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Justin Ocampo

Conand

ANTH 11

4 September 2014

Rice and the Filipino Culture

Many people would agree that a food and culture are almost synonymous. We interpret

and assess cultures through various factors, with one of the most important aspects as their

choice of food. Being part of a Filipino culture will undeniably correlate myself with rice as the

most prominent staple food. With the Philippines being only partially developed, many poverty

stricken areas look to rice as a cheap and sustainable form of food necessary to survival.

White rice is believed and known to be as an affordable resource for families to cultivate,

distribute, and consume. It efficiently provides much needed calories towards those in

underdeveloped areas, while serving as a main side to many, if not all, traditional Filipino

cuisine. Regardless of social or economic standing, rice is consumed by Filipinos all over the

word, as the crop is heavily cultivated throughout Asia and other various western cultures as

well. Huge rice farms are found all over the Pacific islands and Asian territory. These farms sell

dry rice in packages and distribute them on a global scale, making it accessible nearly

everywhere.

Due to its high accessibility, anyone in our culture and respective families can purchase,

cook, and eat this themselves, although we usually cook rice as a way to feed the family. There

are no circumstances in which we deny the availability of rice with any meal, and parents often
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find rice as an economic way to feed their children, so it is difficult, if not impossible, to avoid

eating this food item.

White rice cannot be associated exclusively to any one culture, as many cultures,

especially Asian, use rice heavily and on a daily basis in many forms of cuisine. Like our culture,

others would believe rice to have the same properties mentioned beforehand. They too find it

efficient as a staple, and economical in terms of production and dispersion.

In spite of (or because of) its high calorie value and complex nutrient deficiency, rice ever

so remains a staple in many Asian cultures. It will continue to be a defining food in my culture,

and represents us in more ways than just being something we consume. It is engraved in our

lifestyle and will always be part of our everyday routine on and off the plate.