Packworks study reveals Philippines is a Fried-food nation this holiday season

27 December 2022 - Frying food is one of the most common and preferred cooking methods in the Philippines because of its convenience and affordability. This holiday season, Packworks’ Sari IQ, in collaboration with Fourth Wall, a sociocultural research firm, has found out that products related to fried food are on the top of the shopping list of Filipinos in their favorite sari-sari stores.

A comparison data obtained from Sari IQ on December 1-14, between 2021 and 2022, showed that among all holiday season products, packaged sauce or “sawsawan” has the highest consumption rate, with a significant increase of 8%. Breading and coating mixed came second at 7%, while cooking oil, despite ranking in third place, remained statistically static with a 5% increase.

To explain this phenomenon, John Brylle L. Bae, Research Director of Fourth Wall said, “At a sociocultural level, Filipinos prefer fried foods because of its association to sawsawan and the culture it breeds. The sawsawan culture epitomizes the communal nature of eating for us, Filipinos – that is, eating is more than just consuming good food, but forging long-lasting connections with others.”

According to a 2016 essay by Andre Orandain, “Our [Filipino] cuisine is participative and communal. It asks and implores one to touch the food, not only to consume but also to partake. To allow ourselves to connect with the things we eat on a deeper, more spiritual level. It asks us to treat food intimate. [Therefore] The sawsawan is one of the most important facets of this trait. It defines the very structure of Filipino culture. It shows us how we adapt, how we change, how we are hospitable, and how we love to please. It is many things all at once, but more importantly, it shows how much of a reflection food is.”

Meanwhile, products related to fruit salads experienced no significant change. Evaporated milk increased by 2%, while condensed milk declined by -1%. Other fruit salad-related products have experienced drastic declines, including all-purpose cream at -11% and canned fruits at -16%, suggesting that Filipinos are giving up fruit salads on their holiday table this year.

Moreover, the demand for sugar and seasonings has considerably gone low. Sugar declined by -9% and seasonings by -33%, which shows that Filipinos are becoming more conscious about their diet – even during the holiday season.

“Our analysis further suggests that on holiday seasons, Filipinos are willing to forgo salads and sweets, but they are struggling to let go of fried foods. The aversion to sugars and salads comes from high inflation, growing concerns on diabetes, and increasing health consciousness. Meanwhile, the propensity for fried foods comes from practical considerations (convenient and economical) but also from a much deeper sociocultural consideration,” Bae explained.

Negros Season of Culture Features Chefs BJ Uy, Don Colmenares and Nico Millanes

Negros Occidental has always been a cradle of delectable food. Rich in history, Negrense cuisine is a result of endless tweaking and testing, of constructing and deconstructing, all for that elusive adaptation that a household could call its own – “a family recipe”. And always, the process was swayed by Spanish, Chinese, and Malay cookery. But times have changed, and so have the influences. Filipino taste has learned to welcome Thai, Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean flavors. So we asked three young Negrense chefs, what’s the fate of Negrense cuisine? To what ends will they take Negrense cuisine? What borders are they willing to breach?

In three separate editions in August and September, Negros Season of Culture will feature Chef BJ Uy of East Bite Asian Kitchen, Chef Don Colmenares of Berbeza Bistro, and Chef Nico Millanes of Portiko Café and Lounge. Their cooking styles and techniques are unique to themselves, but their Negrense hearts are threaded through with the same reverence for Negrense heritage food.

Their entries into the culinary arts were egged on differently, but eventually, they all found their way to our tables. Schooled in Business, Chef BJ was supposed to help run his family’s hotels, but off-hours found him with the kitchen staff. Chef Don watched cooking shows on television while other kids his age were stuck on anime as if becoming a chef was written in his heart all along. Chef Nico’s journey begins and ends with his passion for food: “…what I want to eat influences what I think people want to eat. I believe I serve the type of food that I want to eat myself and I enjoy it very much.” So there.

It is heartwarming to see how proud these young chefs are of home, despite their exposure to foreign cuisine, how they relish their shared identity by birth and breeding, despite the onslaught of foreign food kiosks on every street corner. With responsible innovation, Negrense cuisine is in good hands for the next half-century, at least. Into that future, these chefs assure us, we will continue to take pride in the classic Linutik, Pancit Molo, and Chicken Binakol, all rich in history but always made for the times.  

For these stories and more on Negrense heritage, visit  www.negrosseasonofculture.com