In the Philippines, foods are valued and are an important part of their culture. Although rice makes up majority of their diet, Filipinos still grow and eat a variety of other foods, these mostly being fruits, fish and crops. Even though they refer to themselves as an agricultural country, they do not always have enough land required to meet the needs of the Filipinos, and therefore, they are forced to import many staple dishes from larger countries in Asia. The two main foods that the Filipinos grow and eat are rice and corn, they take up two thirds of all Filipino farmed land.
Palay (rice) Similar to most Asian countries, rice, known as palay in the Philippines, is the main staple food of the Filipinos, and has been for quite some time. In fact, there is a Filipino legend about how rice was first discovered in their country which involves a starving and constantly moving couple, a drought and talking rice crops instructing the male how to cook and eat its grains of rice. For most Filipinos, rice is eaten at least three times a day with their main meals and is incorporated into many of their main and favourite dishes, including many desserts. For them, rice is not only the staple food of their country, but also their culture and way of life. Growing rice is also important to Filipinos, as many work in rice fields for a living. Receiving plenty of rainfall yearlong and having a warmer climate makes the Philippines an ideal place for growing this crop however, the rate at which rice is grown and the area used for this cannot keep up with the ever-growing population of the Philippines. Although the Philippines has 4.35million hectares (40,350km2) of land dedicated to the growing of rice crops and feeds approximately 20 people per hectare, this is just not enough. Because of this, the Philippines are forced to import rice from other countries in Asia to be able to meet the requirements of the country. Maize (corn) After rice, the second most important crop in the Philippines is corn or maize as the Philippines know it by. Despite it being the second main staple food in the Philippines, corn is not nearly as popular as rice nor does it serve as a way of life and a major part of their culture as rice does. This is because it is used more to feed animals than it is to feed locals. However, many people hope that corn will be the answer to many of the Philippines problems. Many locals do not agree with the fact that the Philippines imports rice from other countries as 10% of rice imports could easily be replaced with maize. Not only would having a larger diet of maize stop so many imports into the Philippines, but it would also be better off for corn farmers if people started to eat their produce. Also, the swap could help with food security and malnutrition in the Philippines. The Philippines is an ideal place to grow corn due to its extremely fertile farming land and its warmer climate. Corn fields can be found in all different areas of the Philippines, such as lowlands, upland planes or hilly areas, just as longs as there is constant rainfall, something that the Philippines always provides. Both yellow and white corn is grown, but out of the two yellow is the most popular. Other Important Foods: · Fish · Coconuts · Bananas · Sweet Potato · Bananas · Mangoes · Pineapples · Sugar Canes |