What makes Filipinos excellent chefs?
We Filipinos are known the world over not only for our unparalleled brand of hospitality, but also for our distinct, delectable dishes. Fusing native flavors with influences from the Spanish, American, and Chinese, the Filipino culinary landscape is colorful as it is delicious. It is complemented, of course, by the ingenuity and talent of Filipino cooks who never fail to whip up a mouthwatering feast.
We asked some of our top chefs and Masterchef Asia contestants to dish out what uniquely Filipino traits make us wunderkinds in the kitchen.
Sandy Daza, TV host, chef and owner, Wooden Spoon
Philippine cuisine is a mix of influences. The flavors are familiar and many Filipinos know how to cook these dishes. This familiarity with foreign ingredients adds versatility and adaptability to our taste buds. We can easily appreciate different cuisines.
Nina Daza-Puyat, chef and editor in chief, Appetite magazine
Pinoy home cooks are resourceful, adaptable, and thrifty. We are creative in making use of ingredients and all of its parts: from rind to seed, from skin to meat, bones, innards and even blood. Today’s generation is especially daring when it comes to experimenting and it’s making Pinoy food more exciting.
Rico Amancio, contestant, MasterChef Asia
Perseverance, resourcefulness, love for food, and the drive to learn and improve. The love for food binds us together. This is one of the reasons why our Filipino chefs and aspiring chefs alike are so eager to learn more to bring our heritage dishes into the international food scene.
Lica Ibarra, contestant, MasterChef Asia
Hospitality is a Filipino trait that allows us to excel in the kitchen. Most Pinoy households enjoy entertaining and serving guests at home. We enjoy serving our specialty dishes to our visitors — making them feel welcome — and showcasing what we can do as great hosts and awesome home cooks.
Myrna Segismundo, chef, organizer of Madrid Fusion 2015
Filipino taste buds are well-developed as we are exposed to various flavor profiles naturally present in our cuisine like matamis (sweet), maasim (sour), mapait (bitter), maalat (salty) and malinamnam (savory, toothsome). It is the familiarity with these flavors that equip us with the artistic talent to explore, create and innovate on taste.
Eugene Raymundo, chef consultant and senior food stylist for food manufacturers
Filipinos have perseverance, patience, focus and passion in what we do. These traits make us a preferred nationality in any workforce. With these traits, especially passion, Filipinos are perfect for the kitchen. This passion gives us the drive to be more creative, imaginative and open to new things.
Jake Aycardo, contestant, MasterChef Asia
I think that it is our love for celebration. Our food always has a festive vibe and flavor to it and that makes us stand out in the kitchen.
Grace Dimacali, owner, Café Mary Grace
Filipino chefs have a strong sense of family in their blood and it’s good practice because there’s no better experience than cooking for one’s family. Great Filipino chefs come from such a background, honed by practice in the family setting, propelled by love and backed up by tradition.
Robby Goco, owner and chef, Cyma
Bayanihan and malasakit are two of the most distinctly Filipino traits. However, it is malasakit that spells the difference, it is a Filipino trait that does not have an exact translation in English. It is compassion, accountability, ownership, and putting one’s interest behind others rolled into one.
Chiloy Santos, chef, Kettle
Filipinos are very hardworking in the kitchen. They perform the tasks assigned to them without complaining. They are also willing to work extra hours to get the job done. We are known for these traits globally so there are always Filipino cooks and chefs in international kitchens.
