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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754906824793IMG_20250809_162542.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="(From left) Chef Suzette Montinola, professor Rosanne Nicollette Eleazar, Chef Myrna Segismundo, Chef Tatung Sarthou, and restaurateur Nicole Ponseca. Handout"/>(From left) Chef Suzette Montinola, professor Rosanne Nicollette Eleazar, Chef Myrna Segismundo, Chef Tatung Sarthou, and restaurateur Nicole Ponseca. Handout</div>MANILA — As Filipino cuisine gains unprecedented global attention, culinary leaders are confronting a deeper question: How can the country preserve its rich food heritage while teaching it in a way that is both systematic and inclusive?That question took center stage during the panel discussion “Philippine Cuisine for Culinary Education: Let’s Talk About Adobo,” held during last weekend&#x27;s 2025 International Manila Food Festival at Newport World Resorts, where chefs, educators and restaurateurs used the nation’s most iconic dish as a lens to explore larger issues of codification, authenticity and cultural identity.Moderated by Chef Suzette Montinola of Enderun Colleges, the conversation underscored a growing urgency to build a structured culinary framework — similar to what France, Japan and Thailand have done — without flattening the diversity that defines Filipino food.“As Filipino cuisine gains global attention, we are no longer just being asked to serve our food — we’re being asked to define it,” Montinola said. “And in the context of education, definition is essential. Our goal is not to limit creativity, but to build a common foundation that respects both structure and soul.”Chefs Myrna Segismundo and Tatung Sarthou, restaurateur Nicole Ponseca and professor Rosanne Nicollette Eleazar all agreed that codification should start with education. They emphasized the need to teach young cooks not just how to prepare dishes, but why those dishes exist in the first place — the history, regional variations, and cultural values embedded in every recipe.Ponseca, who helped spearhead the Filipino food movement in the United States, proposed identifying core ingredients and principles that could serve as a baseline for culinary instruction, with regional adaptations introduced later. Segismundo stressed that understanding this cultural context is what allows chefs to innovate without losing authenticity.Sarthou noted that modern platforms like social media can play a pivotal role in keeping traditions alive, by making recipes accessible to a wider audience. Eleazar, meanwhile, argued that any curriculum must deliberately champion diversity: “There’s no single ‘right’ way to cook it (adobo). The real challenge lies in helping them appreciate that diversity.”The panel did not attempt to settle the long-standing debate over the “true” adobo recipe. Instead, it left participants with pressing questions: Who gets to define what’s authentic? Can a shared culinary language be built without erasing differences? And how can educators preserve the emotion and memory that give Filipino food its soul?For Montinola, starting the conversation is as important as finding answers. “We need to build the scaffolding that makes Filipino food teachable, but we must do it without erasing the diversity that gives it life.”

As adobo goes global stage, culinary leaders say it’s time to define Filipino cuisine for the world, without erasing the flavors that make it ours.

As adobo goes global stage, culinary leaders say it’s time to define Filipino cuisine for the world, without erasing the flavors that make it ours.

Chefs, educators aim to define Filipino cuisine without losing diversity

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Chefs, educators aim to define Filipino cuisine without losing diversity

ABS-CBN Lifestyle

Published Aug 11, 2025 06:14 PM PHT

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Updated Aug 11, 2025 07:05 PM PHT

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International Manila Food Festival

Filipino food

Enderun College

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