Mama Sita programmes shed light on Filipino food culture

Mama Sita programmes shed light on Filipino food culture

In partnership with Philippine School Doha (PSD) in Qatar, the Mama Sita Foundation is set to complete the three-session programme on Filipino food culture on October 28.

In the previous sessions, the Mama Sita Foundation project shared stories of the ‘Evolution of Philippine Cuisine’ to the Junior High School students of PSD. The online event sent the students on a journey through time, learning about the history of Philippine cuisine and the many influences that had shaped it along the way.

The first session introduced the students to the indigenous Filipino foodways, with help from historian Felice Sta Maria’s ‘Pigafetta’s Picnic’. Students learned about rice, an important local food staple, its mythological origins, and how it is being harvested today.

They also learned about sinigang, a traditional Filipino soup made from various local souring fruits and leaves like tamarind, guava, santol, catmon, and libas. A demo by Chef Vicky Pacheco helped visualise how to create your own seafood sinigang.

The second session looked at the different neighbouring countries, and how their own cultures influenced Philippine cuisine. Meranaw culture advocate Sittie Pasandalan talked about the many Meranawan snacks, and how some of these came to be influenced by other cultures.

Chinese-Filipino heritage advocate Meah Ang-See