Not only Filipinos I guess. I also noticed this about Indonesian and Thai. Also Japanese, SK and Chinese. The only iconic about Filipinos is we love this fish sauce, as dipping sauce, even if it smells like pussy 🫢 but… tasty. (You guys should try it).
Hahah. Joke….partly joke…uhm, no, its a joke…
Seriously speaking, dipping sauce is a massive staple in Asian cuisine, specially among coastal nations. Probably because of the main staple during the old old times, like rice (which is basically bland). A bowl of dipping sauce on the side is meant to enhance and add contrast to the main dish.
For proof, let’s explore some of Asia’s dipping sauce.
Yakiniku sauce, Japan.
This Japanese dipping sauce is a blend of sake, mirin, soy sauce, miso paste, bonito flakes and sugar for the savoury-sweetness, rice vinegar and grated apple for a sour touch, and sesame seeds to complete its aroma.
Ssamjang sauce, South Korea. It looks fiery, this is similar to barbecue sauce.
Chinese Sichuan Chilli Oil.
Nam Prik Ong, Thailand
………….and many, many, many more……..
Now, in regards to the Filipinos, I have a theory that it has something to do with rice, (and fish) which is a staple during the primitive period. The rice is boiled and the fish is broiled. Because plain rice and fresh or broiled fish have very mild and neutral flavors, indigenous Filipinos developed table sauces to enhance, balance, and personalize every bite.
Btw, Philippine dipping sauce go far beyond just fish sauce. Vinegar and calamansi (lime) are also very popular in the whole archipelago. This is mainly because vinegar can be made from sugarcane, seasonal fruits, coconut sap and rice, while lime is also abundant there. Also, soy sauce usually mix with vinegar and/or lime.
Here they are.
Image sources from Google
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