Ask a filipino about eating with their hands and most people will tell you that they have, at some point in their lives, eaten with their hands.
Eating with a person’s hands is part of the filipino culture and is usually done by a person who wants to truly enjoy their meal. This comes from a belief that eating with your hands makes food taste better, and is the main reason why ‘kamayan’ is very popular in filipino communities today.
If you want to learn more about the filipino culture of eating with hands and no utensils, read on.
Why Filipinos Eat With Their Hands
Eating with your hands is an important part of the Filipino culture. It is usually done when a person wants to truly enjoy the food. For Filipinos, eating with your hands is part of the experience of eating good food. It is a more relaxed way of eating and is generally done only when you are with close family or friends.
Some filipinos believe that eating with your hands makes food taste better. For example, when me and my husband are eating traditional food that consists of rice, fried meat and some type of veggies, we would excitedly wash our hands and say “Ang sarap ng ulam, magkakamay ako” or “The food looks delicious, I’m going to eat with my hands”.
For those that grew up in a traditional filipino household, we find ourselves saying this without really thinking about what it really means, but essentially, we believe that eating with our hands makes food taste better.
“Ang sarap ng ulam, magkakamay ako” (The food looks delicious, I’m going to eat with my hands)
Why is that? From personal experience, when I am using my hands to eat, I feel like I do enjoy my food more, and I believe it has something to do with two things:
- Feeling the texture of the food with my hands, I am essentially able to use all my senses in eating my food and thus allowing eating to be a truly immersive experience
- I typically only eat using my hands when I am with close friends or family. I would never eat using my hands when I am with an acquaintance or my boss at work. This means that by default, when I am using my hands to eat, I am in a comfortable setting, with lower inhibitions, which would allow myself to throw etiquette out the window and truly enjoy the process of eating
When you use utensils, you miss out on the full flavor of the food. Eating with your hands allows you to fully enjoy the taste, texture, and smell of the food. It is also a way to bond with others. When you share a meal with people, you are sharing an experience that is intimate and special. Eating with your hands is a way to connect with others on a deeper level.
Is Eating With Your Hands Part Of The Filipino Culture?
Eating with your hands is part of the filipino culture, although it is not exclusive to the filipino culture. This stems from the belief that eating with your hands is a way of truly enjoying a meal in a comfortable, no restrictions way.
How Do You Eat With Your Hands In The Philippines?
In the Philippines, eating with your hands is usually only done when eating ‘dry food.’ This means that you would usually do it with rice and fried or boiled food.
Some typical types of food you would eat with your hands are:
- Rice with fried pork and blanced sweet potato leaves.
- Rice with fried chicken
- Rice with fried fish and egg
For some people, when they are with close family or friends, even eat with their foot resting on the chair! All in all, it’s a fun way to eat!
Ever wondered how many times filipinos eat in a day? This post has the answer.
Kamayan Filipino Tradition
Kamayan is a traditional Filipino feast where food is served on banana leaves and eaten with the hands. Kamayan literally means “by hand,” and this communal style of eating is a popular way to enjoy Filipino cuisine.
To prepare for a kamayan feast, banana leaves are laid out on the table and rice is placed across the middle. A variety of side dishes are then added beside the rice. When it’s time to eat, participants simply scoop up the food directly from the banana leaf – no plates or utensils required!
This traditional way of eating is not only convenient, but also a lot of fun. Kamayan is a great way to try new foods and to share a meal with friends and family.
What Does “Kamayan” Symbolize?
In the Philippines, kamayan is more than just a way to eat. It’s a way of life. Kamayan symbolizes the importance of community and human connection. When you eat kamayan, you sit side-by-side with your friends, family, and neighbors. You share stories and laughter. You create memories. And you develop a deep sense of connection with the people around you. In a world that can often feel divided, kamayan is a reminder of the power of coming together. It’s a reminder that we’re all in this together. And it’s a reminder that, no matter what, we always have each other.
History of “Kamayan”?
When Did Filipinos Start Eating With Their Hands?
Eating with one’s hands is a traditional way of eating in the Philippines that dates back to before the Spanish colonization of the country in the 1500s. People would eat with their hands, using their fingers to pick up food and bring it to their mouths. Eating with one’s hands is still practiced today, and is considered by many to be a more intimate and personal way of eating than using utensils.
When enjoying a meal with friends or family, Kamayan can help to create a deeper sense of connection and togetherness. However, even though the word “kamayan” has been popularized today as eating on a long piece of banana leaf without using utensils or plates, in most instances, when Filipinos eat with their hands, they still use their own plate, however they forgo the use of utensils.
Whether you’re looking to experience some authentic Filipino cuisine or simply want to try something new, Kamayan is definitely worth a try.
When Did Kamayan Or Boodle Fight Originate?
Kamayan on the other hand, or “boodle fight:
- as a mainstream way of eating together has a more recent history
- became a tradition from filipino military
- quick meals had to be served
- no time to lay out utensils
Kamayan, or “boodle fight”, is a unique way of eating where food is served on banana leaves and diners eat with their hands. While the exact origin of this tradition is unknown, it is thought to have originated among the Filipino military.
In the past, quick meals were often served to soldiers in the field, and there was no time to lay out plates and utensils. As a result, soldiers would simply lay out banana leaves and serve rice and sides on it and then eat it with their hands. Over time, this became a tradition among Filipinos, and kamayan is now considered a popular way of eating in the Philippines.
Whether you’re sharing a meal with family or friends, kamayan is a great way to bond over food.
