simply...
Our favorite after-Misa de Gallo treats
As a rice-eating country, kakanin or rice cakes come a dime a dozen in the Philippines, but only a chosen few–two, in fact–have the recognition of being Christmas icons. Puto bumbong is memorable for its striking violet hue, thanks to a purple variety of heirloom rice...
Turning to turmeric for flavor and good health
A member of the ginger family, turmeric offers a warm, spicy, and bitter taste to many savory dishes and medicinal benefits that fight diseases. And it’s all thanks to curcumin, which is responsible for the root’s yellow-orange color, the flavor, antioxidants, and...
A festival to show our love for longganisa
In a country where practically every region has a signature bratwurst, you should expect more than one festival celebrating this beloved delicacy. The most popular, however, is the one in the historic city of Vigan, where it occurs every late January. Vigan longganisa...
2021’s most influential figures in the food industry
Now that restaurateurs and diners have figured out the compromise between eating in restaurants and the new normal, the dining scene is experiencing a revival. Once again, Filipinos are looking at each other on Friday nights asking, “Where shall we eat?” While the...
Different types of ensaymada for the holidays
Just like Catholicism and our love for a good fiesta, Filipinos learned the art of baking from our Spanish colonizers. Bread, cakes, and other pastries were not part of the Filipino diet until the Spanish introduced them to us; hence, the Hispanic names for most of...