Culinary Anthropology

You are what you eat, so goes the popular saying. Culinary anthropologist takes a serious look at what people eat, how the food is presented, ways of preparing the food, when and where food is consumed, stored and distributed. These are just some of the question found in anthropologist checklist doing field work in some remote areas or his just around the corner in his neighborhood.

Even as I took note in my field journal on what people eat, how they prepare their food, and what was the different occasion when their food would be different, I generally neglected this area of inquiry. Maybe because, I was so close to the topic, I failed to extricate myself from the process and make sense out of the experience. Or maybe I was so brainwashed with classical anthropology in the tradition of the pioneers such as Franz Boas, Malinowski and Margaret Mead, among others, which provided a model for us young and budding anthropologist. I was so focused in looking into the economics, the social, and the political structures. I was also focused in coming up with my field report for my principal. I am also concerned with finishing my completion paper for my graduate courses in anthropology at the University of the Philippines.

Coming from a Kapangpangan family exposed me to the rich culinary tradition of my grandparents and my parents. My father generally cooks for special occasions and my mother takes care of the everyday food. She asks me to help in preparing the veggies and lets me cook them. Under her guidance, I learned how to cook. My father, cooks only during Christmas, birthdays, or whenever, friends comes to our house for drinking session. He uses different kinds of spices. The use of some of these spices has beneficial effect. Each of these spice have aromatic oil that are considered as medicine in oriental medicine. Some would have diuretic effect while others balance the heat or cold.

The most pervasive concept in oriental medicine is yin and yang. Similarly, Filipino traditional medicine also looks into init at lamig (hot or cold). This concept goes beyond the actual temperature of the food but relates with the intrinsic properties of the food. My father and mother also hold this view about the food we should eat. For instance eating cold food before any other food will result to stomach ache. The stomach should be sufficiently warmed-up before cold food is taken.

In the television series, Jewels in the Palace, food has been treated as medicine, and also how it can become a political resource. No, thanks, this will feature more recipe and discussion about Kapangpangan and other food I tasted as I journeyed in other parts of the world.

Learn how anthropologist’s approach day to day life. Visit my blog, Anthropologist’s Learning Journey, Iraya Journal, and WV Magazine.