Tusok Tusok! The Filipino Food Podcast Tusok Tusok!

Pampanga is dubbed as the Philippines’ culinary capital — but why? In this episode, we take you through a short Kapampangan food tour to see a glimpse of the province’s colorful and interesting food.

Filipinos have an interesting relationship with sugar and chocolate. It is in the region where sugarcane originated, so our economy and cultural identity is deeply intertwined with it. Aside from sugar ruling our tastebuds, it also controlled our culture in many ways. It is also an exploration of the quirky customs we have relating to food.

Filipinos have a whole history of alcohol that runs the gamut of the human experience--goodwill, celebration, war, peace. This episode is a recounting of the alcoholic history of the country, punctuated by iconic drinks that define significant milestones. It's also important to talk about the problem of alcoholism in the country, and how it's portrayed in the media.

Superstition and atheistic beliefs have been a part of our culture even before the Spanish fleets arrived in the Philippines. Despite these stark differences, it’s worth noting that even Catholicism acknowledges that there is something spiritual about food. There are plenty of superstitions in the Philippines, particularly when it comes to eating. These may seem funny and illogical to us now, but there are actually deeper symbolic meanings and cultural associations with these superstitions.

At its core, halo-halo consists of ice and milk and the combination of endless toppings and add-ons that are only limited by one’s own resources and imagination. The definition of what proper halo-halo looks like depends on who you ask. In Pampanga, it may be one thing, but in another region, it may be something else. This episode takes a closer look into how our relations with other countries shape our own culture, and most notably, our own food. Even halo-halo, the quintessential Filipino summer dessert, is a melting (or rather freezing) pot of other countries’ cultures.

Everyone loves a cup of coffee. In fact, studies have shown that Filipinos are heavy coffee drinkers, with more than 3 million 60kg bags of coffee consumed in 2019! This episode will look into the rich history of coffee production in the Philippines, as well as the country’s attempts to regain that reputation by empowering local coffee brands and farmers.