let’s eat – SherwinM Podcast

How’s that tagline sounding? Still testing it out! Welcome to Episode 8 of the podcast: Kain Tayo Part Two: Let’s Eat!

Before we get to the food talk, some tech adventures:

Shout out to Jeff (@JeffBanas on Twitter)! He sent me a recording of my podcast playing on his Google Home – awesome!
Amazon Echo (Alexa): Got curious and tried Alexa… (audio clip of Alexa failing) …yeah, no luck initially. It seems Alexa uses the TuneIn directory. I’ve submitted the podcast there now, but Alexa still couldn’t find it when I tried again. Maybe I need to subscribe via the TuneIn app first? If you have an Echo, let me know if it works for you! (Apologies if I triggered your devices!)
Siri: Good news here! After a few tries (Siri can be quirky!), it successfully played the latest episode directly from the iOS Podcast app. (audio clip of Siri success) So, if you’re on iOS, just ask Siri!

Recording Challenges & Episode Topic Shift

This episode almost didn’t happen! I struggled with my original topic idea all week, decided to switch gears back to food (continuing from Episode 6), recorded this “Kain Tayo Part 2″… and then accidentally deleted the recording! Ugh. So, this is take two, fueled by a stout, hopefully, I don’t mess it up again!

Deeper Dive: Kain Tayo Part 2

Let’s continue exploring Filipino eating habits and culture!

Your Plate: Kanin, Ulam, and Maybe Soup?

A typical Filipino meal plate breaks down simply:

Kanin: Rice (the staple!)
Ulam: The dish(es) or viand(s) eaten with the rice. You can definitely have more than one ulam!

Sometimes, you’ll also have soup alongside your meal:

Sinigang: A delicious, distinctively sour soup (often with fish, shrimp, or pork).
Nilaga: Another type of soup, not sour. Often, you might just get the broth (sabaw) to pour over your rice.

From Field to Plate: The Journey of Rice (Palay, Bigas, Kanin)

There are three main stages in the life of rice:

Palay: This is the harvested rice grain still in its yellowish-brown husk. After harvesting from the wet rice paddies, it needs to be dried. In the Philippines, lacking dedicated drying spaces, farmers often lay palay out on the roadsides (so drivers need to be careful!). Once dried, it’s placed in a bilao (woven tray) and tossed/shaken to loosen the husk and remove debris.
Bigas: This is the uncooked rice grain after the husk has been removed – what you typically buy in a bag.
Kanin: This is the final stage – cooked rice!

How We Cook Rice (Jo Koy & The Finger Trick)

Speaking of cooking rice (bigas to kanin), comedian Jo Koy has a hilarious bit about this (I’ll link it below). The typical “Filipino” way, even with a rice cooker, involves:

Washing the bigas several times (3-4 rinses) until the water runs mostly clear.
Measuring the water level using the lines on your finger! (Yes, it works! Takes practice to avoid soggy or crunchy rice, but I’m proud to say I can do it). Of course, back home, many people expertly cook rice in a pot over an open fire – true pros!

(Link Placeholder: [Insert Jo Koy Rice Video Link Here])

Appetizers: When Do They Arrive?

Unlike typical Western dining, appetizers in Filipino settings aren’t always served before the main course. Very often, they arrive with the ulam and kanin. My theories?

Appetizers aren’t a standard part of the meal structure for us.
It ties back to the salo-salo concept – the idea that everyone should start eating together. Serving appetizers first would mean some people eat while others wait. You can usually request appetizers first if you want them, though.

Must-Try Filipino Desserts

We love our sweets! Here are a few common Filipino desserts:

Halo-halo: A popular concoction of crushed ice, milk/cream, sweet beans, fruits, sago/boba, ice cream, and leche flan. So refreshing!
Leche Flan: Rich, creamy caramel custard. Also a component in halo-halo.
Ube: Purple yam, used as a popular flavor in ice cream, cakes, pastries, etc.
Turon: A deep-fried treat resembling an egg roll, but filled with banana and lanka (jackfruit). Sometimes dipped in sugar – so good! (Yes, our love for sweets might contribute to diabetes struggles in the community.)

Fast Food Perks: No Cleanup Needed!

Here’s a difference you’ll notice: In fast-food restaurants in the Philippines, you don’t typically clear your own table and throw away your trash. Staff will come and clean up after you leave.

Funny Story: On a trip back in 2005 with my friends Jeff and Irwin (their first time there), after eating at a fast-food place, Irwin got up and started wandering around looking for a trash can. Jeff and I just watched him, knowing the routine. After a good 30 seconds of confusion, he came back asking where the trash was, and we cracked up explaining he could just leave it!

Salo-Salo: Sharing is Caring (Literally!)

Revisiting salo-salo from Episode 6: It’s not just eating together, it’s often about sharing the food ordered. If a group orders different dishes (ulam), it’s very common to portion out servings from each dish onto everyone’s plates before anyone starts eating their main meal. It’s a great way to try everything! This communal sharing is a key part of the experience.

Paying Up: Mastering the “Cheat” Gesture

Finally, how do you ask for the check/bill in the Philippines? Forget the American “cut me off” gesture. We have our own unique hand signal! The word sounds like “Cheat” (maybe slang for ‘check’?).

How to do the “Cheat” gesture:

Make loose fists with both hands.
On each hand, extend your thumb and index finger to form a ‘C’ shape (left hand ‘C’, right hand backward ‘C’).
Touch the tips of your index fingers together and the tips of your thumbs together, forming a rectangle shape in the air (representing the bill).
Get your server’s attention while holding this shape.
Slowly pull your hands apart horizontally (drawing the top/bottom lines).
Move your thumb and index finger on each hand vertically downwards towards each other (drawing the sides). Basically, you’re drawing a rectangle in mid-air! Servers in the Philippines (and Filipino restaurants here) instantly recognize this. My friends Jeff and Irwin loved it so much on our trip they kept fighting to pay just so they could do the gesture! (Trying it at a non-Filipino US restaurant got them a to-go box once!). Pros can even do a one-handed version.

