5 Signs You’re Eating With Pinoys

Poelene Garcia, Intern

May 10, 2017

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  “Kumain ka na? Tara, kain tayo!” You will hear these phrases everyday and everywhere here in the Philippines. We surely love to eat. No matter what time, season or mood, Pinoys always find a reason to eat and pig out.

  1. Eating with bare hands.

  “Hindi ka Pinoy kung hindi ka marunong magkamay.”

  This quirk may look ‘barbaric’, but this has been part of our culture for ages. It has been a tradition for Filipinos from the province to eat with their bare hands because most of them are fishermen or farmers. These people are busy so they usually use their hands to eat rather than to bring utensils. But even now in the urban places, people love to use their bare hands because food tastes better when you eat it with your bare hands.

  As they say, “Mas masarap kumain pag nakakamay.”

  2. 3 Meals Ain’t Enough!

  Pinoys love to eat. A day isn’t complete without three full and yummy meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. But if you think three full meals are enough, you are so wrong! Aside from breakfast, lunch and dinner there is this so-called “merienda” or snacks. And it happens in the morning (before lunch), in the afternoon, and after dinner (midnight snack).

  Yep, so Pinoy!

  3. Starting And Finishing Meals Together

  It’s in the values of Filipinos to eat together. No one must be left behind when it comes to food. And it even gets to the point that no one leaves the table until the last person eating is done. Filipino families consider meal time as a sacred ritual because it’s not just sharing food but it is also about sharing conversations and quality time for the family.

  4. It’s all about the rice!

  100% Pinoys will understand this! Who cares about the carbs when we’re talking about rice?

  5. The Sawsawan!

  “Ate, pasawsaw!” Sisig, pork chop, isaw, grilled fish, seafood, fish balls, and chicken inasal, they all need a condiment. In other countries, condiments are used to enhance the flavor in a dish; Filipino meals aren’t complete without bottles of condiments. Patis (fish sauce), toyo (soy sauce) with calamansi, uka (vinegar) or ketchup, it doesn’t matter as long as it is a condiment, Pinoys will pair it to every meal for every day.

  And yes, when you don’t like the ulam, sawsawan will save the day!

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