Dirty Kitchens
What it’s like to eat in the Philippines
As part of my self-taught cooking curriculum, I took a month-long trip to the Philippines with my mother to breathe in my heritage, meet distant relatives for the first time and to examine the food I so vehemently refused to eat as a teenager. The varnish of vacation wore away after two weeks and I caught my relatives going back to their routines of work and school. This was prime time for me to invade their kitchens for the quotidian food they would consume.
Market Day
Each household I visited went to the market once a week.
In Jaro, Ilo-ilo; the farmer’s market was on Thursday. Grocery shopping was just as much a social call, too. Since everyone needed groceries, you kept up with gossip, party invites and appearances. Stalls had makeshift sheet coverings tented over their wares.
In metropolitan Manila, my Auntie Minda woke me up at 7am to get to the market. She packed a styrofoam cooler, bleach and hand sanitizer. She also directed me to wear covered shoes because I would regret wearing flip flops. The market area was in a large wall-less warehouse, similar to La Boqueria…
