Filipino food ranks high on most popular cuisines list on Instagram

There's been much debate on the ability of Filipino cuisine to go global like some of our close friends in the region.

Some have said that ours are too derivative due to the combination of many influences from our colonizers.

Others, though, feel that such matter is trivial and being obsessed with the idea of our food becoming mainstays internationally should be the least of our worries. Food, after all, is simply meant to be enjoyed.

Whatever your stand is, you'd probably find it interesting that our food ranked significantly high on the latest study on the most popular cuisines on Instagram.

Food and culinary website, Chef's Pencil, has tallied the most used hashtags by country cuisine and food type.

Filipino food has garnered around 1.6 million tags to secure the 10th spot ahead of French cuisine and behind our next-door neighbor, Vietnam.

Photo by: Chef's Pencil

Japan occupies the top spot with over 15 million tags followed by Italy, India, Korea, and Thailand to round up the top five.

The list acknowledged the strong presence of Asian food due to a handful of reasons.

“Whether Instagram is driving the trend or reflecting it, the scores show a clear preference for all foods Asian,” the website took note.

“Supermarkets are seeing this trend too, with Asian-inspired foods their highest growth category as people get tired of sriracha and pho and look for new flavors from the continent.”

It added, “Thai food has become the most popular international cuisine in Australia and New Zealand, and is one of the most popular international cuisines in Canada, the US, and South Africa.

“A survey conducted among 250 chefs by Chef's Pencil last year ranked three [Southeast]-Asian countries--Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam--among the world's five most underrated foodie destinations.

“The chefs we interviewed felt that these three cuisines, and pretty much all of [Southeast] Asia, deserve more respect and higher recognition in the culinary world.”

Asian food, according also to the article, is perceived widely as “healthier” than Western food, something that appeals to the younger foodies on the visual-driven social media platform.

“Health-conscious Millennials and Gen Zs love to take to Instagram to brag about their healthy food choices, which not only looks great, but also makes them look better and healthier.”

Filipino cuisine, to its credit, has its fair share of shout-outs from the international community in recent years.

While most foreigners vouched for the flavorful powers of adobo, many are also showing love to our style of spring roll or lumpia--and that includes Hollywood celebrities. Who are they? Take a look at this list: