By Jeremy C. Malcampo
I never really realized the gravity of what my boss told me when he explained his rationale behind TASTE, being merely spreads of newsprints in four colored imprints of food photographs, trailed by adjectives and alliterations of words to cover the beat of the Pinoy F&B, and the hype of our culinary scene as news materials, until when I attended an underground meeting of food strategists from different multi-national companies over a streamline of fine wines with an endless dish-artillery in strict western cuisine. I had no idea what I was eating; some of which I tasted for the first time, making my native palate a stranger to my comfort dishes, confusing the olfactory with amazing aromas that were far-off Asian.
Well, I was invited as an observer to the group and as a guest consultant.
Overwhelmed by the colonial atmosphere, and off-shore pastiche without any hint of Pinoy indicatives besides our nationalities, my boss’ words reverbed in major chords: "It’s time for us to serve Filipino cuisine to the world." In his words, as I regard, "Spanish, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian, English, French, and Japanese cuisines are solid in their distinct identities, and seem to echo familiarity in any corner of the globe, but not Filipino cuisine. We have to do our part for Philippines’ culinary culture -- we have to do this," he said.
Hearing this from a top guy who has the benevolence for Filipino culture -- not to mention -- his first hand intellect of international cultures, warmed the heart in high notes. Critically reflective to how we chested our cuisine through time of passive modernity, yet encouraging or it may be a reminder for us to wake up. Ironic, but true. We ourselves don’t know from where pinoy cuisine shaped from, have been, its current status and to where it’ll be, or what else culture would it shape. what future society?
Of course we know how festive pinoy food is as a palabok of Spanish, Mexican, Japanese, French, Malay, Indian, American, and the unwavering contribution of Chinese culture in our dishes, but this is who we are and what we’ve been eating life by life.
If, Okay, Filipino victual is a fusion of different cultures and ingredients -- then let it be, but not let it be lost in a foreign dishing that locks our palabok-type food in a colonial plate. To stress, "fusion" will always be an open-pot of cross-cultural gastronomy – version cooking this side of the world to create food from their side of the world allows us to understand their side of the world within our own cultural realm.
But fusion is a critical mode of cooking. It hovers between practical ingenuity and masterful alibis. But, if a fusion material is with presence of mass acceptance, then, it might shape into a strict dish. Yet, one should also be careful on the notion that fusion plus fusion equals a blackhole gastronomica.
But, who knows, even a blackhole dish might contain culinary gravity and the possibilities are endless as how even a fusion-fusion technique is a cooking realm, that need be explored. Just remember, Master the craft first, before you break it.
First, let pinoy cuisine live on, before we play with it.
Also, as WE ALL KNOW, our siopao (Big, the filling , the wrap, the bola-bola type) is the only of its kind in the world. It was somewhere in time invented, purposed with certainty, when Ma Mon Luk formulated it. It was weird and new from Ma Mon Luk’s playful ideas and practical creativity.
BUT, BUT, BUT he was pure Chinese who knew the Siopao craft who’d mastered it half his life and broke it to create a new form of merienda we now enjoy as the Pinoy siopao.
Culturefront writer, and historian Diana A. Galang brought me to the Ma Mon Luk branch in Quezon Ave. and we saw how the establishment put in grandiose our article, published on TASTE regarding Ma Mon Luk’s life as a tribute last Fathers’ Day.
We tasted the Taipao, and two types of Mamis. Well, it was not bad at all, because it was my first time to taste Ma Mon Luk mami. It was my first time to taste Ma Mon Luk Siopao. And guess what I liked it. I LIKED IT. READ, people I liked it.
Then I told Diane that one of my short term goals in life would be putting MA MON LUK as a historical figure who helped shaped Philippine culture. The National Historical Institute should put a historical marker at Ma Mon Luk’s branch. Think about it, kung walang siopao iba ang mind-set nating lahat. Of course mababaw, knowing how much the NCCA and the NHI put their money to other projects, especially the politicals. Anyway, joke lang. I hope NHI and NCCA would listen. Greetings to my idols Ludovico Badoy, and Chairman Ambet Ocampo. Especially to Historian Augusto Deviana -- idol ko yan dude. Sir, what do you think, is it possible?
Hey hey, I read Ambet Ocampo’s article on the Inquirer about El Comedor, it was very good. It feels so good when our friends from the press do stuff for Philippine cuisine. Keep it up comrades, magkakapatid tayo dyan.
Hi to my self-declared mentor from Varsitarian of UST, Lito Zulueta also of Inq-Lifestyle (The best writer of our generation, at p_cha, walang kokontra,) sir kumusta daw sabi ni Tanchee, hehehe -- miss you sir Lito, muah muah daw sabi ni Joseph, painom ka naman sir, sagot ko na ang kain...
...Anyway, Fudge Magazine’s recent launch at Capone’s in Valero St. Makati, was a cool night seeing the hyped-up pop-culture artsies in the mainstream print today. Fudge President and Taste columnist Oliver Kuy with Edgardo Ramos, Fudge Editorial Marketing Assistant, Annelyn Alejo, Fudge Editor-in-chief, and Rick Gindap, Marketing Director, lit the night with mirrory eyes of being blunkt in beer fumes. Hoooh!! more power to FUDGE, dude ito ang magazine! It is a documentation, defining our society, a fringe dividing the Kupaloids and the naughty intellect, very Pinoy yet aware of our culture. Significantly for Noypi Palkups, Totnak, Smartsy-artsy creatures dressed in fabrics of truth.
Hail FUDGE...
Libertad Libertadis!
Good food to Mark Bantigue of JBJ burger at Tomas Morato - RAPSA! Dude you missed so much not being at the launch, cool girls (not chicks, but girls.) Shiela Dansal, and Menchu Ambrosio.
