Every dish we eat and every beverage we drink is not only the product of discovery, precision, innovation, and affection. It is likewise a creation of historical and cultural contexts. This book reveals the documented precolonial and colonial circumstances behind Filipino cuisine and food heritage. Uncovered are forgotten, hidden, and ignored details of fifty culinary words foundational to deepening appreciation for native fare: from guisa to kilaw, ensaymada to halohalo, tuba to tsokolaté, and linamnam to nayánayá. Through the stories behind these now-commonplace food-related terms, we can see that the cuisine Filipinos like and want to be liked for has a proud and resilient record when confronted by colonialism, wars, natural catastrophes, and international food fashions.
What Recipes Don’t Tell celebrates the products of blending native, endemic, indigenized, and hybrid elements and influences into a gastronomy that is confidently, singularly, and delightfully Filipino.
Published in 2025.