Tasting history: What Namit! reveals about Iloilo and its people

By Noel Galon de Leon

A significant book on the gastronomy of Iloilo Province was published in 2023, and I believe it deserves another look and a more meaningful conversation today. Namit! Celebrating the Culinary Tradition of Iloilo Province, written and photographed by Gilbert “Bombette” Golez Marin, is an interesting contribution to the documentation and promotion of our local food heritage. I commend Marin for his intelligence, creativity, and dedication in bringing together this substantial collection of culinary information and presenting it in a visually engaging and accessible publication. Having encountered other books and publications about Iloilo’s food culture, I find this particular work especially interesting, not only because of its approach to gathering and organizing information but also because of how it presents facts in a manner that readers from different backgrounds can understand and appreciate. Its strength lies in its effort to explain why food matters beyond its immediate purpose of satisfying hunger. It connects gastronomy with history, geography, culture, livelihood, community relationships, and heritage preservation. For anyone interested in Iloilo’s culinary traditions and cultural identity, this is a publication worth examining, discussing, and learning from.

The title itself is an effective starting point. Namit! is a familiar expression of appreciation for something delicious, but its meaning extends beyond the simple enjoyment of food. In Iloilo, as in many communities in the Philippines, food is a language of hospitality, affection, generosity, and belonging. It is something people share with family members, offer to visitors, prepare during celebrations, and preserve through generations of practice. However, there is an important question that publications about local cuisine must confront: Are we documenting food simply because it tastes good, or are we documenting it because it tells us something essential about the people who prepare it, the communities that sustain it, and the histories that have shaped it? This distinction matters. A culinary publication becomes more valuable when it moves beyond familiar descriptions of delicious dishes and begins to explain the cultural circumstances that make those dishes meaningful.

One of the book’s most commendable features is its organization according to the five congressional districts of Iloilo Province. Rather than presenting culinary specialties as a random collection of food items, the book provides a geographical framework that allows readers to understand the diversity of culinary traditions across the province. Its table of contents functions as an invitation to travel through Iloilo, municipality by municipality, discovering the food associated with particular communities. District I introduces readers to Tigbauan’s biko and kalamay sa buri, Tubungan’s sirit-sirit, Guimbal’s kalamay hati and muasi, Miagao’s baye-baye, and San Joaquin’s bandi and bucayo. District II brings attention to Leganes’ ibos nga may lubi, Sta. Barbara’s bingka and puto, San Miguel’s kombo nga niyog and botsi, Alimodian’s sinakol, and Leon’s bandi and various preparations involving palawan. These examples already demonstrate that the culinary identity of Iloilo cannot be reduced to a handful of famous dishes.

The exploration continues through District III, featuring Cabatuan’s cassava roll, cassava pinwheel, and ibos nga may haliya; Pototan’s aripahol; Maasin’s kalamay hati and muasi; Badiangan’s bitso-bitso and kombo; Lambunao’s tikoy, linupak, and coconut balls; Calinog’s sinapid nga mais; and Bingawan’s paduya. District IV introduces Barotac Nuevo’s turon and sulpot, Dingle’s papaya rosette, Dueñas’ kutsinta, Dumangas’ bitog and linugaw, and Passi’s inday-inday and tikoy. Meanwhile, District V features Barotac Viejo’s suman sapay, Lemery’s butong-butong, Sara’s but-ong, Balasan’s assortment of delicacies, and Carles’ bitso-bitso and alupe. The breadth of this selection makes the book particularly valuable as a reference for anyone interested in understanding the culinary diversity of the province.

This geographical organization is an important editorial decision because it challenges the tendency to associate Iloilo’s food identity exclusively with Iloilo City. While the city has an established culinary reputation and attracts considerable attention from tourists, the province has an equally rich collection of food traditions that deserve recognition. There are communities whose delicacies may not be widely available in commercial establishments but remain deeply embedded in local practices and household economies. By identifying specialties across different districts, the book provides readers with an opportunity to appreciate the province as a network of communities with distinct culinary identities. It also encourages a more inclusive understanding of Iloilo’s gastronomy, one that recognizes the contributions of municipalities beyond the provincial capital.