I’ve noticed many podcasts have taglines, and I don’t really have one yet. I was thinking, how about this: “The Sherwin M Podcast: A podcast about being Filipino American, a father, a developer, a retired sneaker head, and beer.” It covers my social media bio, but maybe focuses too much on sneakers and beer which might not come up often. What do you think? Let me know!

Life Updates: Accidents, Standing Desks & Allergies

A few updates before we get into today’s topic:

Family Accident: Scary moment a few days ago – my parents and son were in a car accident. They were stopped at a light when another car ran a red, hit someone else, and one car ricocheted into them. Thankfully, everyone is okay, but it was a real adrenaline rush getting that call. Just a reminder to be careful out there, drive safely, assume everyone else is a terrible driver, and maybe practice some “Filipino Time” so you’re not rushing!
Standing Desk Experiment: I’m actually standing up while recording this episode! My new iMac doesn’t quite fit my desk setup comfortably when sitting, making me look up. Standing feels better. I heard studies suggest standing might make you smarter (like 7% higher intellect?). I’ll look that up and link it in the show notes. Hopefully, I sound smarter today! (Link Placeholder: [Insert Standing Desk Study Link Here])
Health/Weather: Still battling these lingering allergies (apologies for any throat clearing!). Meanwhile, while the East Coast deals with blizzards, we’re hitting mid-80s here in California in March! I actually miss winter and prefer cold weather – you can always layer up, but you can’t unzip your skin when it’s hot!

Listener Feedback

Shout out to my good friend Rich Lieberman, an awesome school psychologist known for his work in student mental health. He reached out after listening to the “Mano Po” episode (Ep 4) and shared some kind words. Thanks for listening, Rich! Hope we can grab lunch soon.

Episode Focus: Kain Tayo (Let’s Eat!)

Alright, Episode 6 is all about food and togetherness, captured in the phrase “Kain Tayo.”

Key Tagalog Words for Eating & Gathering

Kain Tayo: Let’s eat! (The main phrase for today)
Kain: Eat
Pagkain: Food
Salo-salo: A gathering around food, eating together, sharing (similar concept to a potluck, but emphasizes the communal aspect). You might even see restaurants with this name!
Tagay: Shot / Cheers (related to drinking alcohol – Spoiler Alert: This will be its own future episode!)

Understanding “Kain Tayo”: The Constant Invitation

If you’re Filipino or have spent time around Filipinos, you’ve likely experienced this: someone is eating, you walk by or enter the room, and they almost automatically look up and say, “Kain tayo!” (Let’s eat!).

It’s a deeply ingrained cultural habit. We tend to always invite people to join us when we’re eating. It doesn’t matter if we only have enough food for ourselves; the invitation is almost involuntary. I find myself doing it all the time.

It functions as more than just an offer of food (which is rarely accepted literally from one’s own plate). It’s often:

An acknowledgment that someone has entered your space.
A friendly greeting, instead of just “hello.”
An icebreaker.
A reflection of the salo-salo spirit – valuing community and sharing the experience of eating together.

The person invited usually politely declines sharing the specific food but might grab their own meal and join you, or just exchange pleasantries. I’ve always wondered what would happen if someone did accept when I only had scraps left!

The Challenge of Eating Together: Culture vs. Schedules

This cultural emphasis on eating together extends to family meals. When my wife, Abby, first moved here from the Philippines, she wanted to continue the tradition of the family eating dinner together every night.

I had to explain that while it’s a lovely custom, it’s much harder to practice consistently here in the US primarily due to differing work schedules. People get home at different times, and the American norm is often to eat whenever you’re hungry rather than waiting for everyone.

She initially waited for me to get home for dinner (which was sweet!), but once she started working, she understood the scheduling challenges. We still prioritize eating together as a family (me, Abby, and the kids) on weekends – making time for breakfast, lunch out, and dinner together when our schedules align.

Contrasting Mealtime Traditions

My own upbringing had another layer. While eating together was sometimes practiced, there was also a strict, Spanish-influenced tradition passed down from my dad’s side: silence during meals. My dad told stories of his father keeping a belt on the table as a warning! While we weren’t that strict, talking during meals was generally discouraged in my house growing up.

Now, as a dad myself, I find mealtimes (especially on weekends) are a crucial opportunity to connect with my kids, ask about their day, and bond. It’s a different approach, balancing the desire for connection with the memory of older traditions.

It’s Not Just Food: The “Tagay” Invitation

Interestingly, this Filipino habit of inviting and sharing extends beyond food to alcohol. In the Philippines (at least, before potential bans by the current president), it was common for people to drink outside their homes – on the street or near corner stores.

If you walked by a group drinking and they knew or recognized you, they’d often call you over and offer you a “tagay” (a shot). It was generally considered polite (and almost expected, if you were of age) to stop, chat for a moment, take the offered shot, and then continue on your way. It’s another example of that inclusive, communal aspect of Filipino culture.

Final Thoughts on Sharing

So, “Kain Tayo” is more than just “Let’s Eat.” It’s a window into Filipino culture’s emphasis on hospitality, community, sharing, and acknowledging others. Even if it’s just a gesture, it reinforces social bonds.

Tag: let’s eat

Episode 08: Kain Tayo Part 2 (Let’s Eat) – More Filipino Food Habits (Rice, Salo-Salo & Paying the “Cheat”)