The Chinese who came to trade sometimes stayed on.

Perhaps they cooked the noodles of home;

certainly they used local condiments; surely they taught their Filipino wives their dishes, and
thus Filipino-Chinese food came to be. The names identify them: pansit (Hokkien for something
quickly cooked) are noodles; lumpia are vegetables rolled in edible wrappers; siopao are
steamed, filled buns; siomai are dumplings.

All, of course, came to be indigenized—Filipinized by the ingredients and by local tastes. Today,
for example, Pansit Malabon has oysters and squid, since Malabon is a fishing center; and Pansit
Marilao is sprinkled with rice crisps, because the town is within the Luzon rice bowl.

When restaurants were established in the 19th century, Chinese food became a staple of the
pansiterias, with the food given Spanish names for the ease of the clientele: this comida China
(Chinese food) includes arroz caldo (rice and chicken gruel); and morisqueta tostada (fried rice).

When the Spaniards came, the food influences they brought were from both Spain and Mexico,
as it was through the vice-royalty of Mexico that the Philippines were governed. This meant the
production of food for an elite, nonfood-producing class, and a food for which many ingredients
were not locally available.

Fil-Hispanic food had new flavors and ingredients—olive oil, paprika, saffron, ham, cheese,
cured sausages—and new names. Paella, the dish cooked in the fields by Spanish workers, came
to be a festive dish combining pork, chicken, seafood, ham, sausages and vegetables, a luxurious
mix of the local and the foreign. Relleno, the process of stuffing festive capons and turkeys for
Christmas, was applied to chickens, and even to bangus, the silvery milkfish. Christmas, a new
feast for Filipinos that coincided with the rice harvest, came to feature not only the myriad native
rice cakes, but also ensaymadas (brioche-like cakes buttered, sugared and cheese-sprinkled) to
dip in hot thick chocolate, and the apples, oranges, chestnuts and walnuts of European
Christmases. Even the Mexican corn tamal turned Filipino, becoming rice-based tamales
wrapped in banana leaves. The Americans introduced to the Philippine cuisine the ways of
convenience: pressure-cooking, freezing, pre-cooking, sandwiches and salads; hamburgers, fried
chicken and steaks.

The Beginnings of Foodservice in the Philippines

In the Philippines, foodservice existed as early as the time of the barangay system. The datu had
to feed his people including the slaves or alipin. Hence, it required the service of food in great
quantities.
In 982 A.D the earliest Chinese-Philippine trades was recorded and are the forerunners of the
developmental rudiments of the commercial type of foodservice.

During the Spanish period, Chinese food became popular that were served under more
permanent structures. A letter of a civil servant to King Philip II of Spain reported that the
Chinese Community had many eating houses where the Chinese and natives eat their meals. The
natives set up eating places usually at the back of public markets. Kari-kari can be bought at
cheap prices already. Thus calling this eating place as “karihan” in which Spaniards later all it as
carinderia. Chinese operated eateries came to known as panciterias where they usually serve
pancit.

Restaurants were establish during the 19th century.

In 1906 the Americans started a public school feeding program to remedy the poor nutrition of
children thus modifying the food service system and introduced the concept of cafeteria. It
serves meals to both students and faculty. Comes from it are other types of foodservice
(commercial fast food centers, in-plant feedings, and dining rooms in healthcare institutions )
was picked up from the concept of self-service.

Then on many other countries had introduces many concepts and practices that contributed to the
development of foodservice in the Philippines. Changes have taken place due to many factors
(modern technology; new legislations; and urbanization). And because of the globalization and
modern information technology in the Philippine foodservice industry will definitely grow and
be diverse.

Philippine food has evolved over several centuries from its Malayo-Polynesian origins to a
varied cuisine with many Hispanic cultural influences, due to the many Latin American and
Spanish dishes brought to the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. It has also received
varying degrees of influence from Chinese, American, and other Asian cuisine. Filipinos eat
three time a day which is breakfast, lunch and dinner plus additional meal in the after which is
meryenda or snacks.