This is particularly important because discussions about Iloilo’s gastronomy often gravitate toward a handful of recognizable dishes and established food destinations. While these are certainly part of the province’s culinary identity, they should not become the only representations of what Iloilo has to offer. We must recognize that the food culture of the province extends far beyond its popular restaurants, commercial food products, and well-publicized culinary destinations. Every municipality has its own food stories, ingredients, preparations, and traditions. Some are closely associated with agricultural production, while others are shaped by fishing communities, local markets, household economies, religious practices, and seasonal celebrations. A comprehensive understanding of Iloilo’s gastronomy requires us to look beyond the most marketable dishes and pay attention to the everyday food practices of ordinary people.

The book also makes an important contribution by identifying the historical, aesthetic, scientific, social, socioeconomic, spiritual, and sociopolitical significance of local culinary traditions. This framework is particularly interesting because it encourages readers to examine food through different perspectives rather than treating gastronomy as a purely recreational or commercial subject. Food has a history. The preparation of a particular delicacy can reveal how knowledge and skills have been transmitted from one generation to another. Ingredients can tell us about agricultural systems, environmental conditions, trade, and the availability of local resources. Cooking methods can reveal how communities have adapted to their surroundings and developed practical solutions to everyday needs. Even the appearance, texture, and presentation of a dish can communicate aesthetic preferences and cultural values. These dimensions demonstrate that culinary heritage deserves serious attention as an important field of cultural research.

I find the discussion of historical significance especially relevant. The book emphasizes that food preparation reflects a community’s history, traditions, and values, with culinary knowledge passed down from one generation to another. This is a reminder that recipes are not merely instructions written on paper. They are forms of inherited knowledge, often preserved through observation, repetition, experimentation, and participation in household activities. Many people learn to cook not by reading a cookbook but by watching their mothers, fathers, grandparents, relatives, and neighbors. They learn through the familiar instructions of someone who has prepared the same dish countless times. They learn by measuring ingredients without formal measurements, recognizing the appropriate texture, adjusting the fire, and understanding when something is ready through experience. These forms of knowledge are valuable, yet they are also vulnerable when younger generations no longer have opportunities to learn them. Documenting culinary traditions, therefore, is also a way of documenting memory.

This raises a question that deserves greater attention: How many traditional recipes in Iloilo are already disappearing because nobody has taken the time to document them? How many local delicacies are known only to a few elderly women and men in particular communities? How many preparation techniques are slowly being forgotten because they are considered ordinary household activities rather than cultural knowledge worth preserving? These are not insignificant concerns. If we wait until a particular recipe or preparation method becomes fashionable before documenting it, we may discover that the people who possess the knowledge are no longer around to share it. Culinary heritage requires active documentation, community participation, and intergenerational transmission. It cannot survive through nostalgia alone.

The publication’s discussion of scientific significance is another commendable aspect. It draws attention to ingredients such as rice, coconut, and root crops, connecting their cultivation with sustainability, agricultural practices, climate change, and food security. This is an important direction because gastronomy should not be separated from the environmental conditions that make food production possible. We cannot celebrate local cuisine without recognizing the farmers, agricultural workers, fishers, producers, and communities responsible for supplying its ingredients. We cannot promote culinary heritage while overlooking the challenges facing local agriculture, including changing weather patterns, rising production costs, declining agricultural participation among younger generations, and the increasing dependence on commercially produced ingredients.

