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Filipino food gets a nod from Vogue as ‘next great American cuisine’


It's been five years since food writer Andrew Zimmern told the world that Filipino cuisine is the next big thing...and people are still missing out on the comforting taste of sinigang.

Claudia McNeilly writing for Vogue is doubling down on the prediction with "How Filipino Food Is Becoming the Next Great American Cuisine", published on Friday.

Adobo and other delicacies are still percolating through non-Filipino palate and, according to McNeilly, is "largely misunderstood and neglected by the rest of the world." Balut gets a nod for being a popular enough "stand-in"— but there's obviously more to enjoy.

McNeilly observes that Filipino food relies on "acids and sweetness more than any other cuisine" and further notes that, "[a]lthough the cuisine is pork heavy, a natural abundance of seafood and tropical fruit has given rise to dishes that are light without being bland."

She writes:

Filipino food is notoriously unburdened by dairy or gluten, making it suitable for a variety of diets and health regimens. Meals are traditionally eaten family style, allowing the cuisine to slide seamlessly into the ascending trend of sharing plates and communal dining. The reliance on vinegar as a condiment renders standard Western sauces full of sodium and fat redundant. This in itself should be seen as a welcome addition to any table.

McNeilly acknowledged the Filipino cuisine pioneers in New York, but served generous praise for Los Angeles, where Filipino flavor is being "propelled to the mainstream."

Purple Yam (NY), Isla Pilipina (Chicago), Full House BBQ (Las Vegas), Lasa (LA), and Ricebar (LA) continue to share the dishes Filipino love and they're taking their task of introducing our cuisine to the world seriously.

“We understand that there’s a learning curve with our food and that giving people their first reference point for a cuisine is a huge responsibility,” Lasa co-owner Chase Valencia was quoted saying.

There's still room for error and misconceptions (e.g. food stylists thinking chopsticks are a Filipino thing, too) but McNeilly mused that perhaps, the world is finally ready for the nuanced flavors of Filipino cuisine.

McNeilly writes:

Yet for all our neglect, there may be a silver lining. While we have been missing out on the flavor of kaldereta, a burgeoning food culture has expanded our palates to include flavors from other cuisines around the world. The result is that a taste of Filipino food evokes memories of Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Pacific Islander dishes that many of us are already familiar with. In this way, diners today have a better shot at understanding and appreciating the layered and nuanced flavors of Pinoy cooking.

In other news, Anthony Bourdain is already in love with sisig. —ALG, GMA News

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