Donate to the Cause
Thank you so much for your interest in donating to our advocacy! Your donation will be used for food heritage research, field work expenses, website hosting and maintenance, and the like so that I can continue sharing our different local food cultures and ingredients.
Donate to the Cause
Thank you so much for your interest in donating to our advocacy! Your donation will be used for food heritage research, field work expenses, website hosting and maintenance, and the like so that I can continue sharing our different local food cultures and ingredients.
Love for Coconut Milk
by Sherwin | Mar 16, 2024
If there's one thing I've noticed, the Bicol region and Eastern Visayas, both located on the eastern side of the archipelago, share some similarities in their cuisine, such as their love for coconut milk. However, the biggest difference lies in their process and preference for how dishes with coconut milk should be prepared. As explained by Mrs. Joycie Alegre, wife of the esteemed late anthropologist Edilberto Alegre, Waray cuisine aims for mildness. This explains why their dishes with coconut milk, locally known as hinatukan, don't have as much chili compared to the Bicol region. This is probably the reason why Warays use lots of herbs such as dulaw leaves, tikala, poliyo, and herba buena, as they provide a milder flavor compared to the red fiery chili.
Additionally, Warays love their coconut milk creamy-moist and soupy, in contrast to Bicolanos who prefer their coconut milk rich in oil.
The photos featured are dishes of Waray cuisine.