From Chicken & Rice to Crispy ‘Pata’, Joie Alvaro Kent Schools Us on How To Eat Filipino Food
The Curve.
The Curve is a column dedicated to exploring and feeling out the corners of complex, multi-dimensional, often hierarchical and always completely random subjects. The aim is to inform readers – in progressive, graduating fashion – on everything from gin and poems to cheeseburgers and trees.
For this edition of The Curve, bestselling cookbook author, writer, and Filipino food-lover, Joie Alvaro Kent, takes us on a fast and furious day of eating around town, with the aim of familiarizing us with Vancouver’s Filipino cuisine situation – from beginner through to extra credit:
“The deep-seated love of food is indelibly etched in every Filipino’s DNA. Eating up to seven or eight meals and meryenda snacks each day is a cultural point of form, and it’s no stretch to say that we as a people think about food morning, noon, and night. To sum up Filipino food over the span of just a few dishes is a heroic task. After all, the Philippines spans an estimated 7,641 islands and more than 150 spoken languages, not to mention the myriad influences that colonialism and trade have had on our cuisine. From snacks and sweets to heavy-hitting proteins and tasty treats in-between, follow along on this whistle-stop tour introducing you to the dishes of my homeland…“