Filipino Chinese cuisine

Filipino Chinese cuisineis a style ofFilipino cuisineinfluenced byChinese cuisinehistorically brought to thePhilippinesbyChinese Filipinos, starting with theSangley Chineseand theirChinese mestizodescendants and modern descendants in theChinese Filipinocommunity of the Philippines. It is characterized as a fusion ofFujian/Hokkien cuisineandCantonese cuisineadapted over the centuries toFilipino cuisineto suit the general Filipinopalate/taste.
Filipino cuisine is influenced principally byChinaandSpainhave been integrated with pre-colonial indigenous Filipino cooking practices.
In the Philippines,tradewith China started in the 11th century, as documents show, but undocumented trade may have started as many as two centuries earlier. Trade pottery excavated inLaguna province, for example, includes pieces dating to theTang dynasty(AD 618 - 907). Chinese traders supplied thesilksent toMexicoand Spain in theManila galleon trade. In return, they took back products of field, forest (such asbeeswax,rattan) and sea (such as,beche de mer).
Evidence of Chinese influence in Philippine food is easy to find, since the names are an obvious clue.Pansit, noodles flavored with seafood and/or meat and/or vegetables, for example, comes from theHokkienpiān-ê-si̍t(Chinese:便ê食;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:piān-ê-si̍torChinese:便食;pinyin:biàn shí), meaning something that is conveniently cooked. Modern day pansit, however, is not limited only to noodle dishes that are stir fried or sauteed, but also those shaken in hot water and flavored with a sauce (pansit luglog) or served with broth (mami,lomi). The term includes food that is not noodle shaped, but is of the same flour-water recipe, such aspansit molo(pork filledwontonsin a soup).
Early Chinese traders, wishing for the food of their homeland, may have made noodles in their temporary Philippine homes, using ingredients locally available. Further adaptation would occur in the different towns and regions. ThusMalabon, afishingtown inMetro Manila, has developed thepansit Malabon, which featuresoyster,shrimpandsquid. While inLucban, Quezon, which is deeply inland and far from the sea haspansit Lucbanorpansit habhab, which is prepared with some meat and vegetables.
Withlumpia, the Chineseeggrollwhich now has been incorporated into Philippine cuisine, even when it was still calledlumpiang Shanghai(indicating frying and a pork filling). Serving meat and/or vegetable in an edible wrapper is a Chinese technique now found in all ofSoutheast Asiain variations peculiar to each culture. The Filipino version has meat, fish, vegetables,heart of palmand combinations thereof, served fresh or fried or even bare.
The Chinese influence goes deep into Philippine cooking, and way beyond food names and restaurant fare. The use ofsoy sauceand othersoybeanproducts (tokwa,tahuri,miso,tausi,taho) is Chinese, as is the use of such vegetables aspetsay(Chinese cabbage),toge(mungbean sprout),mustasa(pickledmustard greens). Many cooking implements still bear their original Chinese name, likesian-seor turner. The Filipinocarajay(spelled the Spanish way) is actually the Chinesewok.
The cooking process for Chinese Filipino cuisine also derives from Chinese methods.Pesais Hokkien for "plain boiled" (Chinese:白煠;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:pe̍h-sa̍h) and is used only in reference to the cooking of fish, the complete term being peq+sa+hi, the lastmorphememeaning fish. InTagalog, it can mean both fish (pesang dalag) and chicken (pesang manok). As well, foods such aspata timandpato timrefer to the braising technique (Chinese:燉or燖or𤆤;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:tīm) used in Chinese cooking.
Since most of the early Chinese traders and settlers in the country were from theFujian province, it isFujian/Hokkien foodthat is most widespread in influence. However, since restaurant food is often Cantonese, most of the Chinese restaurants in the country would serve both cuisines. Other styles of Chinese cuisine are available though in the minority.
When the Spaniards came, the food influences they brought were from both Spain and Mexico, as it was through the vice-royalty ofNew Spainthat the Philippines were governed. When restaurants were established in the 19th century,Chinesefood became a staple of thepanciterias(noodle houses), with the food givenSpanishnames. "Comida China" (the Spanish term for "Chinese food") includesarroz caldo(rice and chicken gruel), andmorisqueta tostada(fried rice).