Pinoys and Carinderias: Inseparable

            Filipino carinderias and eateries have become an integral part of the Filipino’s lifestyle. They are as fit to be called as the Philippines’ trademark as the dried mangoes and Jose Rizal. For us ordinary Filipinos, life without these meek food establishments would be way different and far more costly. Imagine the Philippines without these carinderias and eateries; this would be no Philippines at all!

            What is a carinderia anyway? Let us answer this question first for the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with what I am talking about. A carinderia is a small food establishment (sometimes a stall) where customers can freely choose from a wide variety of dishes presented in casseroles or containers. It can also be distinguished as a small eatery, and as Mr. Glenn Martinez and Anne Martinez (2008), the author of the travel journal Traveler on Foot put it, it is “a direct ancestor of the ‘turo-turo’” (a food establishment wherein you “turo” or point at the viand you want to buy).  According to Wenceslao E. Retana (as cited in Martinez, 2008), the etymology of ‘carinderia’ can be traced to the word curry, which is kari in Tagalog. To the inexperienced, this can be likened to a buffet (though obviously very much less extravagant). You choose your food, and the ‘tinderas’ or salesladies (women usually do this job) dish it up for you, and you bring your own meal to your table. And if you want to take out your lunch, you can also ask them to put the dish on plastic cellophanes for you to bring home.

            You can immediately distinguish a carinderia or a local eatery by its following characteristics. First, you will see conspicuous rows of different viands lining up near the entrance. Once you enter, you will notice chairs and tables (either made up of wood or plastic) waiting for you to seat in inside. And usually, you can’t find carinderias and eateries without a customer; there is always one or two enjoying their meals. These establishments also usually vary in appearance—some cover wide spaces, while some are only small. Some look clean and attractive while others look dingy and are actually hot. There are also owners creative enough to put decorations or even have a theme for their place, and there are also others that opt to stick with the usual local carinderia style. Another thing, their menus are usually placed on walls and not on brochures like that in restaurants. You must be careful though because what you see on their menus are somewhat inconsistent with what dishes they really have available, so it would be better for you to ask the tinderas or see for yourself.

            In the Philippines, you can almost never find a street without one or two carinderias, except for some very developed and private properties. Places where there are many ordinary people like schools, business centers, and travelling routes are where you will usually find these carinderias. People from these places are the usual customers— students, teachers, employees of different businesses, and common travelers. For these kinds of people, eating in carinderias and eateries are more practical than going home to eat, bringing lunch, or eating in expensive fast-food chains. Of course, you don’t have to walk a long way to search for a place to eat when you are terribly hungry when carinderias and eateries are just a few steps away.

Customers lining up inside Red Gate Eatery

            There many reasons why carinderias have become a major hit to the Filipino people. For one, like in other parts of the world, Filipinos love to eat. We consider it not only as a need for survival but one of the pleasures of life as well. I have observed this in my four months of stay in the Red Gate Dormitory, a boarding house with its own carinderia, the Red Dormitory & Eatery. During lunch it is always jam-packed with employees and students alike. Sometimes I even find myself eating my meal in my room (which is actually against the house rules). Watching these tired and famished- looking people patiently waiting in line, then eating to their hearts content, and idly talking after having a satisfying full meal, there is no wonder why food and the carinderia has a place in the hearts of people.

Royal Cafe have many customers today....

             For another, dishes in carinderias and eateries come relatively cheap and are worth your money. Of course they don’t offer food with the quality that of restaurants in a very small price, but at least you can have a complete meal without hurting your pockets. A perfect example for this is the Royal Café, a carinderia beside the University of the Philippines in Cebu. It is not that large or that small either, and is a bit warm during hot days, but what attracted me to the place first were the friendly tinderas and the various enticing dishes enclosed in a glass case by its entrance. When I eventually entered the place, I was greeted by their smile, especially by Ate Rosemarie’s, the cashier. And when I inquired about the prices of their food, the most expensive was only P25! So if you ordered one dish, one cup of rice and a drink—a refreshing buko (young coconut) juice or a fresh fruit shake—you can have a nutritious and satisfying meal for less than P50. Try using that money in a fast food restaurant! 

Some of the delicious dishes served in Royal Cafe

           The wide range of dishes is also one of the reasons why people love to eat in carinderias and eateries. Dishes mostly served are Filipino cuisines, some of which are namely nilat-an or nilaga, dinuguan, chopsuey, pinakbet, pancit, lumpia, kinilaw, humba, chicken curry, grilled pork, sweet and sour (pork or fish), fried chicken, pork chop, hotdogs and sausages. Nilaga is a flavorful soup of thoroughly stewed pork, chicken, or beef with vegetables.  Dinuguan is another flavorful authentic Filipino dish made up of cooked pork blood and innards. Chopsuey on the other hand, is a mixture of fresh and properly-cooked vegetables in a savory sauce. Pancit is a noodle dish with chopped vegetables and meat, and like chopsuey, is a Chinese food adopted by the Filipinos. Lumpia or spring rolls are cylindrical in shape with vegetables or meat wrapped in a crispy wrapper. Kinilaw, on the other hand, is a dish made up of fresh fish eaten raw with a mixture of vinegar and spices. And let us not forget the humba, a very delicious dish made up of pork in a somewhat sweet dark sauce literally peppered with pepper. The other dishes are very common and do not need any description.

            There are many reasons why carinderias and eateries are numerous in our country, and being a major hit for the masses is one of them. Another reason is that only enough space is required to put up this kind of business. Actually, any size of space will do – big or small, as long as there is delicious food and good service. One more reason is that it is a good source of income because food is one of the major necessities of human beings and as stated earlier, people love to eat. Therefore, having a carinderia or an eatery is a sure fire way of earning money. According to Mrs. Mary Anne Amores, the manager of Chicken Tutu, one other reason is the wide range of prospective customers, like in their eatery which is part of a boarding house, near a university and many business establishments. The boarders, their friends, and others students usually eat there, together with employees and the people living in the area. In the case of Royal Café, according to Ms. Lydia Ambao, a saleslady there, it was established for the benefit of a charitable institution called Children’s Joy Foundation. Their target customers are students, so their two branches are located near the University of the Philippines and University of San Carlos in Cebu.

            Carinderias and eateries are indeed of great importance – for a student, for a normal Filipino citizen, and for our culture as an inhabitant of this country. As a student, I save a lot of money in eating in these establishments. They come cheap, and being a stingy person, it is perfect for my budget which is P40 per meal. Moreover, they are most important to the normal citizens for their dishes are affordable and accessible. They can’t afford buying their food in expensive restaurants and fast food chains. Carinderias and eateries can also be easily found almost anywhere. Carinderias are also not intimidating and people are at ease and are able to be themselves when eating there. Also, ordinary people treat the carinderias as their cheap version of fast food restaurants. When they are busy and don’t have enough time in cooking their own food, they just buy their food there. Most of all, these food establishments are very significant to the Filipino culture. Foremost, they serve as an identifying factor for our country and it somehow gives us an identity. Most importantly, eating in these places has become a part of our being a Filipino, our identity, and our lifestyle. Without these humble establishments, life for us could have been very different.

Bibliography

Martinez, A., & Martinez, G., (2008, June 16). The story of the carinderia. Retrieved from http://traveleronfoot.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/the-story-of-the-carinderia/