{"id":783,"date":"2023-01-12T22:36:41","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T22:36:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovefortraveling.com\/?p=783"},"modified":"2023-04-27T23:37:42","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T07:37:42","slug":"filipino-food-etiquette","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovefortraveling.com\/filipino-food-etiquette\/","title":{"rendered":"Filipino Food Etiquette: Why Do Filipinos Eat with Their Hands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Filipino food etiquette is all about using your hands. Filipinos eat with their hands because the utensils are often too small to do the job and because it’s a cultural practice.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re eating Filipino food at any time<\/strong>, you must know how to use your hands properly. Here are some tips on Filipino food etiquette so you can enjoy this delicious cuisine without offending anyone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do Filipinos eat with their hands?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Traditional<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The way Filipinos eat with their hands has been in the culture since ancient times. The indigenous people of Southeast Asia have always eaten this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then when they were conquered by colonialists from Spain’s<\/a><\/strong> colony in Mexico or South America, it became a style that was adopted for many reasons, such as convenience due to not having utensils on hand at all times,<\/strong> like forks or spoons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also thought that eating with one’s fingers can be an adaptation because it leaves less room than using chopsticks which are challenging to use while sitting cross-legged on floor mats<\/strong> made out of woven palm leaves over bamboo frames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the reasons why Filipinos eat with their hands today, but many popular dishes have been cooked and enjoyed this way since ancient times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One example would be adobo<\/strong>, a braised meat dish in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, black pepper, and bay leaves. The Spanish influence can be seen through the soy sauce, a Chinese import, and the bay leaves used in cooking are from Central America<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another example would be sinigang or sour soup, usually cooked with tamarind, onion, ginger root, garlic cloves, tomatoes, and fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ingredients may vary depending on what can be found locally, like coconuts or other types of fish. The use of tamarind is an import from Southeast Asia, but tomatoes can be traced to Mexico<\/strong> or South America<\/strong>, where it was introduced by Spanish explorers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s hard to say if Filipinos eat this way because they want to show respect for their culture and heritage, <\/strong>as that could also be a non-verbal expression of concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could also be because Filipinos are used to eating this way, and it has been a part of their culture for thousands of years, so it’s what they’re most comfortable with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n