Palayok: Philippine food through time, on site, in the pot

by Doreen G. Fernandez (Illustrator)

The 'palayok', the generic Filipino term for all earthenware, is a round-bottomed, wide-mouthed native cooking pot that survives as witness to the beginning of life in the Philippines. This book by Doreen Fernandez focuses on Filipino food from its sources and beginnings through colonization and other foreign influences, to its current state and tastes. It includes short essays that elaborate on specific aspects of Filipino food.

Genres: Food

123 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Doreen Gamboa Fernandez (28 October 1934 – 24 June 2002) was a Filipino professor, historian, writer and critic best known for her writings on Filipino food, food culture, and the theater arts. Apart from many books and academic articles, she wrote a regular column on food and dining for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. She taught English at Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), serving also as head of the Communication Department and moderator of the student newspaper.

Reviews

[Jay Salvosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book serves as a good springboard to anyone who would like to do research on Filipino food. The scope is wide and peppered with regional flavors.

[gabbie gent · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Filipino food today, therefore, as cooked and as served, includes: the indigenous, which grew from the land; and the indigenized, which was adapted from foreign influences but adopted into the culture. The imported as entered the food scene too, and remains standing by, still foreign, but quiet possibly bearing prospects of future adaptation."

If you love food, read this book! It's a cool compilation of essays explaining how our food culture is shaped by hundreds of years of Philippine history. To understand Filipino food, you must know Filipino history.

[Matthew Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quite luxurious for its size, price and use of images. But for those who want to have an first-hand introduction of the Philippine history through cuisine, Fernandez's Palayok will not only help you learn through your taste but understand it's social, economic and even political context.