John Myers
Introduction: Ka ʻokoʻa o ka meaʻai Filipino
ʻO ka meaʻai Filipino kahi hui o nā ʻōiwi, Kina, Paniolo, a me ʻAmelika. ʻO nā mokupuni ʻo 7,641 o ka ʻāina he mau meaʻokoʻa a me nā ʻano like ʻole, e lilo ia i hoʻokahi o nā kīʻaha like ʻole o ka honua. Mai ka ʻawaʻawa ʻawaʻawa a me ka pinakbet o ka ʻāina ʻo Ilocano a hiki i ka satti a me ka piassak ʻono o Tausug, ʻo ka meaʻai Filipino he hōʻailona o ka moʻomeheu waiwai a me ka mōʻaukala.
ʻO ke kuleana o ka meaʻai ma ka moʻomeheu Filipino
He mea nui ka meaʻai i ka moʻomeheu Filipino. Hoʻohana ʻia ia e hoʻolauleʻa i nā milestones, hōʻike i ka mahalo, a hui pū i nā kānaka. Manaʻo ka poʻe Pilipino ʻo ka hāʻawi ʻana i ka meaʻai kahi ala e hōʻike ai i ka hoʻokipa a me ka lokomaikaʻi. ʻO ka moʻomeheu o "boodle fight," he meaʻai kaiaulu i lawelawe ʻia ma nā lau maiʻa, kaulana i ka Philippines. He ala ia e ʻai ai i kahi e ʻeli ai nā mea a pau i ka meaʻai me ka hoʻohana ʻole ʻana i nā kīʻaha, e lilo ia i mea leʻaleʻa a me ka launa pū ʻana.
Nā mea kūikawā āpau a me nā ʻano like ʻole
Loaʻa i kēlā me kēia māhele o ka Philippines kāna meaʻai ponoʻī. ʻIke ʻia ka ʻai Ilocano o ka ʻĀkau no ka hoʻohana ʻana i ka bagoong (ka iʻa i hoʻomoʻa ʻia) a me nā mea kanu, ʻoiai ʻo ka ʻāina ʻo Visayan ke kaulana no kāna lechon (puaʻa ʻala). ʻOkoʻa ka ʻai o ka ʻāina ʻo Bicol i kona hoʻohana ʻana i ka waiu niu a me nā pepa chili, e hāʻawi ana i kāna mau kīʻaha i kahi ʻono momona a ʻono. Ma ka ʻaoʻao hema, ʻo Mindanao, hoʻopili ʻia nā kīʻaha e ka meaʻai Malay a me Indonesia, me ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā mea ʻala like me ka turmeric, cumin, a me ka coriander.
Hāʻawi ʻia nā kīʻaha kuʻuna i ka wā hoʻolauleʻa
Hoʻolauleʻa ka poʻe Pilipino i nā manawa he nui, a ʻo nā kīʻaha kuʻuna kekahi ʻāpana o kēia mau hoʻolauleʻa. I ka wā Kalikimaka, lawelawe nā ʻohana i ka lechon a i ʻole ham, queso de bola (edam cheese), a me bibingka (keke laiki). Ma ka Poʻe Makahiki Hou, he mea maʻamau ka ʻai ʻana i ka pancit palabok (nā noodles i loko o ka ʻōpae ʻōpae) a me 12 mau hua poepoe, e hōʻailona ana i ka pōmaikaʻi a me ka pōmaikaʻi no ka makahiki e hiki mai ana. Ma ka lā ʻuhane a pau, lawe mai nā ʻohana i nā pua a me nā meaʻai, ʻo ia hoʻi nā keke laiki a i ʻole bibingka, i nā ilina o kā lākou poʻe aloha i hala.
ʻO nā mea ʻokoʻa a me nā ʻenehana kuke
Loaʻa i nā meaʻai Filipino nā mea ʻokoʻa a me nā ʻenehana kuke. ʻO kēia mau mea ʻo ka bagoong (ka iʻa i hoʻomoʻa ʻia), ka calamansi (Philippine lime), a me nā lau maiʻa i hoʻohana ʻia i ka ʻōwili ʻana i ka meaʻai. ʻO Adobo, kahi kīʻaha Filipino kaulana i hana ʻia me ka moa a puaʻa paha, i kuke ʻia me ka soy sauce, ka vīneka, ke kāleka, a me nā lau bay, e hāʻawi ana i kahi ʻono ʻokoʻa. ʻO Kare-kare, he ʻuala kuʻuna i hana ʻia me ka huelo bipi, tripe, a me nā mea kanu, ua moʻa ʻia me ka pata pīnī, hāʻawi iā ia i kahi ʻono momona a momona.
Hoʻohanohano ka poʻe Filipino i ka mahalo a me ka hoʻokipa, ʻoiai i ka wā e ʻai ai. He mea maʻamau ka hāʻawi ʻana i nā meaʻai a me nā mea inu i nā malihini i ko lākou hōʻea ʻana. Haʻaheo nō hoʻi ka poʻe Pilipino i ka hāʻawi ʻana i nā ʻāpana nui o ka meaʻai, me ka hōʻoia ʻana i kā lākou poʻe malihini e hauʻoli a māʻona. Ke ʻai pū me nā poʻe ʻē aʻe, pono e lawe mua i nā ʻāpana liʻiliʻi a kali i nā mea ʻē aʻe e lawe i kā lākou ma mua o ka loaʻa ʻana o kekona. Mahalo pū ka poʻe Pilipino i ko lākou mau kūpuna a mālama pono i ka lawelawe mua ʻia ma mua o nā mea ʻē aʻe.
I ka hopena, ʻo ka meaʻai Filipino he hōʻailona ia o ka moʻomeheu waiwai a me ka mōʻaukala o ka ʻāina. He ʻokoʻa, ʻokoʻa, a ʻono hoʻi, e hoʻolilo iā ia i hoʻokahi o nā meaʻai haʻahaʻa loa o ka honua. Mai nā mea kūikawā kūloko a hiki i nā kīʻaha kuʻuna i lawelawe ʻia i ka wā hoʻolauleʻa, pono e hoʻāʻo ka meaʻai Filipino no ka poʻe makemake e ʻimi i nā kīʻaha like ʻole.
