For Chef Jam Melchor, the world is ready for Filipino cuisine. A native of Pampanga, Melchor has dedicated his career to preserving and promoting the Philippines’ culinary heritage. As the founder of the non-profit Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement (PCHM), he spearheaded events and workshops celebrating local cuisine. Melchor also played a key role in the government’s declaration of April as Filipino Food Month, bringing traditional dishes and local produce to the center stage.
His latest project, Kayumanggi: A Kaleidoscope of Filipino Flavors and Food Traditions, showcases 150 recipes from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, aiming to deepen appreciation for the country’s culinary identity.
“It took me more than a decade to finish this book because I kept finding so many recipes,” Melchor told Rolling Stone Philippines. “In fact, I didn’t expect Kayumanggi to be this thick. I thought manipis lang yun! But I believe these are the recipes that Filipinos should be most proud of.”
After years of advocating for greater awareness of Filipino cuisine, Melchor recognized the need for a physical collection of recipes. “I think this is something we lack,” said Melchor. “We Filipinos love to talk about our food, but we never have something tangible to use as a reference when we talk about it. Kayumanggi shouldn’t be the standard, but it should be a good guide for whenever we talk about Filipino food, especially outside of the Philippines.”
On the subject of the Michelin Guide coming to the Philippines, Melchor stresses the importance of chefs nationwide stepping up to the challenge. “All eyes are on us now,” said Melchor. “The world is trying our food, so we have to do our best. For the longest time, other cuisines have enjoyed the limelight. We need to show them that we are at par with the rest of the world.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone Philippines, Melchor offered his insights on introducing Filipino cuisine to non-Filipinos, and starting your culinary journey right from your own kitchen.
On Regional Cuisine
“If I may say, in general, I think there is no Philippine regional cuisine that is overrated. Frankly, Philippine cuisine has never been tapped to its full potential. On the contrary, [foreigners] only know the typical adobo, sinigang, the classics, but even these have regional varieties. There’s really more to your regular adobo.”
“We have so much cuisine, especially in the South. We’re always overlooking Moro cuisine like tiyula itum and curacha. From the dishes down to the produce, we have a wide selection of Filipino food that needs to be discovered or rediscovered.”
Best Filipino Starter Dish (Besides Adobo)
“When someone wants to discover our cuisine, I think it’s really best for them to dig deeper than the usual dishes. For me, when talking to a foreigner, I might think, ‘Maybe let’s bring them to Pampanga and have them try sisig.’ But even in Pampanga, there are so many different types of sisig. There’s this issue of regional counterparts.”
“But truly, Kapampangan sisig is what everybody craves for. Then there’s this basic kaldareta, kare-kare, classic and timeless Filipino favorites that the Kapampangans have perfected. And it’s different when it’s interpreted outside of Pampanga, too.”
“My other regional favorites include the pinakbet of Ilocos, pancit molo of Iloilo, and SuTuKil of Cebu.”
Advice For Cooking Filipino Cuisine At Home
“First, you have to learn about the ingredients. It’s very important that you understand the produce that Filipinos use whenever they cook. There is always wisdom in why we use some ingredients over others. For example, think about our vinegar. For Filipinos, the more na may asin, the more we love it. But our flavor profile is very diverse. If we want to eat something salty, then it needs to come with something sweet. There is always a balance to our tongues.”
“As Filipinos, we’ve also always learned how to make do. While some ingredients may be abundant in other parts of the world, we’ve always made the most of it. As they say: from nose to tail.”
Filipino Chefs Everyone Should Know
“Chef Cocoy Ventura in Isabela. You need to know him. He used to be the head chef of Villa Escudero [Plantations and Resort], but now he’s back home in Isabela cultivating a farm and promoting his province’s produce and cuisine.”
“In Iloilo, there’s Chef Rafael Jardeleza Jr., who’s always advocating for Ilonggo cuisine. And I mean, there are so many really good young chefs out there who are putting a flair to traditional Filipino food. I’m really proud of how far this industry has come. So many of us are focused on preserving our tradition in our cuisine, protecting heirloom recipes that have never been tweaked or touched.”
