FILIPINX: HERITAGE RECIPES FROM THE DIASPORA by ANGELA DIMAYUGA and LIGAYA MISHAN

 MAILEEN HAMTO Reviews

Filipinx: Heritage Recipes from the Diaspora by Angela Dimayuga and Ligaya Mishan

(Abrams, 2021)

 

BOOK LINK

 

Food traditions symbolize family history and represent cultural pride. For Filipinx from different generations in the worldwide diaspora, the cuisines enjoyed by our ancestors and immediate relatives are what brings us close together as a community. Filipino/x cuisine is a reflection of the archipelago’s rich history of trade with neighboring countries, as well as Western colonization. Varied influences from Spanish and American colonial history and contemporary streams of migration have transformed the Filipino/x palate. In an elegantly written and illustrated book, Angela Dimayuga and Ligaya Mishan collaborated to bring beloved and soul-satisfying Filipino/x recipes to more than 4 million Filipino-Americans.

 

I read the book from the point of view of an immigrant who has lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years. I was born and raised in Manila, reared on home-cooked meals by my Lola, Mom, uncles, and aunties whose culinary grounding was in the Tagalog region. I was delighted to see beloved traditional recipes for classic dishes like kare-kare, pancit palabok and embutido. I was intrigued by dishes that are not so familiar to my Tagalog palate, like homemade spam and pastel de lengua. Some featured recipes have an obvious American influence, such as fried chicken, fried pork chops, and hotdogs in Filipino spaghetti. Like anything that arises from the admixture of cultures, what is embraced as Filipino/x cuisine bears the remnants of the old, blended with the new. At times, the innovation comes with a dash of vinegar here, a dollop of bagoong there. Main and side dishes, accompanying sauces, and condiments come alive with new ingredients and ways of preparation.       

 

This book belongs in every FilAm’s library and everyone who appreciates Filipino/x culture and cuisine. Readers may appreciate the glimpses of FilAm life in these United States, the resilience and persistence of a minoritized people to carry on and make adobo. In harnessing the culinary gifts of their ancestors from across a vast ocean, the authors chose the path of least resistance in fulfilling their life’s purpose. What sets the book apart is the rich storytelling that comes with each heritage recipe, where Dimayuga and Mishan share personal experiences and reflections. Memories of family icons and gatherings accompanied by historical photos may cause readers to long for the comfort and closeness of large family get-togethers that make great food more enjoyable. Love poured into the kawali makes heart- and soul-filling dishes for those who crave tastes from a distant past.  

 

 

*****

 

Maileen Hamto grew up in Sampaloc, Manila. She moved with her family to Houston, Texas, in the 1990s. Her decade-long stint in Houston exposed her to diverse palates, including Southern American, Cajun, TexMex, and foods from the rich Asian American diaspora in one of the most diverse cities in the United States. As a resident of Colorado, she is delighted by the growing presence of entrepreneurial Filipinas who are making homemade food and selling them through “Tindahang Filipino in Colorado,” a Facebook group that connects FilAms, Filipinxs, and Pinays in the Rockies. Maileen prefers to roll her own meaty lumpiang shanghai and add curry powder to oxtail kare-kare.