Beyond Eating: Theorizing the Trinitas of Food in Southeast Asia
Authors: Santarita Jeofe 
Published: October 2022

Since time immemorial, food has been the primary reason that family, friends, and new acquaintances are gathered. In recent years, food remains the star of the gathering and is further highlighted with the emergence of social media and heightened by the popularity of food selfies. This development requires a deeper understanding of food, especially heritage dishes of Southeast Asia, beyond eating. In past decades, several cookbooks, historical narratives, blogs, and vlogs on food were beautifully done both in the Philippines and beyond. However, there is no study yet that primarily theorizes the emergence and evolution of food in Southeast Asia. This paper, therefore, attempts to contribute to the continuing discussion of food in the region by using the Trinitas of ethnicity, environment, and experiences as framework.

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