'Kain na!" April is Filipino Food Month

Filipino cuisine is having a moment. Actually, an entire month. April is Filipino Food Month.

That's a far cry from 10 years ago when I first wrote "Filipino Food: The Rodney Dangerfield of ethnic cuisine" which decried the lack of respect or appreciation of Filipino food in the US despite the fact that Filipino Americans make up the third largest Asian ethnicity in the nation while other cuisines have gained in popularity.

Filiipinos have had a hand in so-called American culinary history from the fisheerfolk working out of Manila Village and Saint Malo  establishing the Louisiana shrimp industry, the sugar cane and pineapple fied  workers of Hawaii, the fishermen and cannery workers of Alaska and the farm workers of the West Coast from California's Coachella, Monterey and Stockton to Wapato in Washington.

Since television food luminaries such as Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmerm dubbed Filipino food as "The next big thing," the cusinese has been slowly making inroads in the American food scene. From the emotional, comfort food of  traditional fare like lola used to make to the infusion of Filipino flavors in tacos and burritos by the food truck entrepreneurs to the high-end offerings of Kasama in Chicago, Abaca in San Francisco, Archipelego in Seattle, Spoon & Pork in Los Angles, foodies in search of new and exciting flavors and experiences are discovering the new sweet and sour dishes the Philippines.

The unique flavors of the Philippine palate is making significant progress in the world's food consciousness, but even in the urban centers where there are strong Filipino communities, the cuisine still struggles for recognition and appreciation.

First declared by the Philippines government in 2018, Filipino Food Month has become a global celebration in light of the wide-spread of communities of the Filipin disaspora.  Most Philippines Consulates and Embassies are staging events promoting the month. Check local listings for time and place.

The creation of this food month ignited conversation and interest among members of the food industry: from scholars to restaurateurs to chefs and food producers. 

Although officially observed in the Philippines, the idea of promoting the unique cuisine is gaining steam throughout the world. Filipino Food Month is not only about Filipino food. It is about connecting with one's culture, family and one another using food as the instrument of commonality.

For more information about Filipino cuisine, here are some links that might lead you to the informationi or recipie you are seeking.

• The Filipino Food Movement is dedicated to promoting Philippine cuisine in the United States and Canada.

• Looking for a restaurant near you?  Link to filipinofoodfinder.com.

• Betty Querino is offering 1,000 home cooking Pinoy recipes at her website, thequerinokitchen.com
• A documentary, Ulam, can still be viewed on PBS.

 FYI: Through the years, Views From the Edge has written extensively about     Filipino cuisine. Here's a few to whet your appetite:

• So you want to cook Filipino adobo? Here's an easy recipe.
• Padma Lakshmi loves Filipino food
• Kasama earns a Michelin star
• Selena Gomez cooks adobo
• Filipino flavors finding a way into food shows
• How to make Gordon Ramsey's Filipino-inspired hamburger
• Toronto hosts North America's largest Filipino food festival
• 'TopChef' DaleTalde muses on Filipino cuisine in the US
• Anthony Bourdain: Sisig will open doors to Filipino cuisine
• Filipino food finding fans on both coasts
• Filipino food the Rodney Dangerfield of ethnic cuisines
• Adobo and lumpia at the Obama White House

So time to cook up some adobo, sinigang;lechon and lumpia or go patronize a Filino restaurant or turo turo. Don't forget to ask your parents how to prepare your favorite Filipino recipes. Kain na!

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.