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CAAS - Individual Paper

9. Foodscapes: Cultivation, Livelihood, Gastronomy, Agrico-Cultural Exchanges, Appropriations

Traversing Food and Agriculture in and between Africa and Asia

From Bagoong to Miso: An Exploration of the Transnationalized Palate and Foodways of Filipino Migrants in Japan

Wednesday, June 11, 2025
15:00 - 16:45 GMT
Location: MFB-Amphi 2

    Presenter(s)

  • KS

    Kevin Brandon E. Saure

    Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan

Paper Abstract: Foodways reflect one's cultural identity and background. Migrants who have moved to a different country find themselves at the crossroads of two (or more) sources of food traditions—that of their homeland and their current domicile. Hence, exploring the foodways of migrants provides insights into how they negotiate their lifestyles and reimagine cuisines as influenced by their past and present realities. The exposure to different cultural sources results in the meshing of various food traditions, as reflected by the creation of hybrid cuisines, novel ways of food preparation, or simply new food preferences. The current study investigated the foodways of long-term Filipino migrants in Japan, particularly those who have been living in the country for more than ten years, through interviews and ethnography. The interview focused on how the migration histories and migratory nature of the informants have played a role in the development of what is called a transnationalized palate, a migrant’s composite of gastronomic preferences. The ethnography documented the physical embodiments (e.g., ingredients) and the methods of food preparation. Findings of the study reveal ingenious and peculiar ways of food preparations, in part brought about by the scarcity of original ingredients and in part by the desire to create something novel. The study also reveals that the transnational experience of Filipino migrants does not equate to a straightforward shift of foodways—rather, nostalgia and emotional connections to gastronomic traditions from the homeland are occasionally evoked through memory and social networks, resulting in hybridized ways of enjoying and preparing food.