The discussion also invites us to reconsider the relationship between traditional food and sustainable living. Many local delicacies developed from ingredients that were accessible, affordable, and readily available within communities. Their preparation often involved practical knowledge about using available resources efficiently. This is particularly relevant today, when conversations about food sustainability frequently focus on global solutions while overlooking the knowledge already practiced by local communities. Traditional food preparation can offer valuable lessons about resourcefulness, seasonal availability, food preservation, and the responsible use of agricultural products. However, we should avoid romanticizing traditional practices without examining the present realities of food producers. Preserving culinary heritage must also mean ensuring that the people who grow, harvest, prepare, and sell local food can continue to earn a decent livelihood.

Equally meaningful is the book’s discussion of social significance. Cooking is presented as a family and community activity that creates shared experiences and strengthens relationships. This is something many Ilonggos can immediately recognize. Food brings people together during birthdays, fiestas, reunions, religious occasions, and ordinary family gatherings. The kitchen becomes a space where stories are exchanged, family histories are remembered, and practical knowledge is shared. In many households, the preparation of food is not the responsibility of one person alone. It involves several family members, each contributing something to the process. These seemingly ordinary activities help establish relationships and reinforce a sense of community. In this regard, food is not simply consumed. It is experienced collectively.

The spiritual significance of food is also worth discussing, particularly in relation to ancestral remembrance and religious practices. The book recognizes that some local delicacies are used in rituals and offerings intended to honor ancestors and maintain connections with those who have passed away. This perspective broadens the discussion of gastronomy by recognizing that food can carry meanings that are not immediately visible to outsiders. A dish may represent affection, remembrance, gratitude, devotion, or respect. Its importance may have little to do with its commercial value or popularity. These practices also remind us that culinary traditions are deeply embedded in belief systems and community identities. Understanding food, therefore, requires an appreciation of the cultural meanings attached to its preparation and consumption.

One of the most practical discussions in the book is its treatment of socioeconomic significance. Culinary traditions have long provided families with opportunities for livelihood and income. Local delicacies are sold in public markets, neighborhood stores, roadside stalls, restaurants, and tourism establishments. They are also part of the experience of traveling to a particular destination. Visitors do not simply travel to see landmarks and historical structures. They also want to experience the food, ingredients, and eating practices associated with a place. Culinary tourism can create opportunities for small enterprises, family businesses, local producers, and community-based initiatives. When properly supported, it can circulate money within the local economy and strengthen the visibility of smaller communities.

However, this is where I believe we need to ask a more provocative question: Who actually benefits from the promotion of Iloilo’s culinary heritage? It is easy to celebrate local food through tourism campaigns, glossy publications, food festivals, and promotional activities. It is much more difficult to ensure that the benefits reach the people who have preserved these traditions for generations. When a traditional delicacy becomes commercially successful, are the original producers given greater opportunities? Are small-scale food businesses supported in improving their products and expanding their markets? Are the people whose knowledge and labor sustain these traditions properly acknowledged? Culinary tourism should not become another system in which communities provide the cultural material while larger commercial establishments receive most of the economic benefits. If we genuinely value our culinary heritage, we must also value the people behind it.

The sociopolitical significance discussed in Namit! further reinforces the importance of institutional support for heritage conservation. Its reference to Republic Act No. 11961, which strengthens the protection and conservation of cultural heritage through cultural mapping, provides an important policy context for understanding local culinary traditions. The publication also discusses the role of the provincial government and its cultural heritage initiatives, including the annual celebration of NAMIT! through cooking demonstrations, competitions, and lectures. These initiatives are valuable because they create opportunities to recognize culinary knowledge and make it more visible to the public. They also demonstrate how local governments can participate in the documentation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage.

Still, cultural preservation should not end with annual celebrations. Festivals and promotional events can generate public interest, but the real challenge is what happens after the decorations are removed, the demonstrations are finished, and the visitors return home. Are the recipes properly documented? Are the cultural practitioners identified and acknowledged? Are the participating communities involved in deciding how their culinary traditions are represented? Are there educational programs that allow younger generations to learn these practices? Are there sustained partnerships among local governments, schools, universities, museums, libraries, researchers, and community organizations? These are the questions that should guide future cultural initiatives. A festival can introduce people to heritage, but sustained research, education, and community participation are what help preserve it.

