"the importance of Food in Thai culture"

In Thailand, food forms a central part of any social occasions—and vice versa. That is, food often becomes the social occasion in itself, or reason to celebrate. This is partly due to the friendly, social nature of Thai people, but also because of the way in which food is ordered and eaten in Thailand.

In the West, a “normal” restaurant meal consists of a starter followed by the main course and dessert, with each individual ordering only for him or herself. In Thailand, there is no such thing as a starter; neither is there any dish that belongs only to one person. As a general rule, Thai diners order the same number of dishes as people present; however, all dishes are shared and enjoyed together. For this reason, it is better to have many guests at the table rather than just one or two. In fact, many Thais believe that eating alone is bad luck.

After the meal is over, there is no such thing as dispensing with leftovers. Throwing food away enrages the Thai “god of rice”, a female deity who watches over the people, ensuring everyone has enough to eat. Bad luck or even widespread famine may then ensue.

A typical Thai meal includes four main seasonings: salty, sweet, sour, and spicy.Indeed, most Thai dishes are not considered satisfying unless they combine all four tastes. When eating out, a group of Thai diners would order a variety of meat and/or fish dishes, plus vegetables, a noodle dish, and possibly also soup. Dessert may consist simply of fresh fruit, such as pineapple, or something more exotic, such as colourful rice cakes, depending on the region.

Aside from meals, Thais are renowned “snackers”. It is easy to pick up a quick but delicious snack for mere pennies along the roadside or at marketplaces in Thailand. Popular snacks consist of spring rolls, chicken or beef satay, raw vegetables with a spicy dip, soups, salads, and sweets.

The formal presentation of food is another important aspect of Thai culture. Developed primarily in the palace to please the King of Siam, Thai food presentation is among the most exquisite in the world. Serving platters are decorated with all variety of carved vegetables and fruits into flowers and other pieces of beauty. Palace-style stir-fries include elegantly carved vegetables within the dish itself. For such artwork, Thai chefs use a simple paring knife and ice water (the ice water prevents discoloration of the vegetables as they cut them).

Asian's Foods

Asian Food Cooking

Asian cooking can generally be classified into several categories on the basis of the regional styles of cooking and the people and culture of those regions. Some of the main categories of Asian food are East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Central Asian and Middle Eastern. In common usage however, Asian food (also referred to as Asian cuisine) primarily includes South and Southeast Asian cuisine. The main countries that constitute this region are India, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma etc.

Chinese food is generally considered to be East Asian food, even though China stretches from across mid-Asia to the Far East. Rice is the most important staple through most of China. In some regions however, noodles are preferred to rice. Most foods are prepared by mincing or cooking, and are cooked in a wok, using very little oil. Traditionally, there are eight main regional cuisines in China: Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejiang. The three distinct regional cuisines however, are Shanghainese – characterized by hot and spicy chilly pepper flavoring, Cantonese – associated with flavorful meat and vegetable combinations, and Mandarin – associated with steamed noodle and bread dumplings.

Since Japan is an island nation, much of its food includes fish and fish-based ingredients. Rice and sliced, salted vegetables are staples in Japanese cooking. Soy products such as soya sauce, soya paste and tofu are also used in many Japanese preparations. Japanese cuisine also includes sushi, meats in teriyaki sauce, lightly battered and fried meat and fish, as well as shellfish called tempura. Japanese food is healthy, tasty and simple to cook. It is low-fat, low-cholesterol, and well-known for reducing heart-related diseases.

While different parts of India are known for their different cultural backgrounds, they are also known for their different flavors and cuisines. Vegetarian food includes khakra and dhokla from Gujarat, daal-baati-choorma from Rajasthan, the Kashmiri dum-aloo, as well as dosas and kesari bhaat from South India. Non-vegetarian delicacies, especially the tandoori kind, were especially devised for the Nawabs of India. The saffron-flavoured reshmi kebab, and the lime juice and garlic marinated fish tikka serve as delectable appetizers in combination with the yoghurt-marinated chicken sheek kebab. Tandoori food is the perfect evidence of the richness of India’s cultural diversity and royalty.

Asian recipes were casually shared among the womenfolk in Asia, who generally got together after a long day’s work, to discuss the day’s events. Many of these recipes were guarded as important family secrets and carefully passed down from one generation to another. Thai food is a blend of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Myanmar, Khmer, Laotian and to a lesser extent, Portuguese cuisines. It is a harmonious blend of indigenous spices. Malaysian cuisine consists of fish, seafood, vegetables and poultry, though beef is conspicuously absent. It is usually spicier than Chinese food. Indonesian cuisine is also known for its unique blend of sweet and sour spiciness. Asian cooking has enormous potential in modern times, as Asian food chains are springing up all over the world very rapidly, and are also enjoying immense popularity.

