Despite the effects of modernization to our usual norms and ways of living, Filipinos still make it a point that their culture remains preserved and intact. Start reading this article and start experiencing these 5 genuine Filipino dining experiences.
1. Boodle Fight – Fine dining experience using silver and china wares they say is a noble way of eating but I believe that Filipinos have their own righteous way of dining through boodle fight. Such way of eating is done without spoons and plates. The food is simply placed on top of a banana leaf and the diners use their bare hands to eat. This manner of serving food is originally done by military men to indicate equal treatment and brotherhood towards everyone.
2. Saw-Saw – This is another eating habit which depicts a real Filipino. If it is your first time to visit the country and you happen to have breakfast with someone, you might think it odd to see him dip a piece of bread into his morning drink but trying this would make you realize that the bread is tastier when dipped into your morning drink.
3. Kamayan – Is fish apart of your menu? If you answered yes, the kamayan technique of eating is the answer to make you enjoy the feeling of eating your fish dish. “Kamayan” is a manner in which you use your five fingers to pick a lump of your food and when you are about to eat it, you have to push the food using the thumb so it enters your mouth. This used to be a rural way of eating but since “kamayan” has already been a trade mark of Filipino culture some Filipino restaurants opt to provide dining experience through this manner.
4. Kam-mel – If at any rate you were invited to visit a fish pond in the village and they ask you to go fishing, you may not need to bring fishing rod with you anymore. This is because native Filipinos have their own way of catching fish through their hands. This is what they call “kammel”. This Ilocano way of fishing is done not in the sea but in shallow rivers or fish ponds found in farms. When fishing with this manner, you have to make it a point that the water on the fish pond is drained or if you are in the river it has to be shallow. All you have to do is to slowly go to the “rama” (fish trap) and slowly use both hands to grab them. You can only grab one fish at a time and catching with bare hands requires a strategy. Once you caught the fish with your bare hands, voila!!!! You just had yourself a freshly caught fish that’s ready to be grilled and served.
5. Binalot – When Tupperware and lock and lock food storage products were not yet known in the Philippines, local folks already have their unique way of carrying food with them by means of the banana leaf. Most farmers still practice this food packing technique because they believe that the food becomes tasty when wrapped with banana leaves. I guess these townsmen are right because Banana leaf is all natural and it could not cause any health hazard towards people. This traditional food packing style is also adopted as a trademark of local restaurants promoting Filipino culture.
These are but parcels of the various dining experiences which you can enjoy when eating Filipino foods. Remember that eating genuine food is not enough when you don’t try eating them in a genuine Filipino way. So what are you waiting for, go and eat good Filipino foods and start eating like a genuine Pinoy!
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Damn! I miss eating Binalot. 🙂
http://www.dekaphobe.com/
I like this post! Thanks for sharing.
ang galing ng research mo ah. nice post! pwede kaya isali dyan ang pasubo – yung susubuan ka ng food? hehe
Of these five, I enjoyed 'kamayan' most, especially when eating rice and barbecue with soy sauce, chili and 'calamansi'. That is a mouth-watering and fun dinner.
I love the 'saw-sawan' most. It enhances the taste of food and add spices to it. Actually saw-sawan is always present on my diniing table.
I love the boodle fight, especially when you're with your family! (Just make sure all of them watched their hands, though!)
love the foods… mix it with good OPM music!
I enjoy eating with multiple concurrent,,especially
doing it in a beach with music also.
Sooo Pinoy, I love your write-up and it makes me love more our culture. Thanks for this.
Kamayan talaga + in a banana plate. We use the same whenever we have our fiesta. Much safer for the environment + we don't need to do a lot of dish washing. Wah memories.~
Nice post! Among the five, I haven't tried the Boodle fight and the Kam-mel
Iba talaga pag Pinoy. My husband is amazed with us pagdating sa kamayan. We're the cleanest people when we eat with our hands. So proud to be Pinoy.
Visiting from CE Aug21.
Boodle fight! I miss that…we used to do that when we were kids, having our vacation in the province.
I have only tried kamayan and binalot. Sarap kumain talaga pag nakakamay medyo messy lang.
Guilty ako sa 3 out of 5: saw-saw, kamayan, and binalot, hahahaha! haven't tried the Boodle fight and Kam-mel but I'm very much willing if given the chance.
ginutom tuloy ako… 😀
I tried all except for Kam-mel. I wonder how this is possible when the water is murky? I'm sure the guy knows what he's doing 🙂
Boodle, I've tried at Seafood Island which is really scrumptious as they have varied dishes from across the archipelago. Binalot, I also experienced but parang so-so lang coz the food does not really taste any different. Kamayan, a buffet restaurant that serves Filipino dishes… sarap to pig out here. And of course, saw-saw! I guess this is the most popular especially with pan de sal and kapeng mainit! 😀
Kammel looks like a fun experience of catching fish rather than with the use of spear. I may need to dig down deeper in the mud to get the big fish.
haha…great post!
love, love it discussing a Filipino culture on how we eat…i experienced the binalot, kamayan, sawsaw and boodle fight, need to try that kammei haha
Nice post! I haven't experience Boodle Fight. I don't think I want to. Agawan ng food yan at pabilisan 🙂
binalot!! back home, cooked rice is wrapped in leaves with bbq. yammy!
Interesting facts on your culture. Love the boddle fight. It really cuts across all status differences.
sarap mag boodle fight and binalot is like gift wrap food surprise!
I love reading this post as it reminds me of the Filipino ways that I am truly proud of. Sarap kayang kumain ng naka kamay. 🙂
I haven't tried kam-mel yet. 😀
I miss the boodle fight I had with my co-facilitator.
You can have that boodle fight experience in a resto setting at Seafood Island. 😀 Banana leaves are not only toxin-free and safe for packing food, they are also biodegradable and do not need to be washed after eating. 😀
i haven't tried the kam-mel. sounds interesting! 🙂
I never tried kammel but my father in law use a net, which is called panti, for catching fish.
Kammel? I want to try that..:)
ang sarap maging Pilipino talaga….
and that binalot also made its presence here in Dubai… which is great!
at home we eat by hands, we love kamayan nothing beats it.
I really like kamayan ang binalot..super bango at sarap.. truly missed pinoy foods.
this post is so Pinoy, Is love reading your post and thanks for sharing
Yan ang PINOY 🙂 It's more fun in the PHILIPPINES lang hehehe 🙂 saya..
I love the binalot.. The taste and smell of the banana leaf left on the food makes it taste so yummy!
Interesting!! I tried everything except for kam-mel that sound new to me I wanna try that soon 🙂
Sawsaw! Definitely Filipino. Kammel also sounds new to me
I don't know No. 4. I still am not sure if I am willing to try that experience. Gastos sa sabon. heheh
When I was still young (but still young now, lol). Me and my cousins used to make "kam-mel" in the nearest shallow river near our grandparents house. But I am really afraid of leeches. hehehe
-daddy allan (visit from BCB)
First time I heard of Kam-mel but with the other four I'm familiar. What kind of fishes are suitable for kam-mel btw?