My “Least Favorite” Filipino Food

Growing up, I was lucky enough to have parents who raised me on authentic Filipino food. From eating tapsilog, bulalo, lumpia, pancit, giniling, and so much more, their cooking was the reason why I was so experimental with food when I was younger. It was always surprising to the adults around me when my brother and I would willingly eat vegetables, or if I would gladly take a bite of something that was notoriously suited for an adult palate. However, there was one food in particular that would make me draw the line: Chicken Tinola. 

For those who know what tinola tastes like, they would probably think I’m crazy for hating this comforting dish. It’s a chicken and ginger soup that goes great with white rice on a cold day, but like an overplayed song on the radio, I got disenchanted with it. It was definitely one of my parents’ favorite dishes growing up because of how easy it was to make, but to me, I was tired of having it every week. At some point, we were eating it almost everyday. Eventually, enough was enough for 10 year old me, and I exclaimed, “Tinola, again?” Despite my clear frustration and disappointment, my parents looked at each other and laughed. It was one of the few times I complained about food, so they didn’t expect it, but it also made my mom remember the time when she was in my shoes. Growing up in the Philippines, her father (my Lolo), was a farmer and agricultural professor. He grew all of the vegetables that they ate, so there was one dish that was always present at their dinner table. A mung bean soup called munggo, it’s one of those glaringly and authentically Filipino dishes that you probably won’t ever have unless you’re Filipino. A hearty meal paired with rice and filled with vegetables, it was an easy and accessible meal to make for a family growing up in the rural parts of the Philippines. However, as a little girl, my mom had it so often, she hated eating it everyday and also complained to her parents about it. Now, she makes it for her own kids, and even veganizes it for my vegan brother. 

My vendetta against tinola was short-lived because I was more annoyed by the jokes my parents would make about it, but they did sympathize with me. After my initial complaint, they avoided making tinola as frequently, which made me miss the dish over the years. Once my “least favorite,” it is the one I know that’s waiting for me on the table when my parents exclaim that they “made my favorite.”  Now as a college student who chronically craves mainstreet food, boba, and emptying out my wallet with overpriced meals, any authentic Filipino dish made at home is my favorite.