Another aspect worth appreciating is the publication’s visual presentation. The combination of photographs, maps, concise explanatory texts, and clearly identified categories makes the material accessible to a broad readership. The design does not overwhelm readers with lengthy technical discussions. Instead, it organizes information into manageable sections that introduce different dimensions of Iloilo’s culinary heritage. This is particularly important for publications intended not only for researchers and cultural workers but also for students, teachers, tourists, and ordinary readers who want to understand the subject without requiring specialized academic knowledge. Good cultural publications should not make information unnecessarily difficult to access. They should communicate meaningful ideas without sacrificing substance, and Namit! makes a commendable effort in this direction.

The photographs deserve particular recognition because Bombette Marin is not only the writer but also the photographer behind the publication. This gives the book a distinctive visual coherence. The photographs of food preparation and the people involved in culinary activities provide more than decorative illustrations. They offer readers a glimpse of the actual practices behind the finished products. They remind us that heritage is not confined to delicacies displayed on a plate. It is found in the hands that prepare the ingredients, the techniques developed through years of experience, the tools used in traditional cooking, and the people who continue to practice inherited knowledge. These images help establish a human connection with the subject. They encourage readers to look beyond the finished delicacies and recognize the labor, experience, and cultural memory involved in producing them. In future editions, this visual documentation could become even more meaningful through more detailed captions identifying the practitioners, their communities, the specific dishes being prepared, and the stories behind the photographs.

The publication also deserves recognition for its collaborative creative dimension. The credits identify Ralph David G. Borrero, Kyla Maris G. Erpelua, Trisha Nicole B. Flores, April Grace G. Insolente, Hyun-wil D. Maravilla, John Benedict I. Nacar, and Mark Joshua S. Tribunay as layout artists. Their contribution demonstrates the importance of visual communication in making cultural information accessible. The thoughtful organization of the pages, the district-based table of contents, the typography, and the combination of photographs and explanatory texts all contribute to the reading experience. A book about heritage must also consider how its readers encounter and understand information. In this respect, the publication demonstrates that research, writing, photography, and design can work together to communicate a meaningful cultural narrative.

Of course, appreciating the book does not mean that we should stop asking how it can be improved. In fact, a publication about cultural heritage deserves continued discussion precisely because the subject itself is constantly evolving. One opportunity for further development is the inclusion of more detailed accounts of individual municipalities and their culinary specialties. While the introductory discussion successfully establishes the geographical and cultural context of Iloilo, readers would benefit from more specific narratives that explain how particular dishes developed, how they differ across communities, and what historical circumstances influenced their preparation. A more extensive presentation of named food practitioners, local producers, family-owned businesses, and community researchers would also strengthen the publication’s documentary value.

There is also an opportunity to deepen the research through oral histories and ethnographic documentation. Instead of simply identifying a dish and describing its significance, future publications could include interviews with the people who have prepared it for decades. What do they remember about learning the recipe? Who taught them? Have the ingredients or methods changed over time? What challenges do they encounter in continuing the practice? How has commercialization influenced the preparation and selling of the delicacy? These questions can transform a culinary publication into a valuable historical record. They can also ensure that the voices of local practitioners are not overshadowed by institutional descriptions of their own cultural heritage.

I would also welcome a stronger discussion of the relationship between traditional culinary knowledge and contemporary food culture. Food traditions are not static. They change as communities adapt to new ingredients, technologies, markets, economic conditions, and lifestyles. Some recipes disappear, while others evolve. New generations may introduce modifications without necessarily abandoning the cultural foundations of a particular delicacy. We should not automatically regard every modification as a threat to authenticity. Instead, we should examine how communities negotiate continuity and change. The important question is not simply whether a dish remains exactly as it was prepared decades ago, but whether the knowledge, cultural meanings, and community connections associated with it continue to be understood and valued.