Filipino cooking reflects the history of the islands. On a Malayan base, Chinese, Hindu, Spanish
and American ingredients have been added through centuries of foreign influence and
surprisingly, a blend with a distinctiveness of its own has emerged. In city of Manila, this
mixture is most in evidence. Far from the capital city, however, one can still sample the simple
dishes that native Filipinos eat Many of these dishes are remarkably close to native fares still
found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other Asian countries. As with most Asian
countries, the staple food in the Philippines is rice although foreign recipes have become a
regular practice in food preparation. Coconut milk or gata is often used as an ingredient on
popular dishes such as lumpia (rolls) and pancit (noodles).

The most famous dish is lechon (roast pig) and because of its vast coastlines, the Philippines also
has an abundance of excellent seafood. Most restaurants offer seafood cooked one way or
another, the most popular being the broiled (inihaw/inasal). Other dishes include shrimp, rock
lobster, crab, oysters, squid and fish.
Malayo-Polynesians during the pre-Hispanic era in the Philippines prepared food by boiling,
steaming, or roasting. They use their usual live stocks like water buffalo, chicken, fish and some
uses monitor lizard and snakes. Filipino was introduce to in cultivating rice and corn when the
Austronesian people from Southern China Yunnan Plateau and Taiwan came to Philippines.

The Chinese who came to trade stayed on the Philippines. They taught their Filipino wives their
dishes, and thus Filipino-Chinese food came to be. Example are noodles, lumpia , siopao and
siomai .When restaurants were established in the 19th century, Chinese food became a staple of
the pansiterias, with the food given Spanish names for the ease of the clientele; this comida
China includes arroz caldo and morisqueta tostada.
When the Spaniards came, the food influences they brought were from both Spain and Mexico,
as it was through the vice-royalty of Mexico that the Philippines were governed. This meant the
production of food for an elite, nonfood-producing class, and a food for which many ingredients
were not locally available. Today, Philippine cuisine continues to evolve as new techniques and
styles of cooking find their way into one of the most active melting pots of Asia.

Native Filipino cooking is not too spicy despite the fact that spices are plentiful and readily
available in the islands. The basic staple is rice of which hundreds of varieties are cultivated.
Main source of protein is fish which abound in oceans, lakes, rivers, streams and ponds. Meat,
especially pork and poultry, is also commonly eaten. Beef is readily available but is more
expensive; the cattle industry not being well developed in the country. Veal and lamb are not too
popular but goat meat is considered a delicacy in some parts of the country as are frogs, rabbits
and deer.

It is often when sampling native Filipino dishes that one appreciates the regional variations in the
country. For while it is true that Filipino culture is homogeneous, there are specific differences in
cooking and food preferences that readily identify the regional origin of many dishes. Although
these differences are not as pronounced as in the regional variations of Chinese cooking, for
instance, they are widely recognized in the country where regionalism plays an important role
because of its geographical division into many island-groups.

Influences
There are many dishes and recipes that Filipino prepares on their meals. Each of the Filipino
cuisine has its influences from different country. This is due to the fact that traders and
colonizers have visited the Philippines for centuries. The American and Spanish colonizers, and
the Chinese and other Southeast Asian traders influenced and brought a twist on the Filipino
cuisine.

Chinese is one of the contributors of the Filipino cuisine. Chinese influences the Filipino on
making noodles or what we call pancit. For many years Chinese people interact with the
Filipinos and some of them stay and live in the Philippines. They teach their wife on how to cook
some Chinese delicacy but using ingredients found in the Philippines.

When the Spaniards came to Philippines, they introduced the Spanish culture. The Spanish
colonies often influenced the Philippines in many different ways. As much as 80 percent of
Filipino food originates from Spain. Tomatoes and garlic, for instance, both staple Filipino
foods, were introduced from Spain, as was the cooking method of sautéing using olive oil. For
example, Adobo, Adobo means marinated sauce for pork. Spain can also lay claim to the
delicious range of Filipino desserts and pastries. Baked goodies such as pan de sal and
ensaymada are of Spanish origin.

When American defeated the Spaniards and colonies the Philippines, they introduce a little
American cuisine. Although Americans didn’t make that much of an influence in Philippine
cuisine, they certainly changed the way Filipinos dine. They introduce the fast-food chain that
and can goods which is until now available everywhere.