Before you sit back to enjoy that heavenly scoop of ice cream, think. That gorgeous bluish-purple hue that delicate, inexpressibly delightful flavor, unlike anything you've ever tasted. Do you know where it came from? The beautiful violet ice cream you love so much is made from a root crop grown in the Philippines, better known as ube or Purple Yam.

Filipino food in the form of fresh fruit, marine products, and desserts have found their way into households and posh restaurants around the world. Luscious, golden Philippine mangoes, fresh coconut juice, coconut milk, ube (purple yam), tuna, abalone, and tiger prawns are just a few of the Philippine foods enjoyed in the United States, Europe, and Japan. However, they barely represent the wide variety of flavors that can be found in the Philippines.

An Exciting Blend of the East and the West
Exotic, succulent, piquant, savory, spicy, aromatic, tart, colorful. Flavored by a rich variety of herbs and spices found all over the islands, Philippine cuisine is a gastronomic delight, a feast for the senses. It is much like the Filipino himself: a unique mixture of different cultures, of Asian and Western influences.

The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands stretched over 1,840 kilometers off the southeast coast of Asia. Its strategic location made it a favorite destination for merchants and travelers. Throughout the centuries, foreigners came, as traders or conquerors, and brought with them their tastes and cooking styles, which the Filipinos adapted to their own essentially Malayan cuisine. The early Malaysian settlers, Indonesians, Arab, Indian, and Chinese traders, and Spanish, Japanese, and American colonizers brought all sorts of spices and food plants to the islands, and handed down cooking methods which the native Filipinos used to improve their own methods.

Thus, the rich diversity in Filipino food, and how it is prepared. Rice is the staple food, although influences of foreign recipes have become a regular practice in food preparation. For instance, coconut milk or gata is still used often as an ingredient, a legacy from the Filipino's Malay ancestors. Popular dishes like the lumpia (spring rolls or egg rolls) and pancit (noodles) are Chinese in influence. Even the festive lechon (roast pig), which is considered the country's most famous dish, has its origins in Spain and Puerto Rico.

The strongest culinary influence is from Spain, which ruled the Philippines for almost 400 years. Food historians claim that 80 per cent of Philippine dishes are of Spanish origin. Because the Spaniards formed the elite, dishes adapted by upper class Filipinos were also Spanish-inspired. Thick, rich stews, sausages, and dishes emphasizing meat and dairy products were considered luxury items and were served only at Christmas or fiesta time. Thus, many of the special dishes bear Spanish names like leche flan, relleno, paella, callos, embutido, and caldereta.