Click to view full screen
- Title:
- Finding Comfort
- Description:
- The southernmost church nearest Manila was Malate with one priest who serviced 200 Indians in the early 1600s. Between Santiago and Malate churches was Ermita with 400 Indians in its parish. Both parishes were not Spanish domain unlike Santiago Church. According to law, colonials were not to stray from designated, official places for work and residence. Understandably, colonials hoped for familiar food. Absence of bread frightened young missionaries. But wheat bread and beef, fundamental to common Spanish home cooking, were introduced as settling began. Olive oil and grape wine were imported regularly. Pork lard was used in frying and local palm vinegars for marinade. Chicken, egg and pork were part of native cuisine making them easy for colonials to secure. In such conditions, Spanish settlers likely would have had guisado (stew) and meats in adobo (marinade) prepared by native partners and cooks whom they taught. Or could they have cooked their home comforts themselves? So far, records of the first 50 years only offer random, cursory peeks into what colonials ate. Being Roman Catholic was synonymous with being Spanish at the time. Christian culinary orientation such as gluttony being a sin and food customs like fasting were settling in among new converts. During this period, natives were becoming Christians not Spaniards. Philippine cuisine selected Hispanic Empire elements for inclusion gradually over almost four centuries. Missionaries were the first Spaniards into the grass roots. Christian food orientation was an early entry point for Spanish influences.
- Subjects:
- Spanish settlers Philippines Christianity
- Exhibition:
- Juan Medina 50
- Source:
- Detail from “Eglise dans un faubourg au sud de Manille” [Malate Church] from the Laplace visit. Early1800s.
- Type:
- Image;Still Image
- Format:
- image/jpeg
Source
- Preferred Citation:
- "Finding Comfort", Philippine Food History, Felice P. Sta. Maria
- Reference Link:
- felicepstamaria.net/items/coll125.html