Malaya

Is a joyful celebration of Filipino ancestral heritage through the culinary Mana. Mai’dasar [ma-ee-da-sar] is an Ilocano [ee-lo-ka-no] term meaning “to prepare”. It describes the narrative of preparing the ingredients or setting the table before a meal. These three significant ancestral dishes are explored and transformed into modern centrepiece food arrangements, which referenced content for the mural collection to evoke the narrative of reconnection, celebration and resilience.

Sculpture 1: Kinilaw

Kinilaw means to prepare it raw. It is a technique more than it is a “dish”. 

Preparing fresh-caught white fish in acid, which in this process involves cooking the Galunggong mackerel scad with vinegar and citrus fruits like lemons to cure the fish. The red onions, ginger, green chillies, and tomatoes are added for texture, savoury and sweetness to mellow the slightly sharp notes.

Sculpture 2: Paksiw

 Paksiw is a traditional preserving technique that involves simmering fish. 

The primary element of this dish is acidity; likewise, in Kinilaw, its flavour is all about sourness, using vinegar. Paksiw has traditionally been cooked in a palayok (earthenware pot) over a woodfire; this reflects the bond between people and their natural environment. Traditionally, Paksiw is served during the harvest season as a farmer’s takeaway meal, and it is best paired with rice. 

Sculpture 3: Sinigang

It is from the root word ‘sigang’, meaning stew. It is a sour base soup concocted with green tamarinds, tomatoes, and coconut vinegar. Before the Spanish colonial period, sinigang was a dish that was loved by Filipinos, and it is culturally acknowledged as one of the national food of the Philippines. It is best served during the monsoon season due to its warm, sour, and salty elements in sinigang, which “bring the kilig” or release serotonin that makes us feel good, according to food historians.