The Filipino meal is not divided into starter-main-dessert. At the heart is kanin (white rice) and ulam, the accompanying dish (meat, fish, or vegetables in sauce), shared at the center of the table. Alongside comes sabaw (soup), often sour, poured over the rice. Between main meals, merienda fills small hunger pangs: street snacks or milky sweets. Everything is eaten salu-salo, in a group, as commensality is the cement of the culture.

The soul of Filipino cuisine lies in this salty-sour duo: suka (cane or coconut vinegar) and toyo (soy sauce, a Chinese legacy). Add patis (fermented fish sauce) and bagoong (shrimp paste) for deep umami. This sharp acidity and fermented saltiness define almost every dish, from adobo to sinigang.