oreign visitors to the Philippines are often pleasantly surprised by how quickly they develop a taste for Filipino food. Filipino dishes are neither too spicy nor too hot. The curries that smother Indian, Pakistani or Ceylonese dishes are rarely found in Philippines cooking. Hot chili peppers though native to the islands are heavily used only in the regional dishes of Bicol and Mindanao.
            
           The location of the Philippines astride the great sea routes to Asia has resulted in varied foreign influences in its history and culture. The Filipinos are basically Malayan. However, more than 300 years of Spanish colonization and a half century of American tutelage have left their marks on the islands. Filipino cooking reflects these culture combinations. Superimposed on a basically Malay-Indonesian-Polynesian cuisine are Chinese, Hindu, Japanese, Spanish and American culinaries. The result is an exotic blend that is characteristically unique though the variety of regional and racially influenced dishes is a never ending source of gourmet surprises. 

            As in most countries, food plays an important part in the Philippine social life. Dishes served in a Filipino home depend on such factors as the fruits and vegetables in season, and most important of all, the culinary skills of the wife or husband. Filipino parties are food feasts - during the fiesta the status and prestige of a family are often measured by the number and variety of dishes served. Rituals and special occasions are often indicated by types of food prepared. Even family occasions such as the Sunday meal for the extended family often feature particular dishes.