World History and Economics Professor | M.A
Pigs, Chicken, Goat, Bananas, Coconut, big fish
According to Antonio Pigafetta, who was Ferdinand Magellan's secretary and accountant, who also wrote a book about the business expedition, the indios would consistently sell pigs, chickens, goat, bananas, coconut and at times big fish to the Europeans. Do note that the indios were described by Pigafetta as skilled merchants and good bargainers. This means that the indios would have known better to sell the visiting ships for fish, something the sailors would have been eating during the voyage. The Indios were assertive in selling pigs, chicken, banas, coconuts. The method of cookery continues to be studied by scholars but one dish Pigafetta mentioned was “Pork in it's gravy".
The early Filipino settlements would have used the same produce. The indios would have kept eating the same food while Spanish settlers would have brought with them methods of cookery from Europe BUT using what is locally available -pigs, chicken, goat, banana, coconut. As such, the Pochero might have been invented by the settlers as it used Spanish cooking methods of garlic and onions but with bananas that do not exist in Spain. Or it could have been a dish from the Americas as they have bananas plus Pochero is made with tomatoes, which only exist in the Americas. Many dishes developed from Spanish ideas, such as the Longanisa developing from Chorizo, Kinilaw from Ceviche, Bulalo from Osso Bucco, Sinigang from Basque Fisherman's Soup, etc.
Trade between Mexico and Philippines would have been established so tomatoes, potatoes, corn and many Mexixan produce would have been introduced.
Note that culinary did not exist prior to 1900s when Auguste Escoffier formalised cookery. Although Culinarians trace the origin of cookery to 1400s to the Medici Queen who brought her cooks to France, dishes did not develop yet to fine dining. In the prehispánic society, Pigafetta did not observe that the indios named their dishes. By 1800s however, dishes in the Philippines had names.
Without refrigeration, animals would have been kept as long as possible before eating. In prehispánic days, Pigafetta noted that the households had pigs but did not seem to touch them, Pigafetta theorised that they were taxes for the Rajah because the palace had nightly banquets of pork. Chicken grew fast and in abundance so the households would have eaten chicken more often than pig. Pigafetta also noted that every household had a vegetable garden. My theory is that the song “Bahay Kubo" is prehispanic in origin or perhaps written in early Filipino settlement days due to the heavy use of banjos or guitar.
For sure, prehispánic society to early Filipino settlements ate a lot of vegetables. Lack of refrigeration was a factor. The Adobo also exist in other Spanish colonies in Americas and in Spain maybe. However, they differ in ingredients based on what is locally available. In Mexico, their Adobo uses paprika and chili while in Philippines is soy sauce. Adobo in all colonies and Spain uses vinegar. As such, it is yet to be known if Adobo is a colonial introduction. Filipino Adobo has no cousin in other Southeast Asian countries. It is however similar in taste to Taiwanese braised beef. In most probability, Adobo is a method of preserving food and would have been a European introduction. The winters of Europe forced them to preserve meats for the winters such as smoked ham, air dried ham, sausage, and even anchovies. In the tropical Philippines, food was abundant all year round, thus food preservation unnecessary.
Eventually, Philippines imported Spanish wines, olives, chorizo, etc.
