Summary
A version of kamayan is a communal Filipino feast where all the food is laid out on the leafy greens. Instead of using plates or utensils, everything is eaten with your hands ("kamayan" in Tagalog)
Kamayan-style dining harkens back to the Philippines' Indigenous roots but was largely swept aside during Spanish rule. In the Philippines today, kamayan meals are typically prepared on important family occasions. But these feasts have been regarded with a renewed sense of dignity among Filipino and Filipino American chefs.
In the 16th Century, Spanish colonisers introduced forks, spoons and plates. Later, during American colonial rule from 1898 to 1946, the US military spread food out on tables for cadets. This became known as "boodle fights", which was based on a slang term for "treats"
With blowtorches, chefs charred the glossy banana leaves as an almost sacrosanct precursor to the procession of food. Flitting back-and-forth from the kitchen, the crew carried out pounds of meat, seafood and vegetable concoctions.
As the group finally filtered into the tight space, they emitted a mix of "oohs" and "aahs" before settling around the table. Dayrit showed the group the "proper" way to kamayan. With one hand, they pressed meats into a padding of rice and wrapped it into a sort of rice pouch with the tip of their fingers. After dipping the mound in a spicy vinegar sauce, they brought the food up using their thumb to deliver the food from the fingers to the mouth.
BBC.com's World's Table "smashes the kitchen ceiling" by changing the way the world thinks about food. "Our food is love. Now it's on full display," said Ponseca.