There is another important dimension that deserves attention: language. Iloilo’s culinary heritage is also preserved through the languages spoken by the people who prepare and share their food. The names of ingredients, cooking techniques, utensils, measurements, and traditional dishes often carry meanings that cannot be fully translated into English or Filipino. Local expressions used in giving cooking instructions may contain knowledge accumulated through generations. The words themselves can reveal how communities understand food, texture, taste, and the process of preparation. This is why documenting culinary heritage in Hiligaynon and other local languages is just as important as producing publications in English. Translation can make this knowledge accessible to wider audiences, but the original language must remain visible and valued. Otherwise, we risk preserving the dish while gradually losing the vocabulary and cultural expressions that give it meaning.

For universities and educational institutions in Iloilo, Namit! also offers an opportunity to rethink how local food culture can be integrated into teaching and research. Gastronomy is not limited to hospitality management, tourism, or culinary education. It can also be studied through history, anthropology, literature, linguistics, environmental studies, economics, and cultural heritage studies. Students can document family recipes, interview local food practitioners, examine the vocabulary of traditional cooking, investigate agricultural practices, and study the relationship between food and community identity. These activities can make education more connected to the experiences of local communities. They can also encourage young people to recognize that valuable knowledge does not always come from textbooks or institutions. Sometimes, it can be found in the kitchen of an elderly relative, in a small market, or in the everyday work of a local food producer.

For publishers and cultural workers, this book also demonstrates the importance of producing accessible publications about subjects that are deeply rooted in local experience. We need more books that document the knowledge of our communities, particularly those that are often excluded from mainstream cultural narratives. We need publications that do not simply promote a destination but explain its cultural foundations. We need books that recognize the people behind our traditions and give them opportunities to speak about their own experiences. Most importantly, we need to understand that publishing about local heritage is not merely an exercise in promoting tourism. It is a form of cultural documentation and public education.

Namit! Celebrating the Culinary Tradition of Iloilo Province deserves recognition for bringing together several important dimensions of local gastronomy in an accessible and visually engaging publication. Its district-based organization is particularly useful in showing the diversity of culinary traditions across the province, while its discussions of historical, aesthetic, scientific, social, socioeconomic, spiritual, and sociopolitical significance encourage readers to approach food as an important subject of cultural inquiry. I commend Gilbert “Bombette” Golez Marin for the intelligence, creativity, and dedication invested in this work, as well as the layout artists whose contributions help translate the material into an engaging visual experience. It is a publication that deserves a place in our libraries, schools, cultural institutions, and homes.

We should remember, however, that the future of Iloilo’s culinary heritage cannot depend solely on the popularity of its restaurants, the success of its food festivals, or the number of tourists who come to experience its delicacies. Its future depends on whether the people who possess this knowledge are recognized, whether their stories are documented, whether younger generations are encouraged to learn, and whether local institutions are willing to invest in its continued preservation. A culinary tradition is not truly protected simply because it has been photographed, printed, or included in a tourism campaign. It remains alive when people continue to practice it, understand its significance, and pass it on.

This is the more important meaning of Namit! for us. The word may describe the pleasure of eating something delicious, but the responsibility of preserving that food culture is much greater than the pleasure itself. We must learn to appreciate not only what is served on our tables but also the histories, knowledge, labor, languages, and communities that make those meals possible. Iloilo has much more to offer than its famous dishes. It has generations of stories waiting to be documented, traditions waiting to be understood, and cultural knowledge that deserves to be taken seriously. If we want the next generation to continue saying namit with the same affection and pride, we must make sure that the traditions behind that word remain alive.

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Noel Galon de Leon is a writer and educator at the University of the Philippines Visayas. He teaches in the Division of Professional Education and at UP High School in Iloilo. He currently serves as faculty-in-charge of the UP Visayas Language Program and as secretary of the National Committee on Literary Arts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). His poetry has been recognized by the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.