''Miss Philippines Shamcey Supsup to Represent Miss Universe 2011''

Miss Philippines Shamcey Supsup will soon represent the country in the Miss Universe 2011 to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 12. Supsup bested 39 other contestants for the coveted title.

Shamcey Supsup is not just pure beauty but a ton of brains! She graduated with a Magna Cum Laude honors from the University of the Philippines College of Architecture. In July last year, she topped the national Architecture board exam.

Aside from the crown, Supsup also won three special awards: Best in Talent, Miss PAL, and Miss Cream Silk.

Miss Philippines Maria Venus Raj placed 4th runner-up in the Miss Universe 2010.

''The 7 towns''

ALABEL




The capital town of Sarangani is the commercial and services center. People from neighboring towns frequently visit the place to savor its delectable food products produced by Sarangani Aqua Resources, Inc. (SARI) and Sarangani Agricultural Company, Inc. (SACI).

The Sarangani Alson’s Aqua Technologies, Inc., the province’s only exporter of fresh and processed aquaculture fishery products, is also found in Alabel. It is the biggest producer of Sarangani Prime Bangus exported to Filipino communities in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Features
Total Land Area – 51,098.27 hectares
Aquaculture Capital of Sarangani
Southern Philippines Power Corp. (55 MW)
Mariculture Area in barangay Kawas and Ladol
 Alsons Aquaculture Corp & SACI in barangay Maribulan
RD Prawn Farm in barangay Kawas
San Andres Aquaculture Corp. (SANACOR)
Isla Parilla Resort Hotel
One Town One Product (OTOP): High-Value Fin Fishes (Pompano, Trevally, Groupers & Basses)
Kasadyaan Festival (10th of September)

Investment Opportunities
Mari-culture Parks & Inland Fisheries
Industrial Tree Plantation
High Value Crop Production
Alternate Port Development
Industrial & Commercial Estates
Light Manufacturing Industries
Real Estate Projects
Tourism Development Projects

GLAN

The Lubi-lubi Festival every October translates Glan’s potentials for macro coco-industry and agri-eco tourism.

It is the oldest town in Southern and Central Mindanao.

Features
Total Land Area -  69, 760 hectares
Summer Capital of Sarangani
Capital of Jose Abad Santos, Glan and Sarangani Island Cooperation Triangle JAGS-CT
Coco Queen of the South
Coco Industry – 35,045.11 hectares
Production – 144,829,440 nuts / year
Alsons Aquaculture Corp. – Fish Cages in barangay  Kapatan
Alternate Port; Access to Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia
Integrated Coco Fiber Processors (Phil. Coco Products & JAGS Lucky Fiber)
White Sand Beach Resorts in barangays Gumasa, Taluya & Lago
Century Old Houses & Museum in barangay Poblacion
One Town One Product (OTOP): Value-added Coco-based Products (Bahalina, Coco Textile, coco Sugar, VCO etc.)

Investment Opportunities
Aquaculture & Inland Fisheries
Integrated Coco-based Processing
Industrial Crops Production
High Value Crop Production
Alternate Port Development
Telecommunication Development
Cold Storage Facilities Project
Real Estate Projects
Tourism Development Projects

KIAMBA

Consistently awarded as Sarangani’s cleanest and greenest town, Kiamba is one of the food baskets of the province. Its well-milled whole grain rice is popular all over Sarangani and even in neighboring provinces.

The place has rich natural resources that offer local residents vast opportunities for livelihood.

Agriculture and fishing are viable business ventures, but so is tourism with its fine white beaches and diving grounds.

Features
Total Land Area -  41,828 hectares
Member – MAKIMA Industrial Triangle
Provincial Food Basket – Major Rice Producer
Integrated Coco Fiber Processor (Sarangani Cocotech Corp.)
Eastern Aqua Ventures, Inc. (Prawn Farm) in barangay Kling
Tuna Hand Lining & Boat-making Industries in barangays Lomuyon & Kayupo
Tuka Marine Park
Water Falls in barangays Nalus, Tambilil, Tamadang & Lomuyon
Vast Forestland – 25, 960 hectares
National Awardee ’04 (1st Runner-up Cleanest & Greenest Town)
One Town One Product (OTOP): Value-Added Abaca Fiber Products (tinagak, tabih, t’nalak and decors)
Timpuyog Festival (14th of February)

Investment Opportunities
Aquaculture and Fishery Projects
Industrial Tree Plantation
Integrated Abaca Fiber Processing
High Value Crop Production
Livestock and Poultry Production
Industrial Estate & Techno Parks
Light Manufacturing Industries
Telecommunication Development
Post-Harvest Facilities Projects
Real Estate Projects
Tourism Development Projects

MAASIM

This town is developed as a micro-industrial center for its rich deposits of marble, limestone, and other mineral rocks.

Maasim is a historical town - the burial place of an Arab missionary of long ago in Tampat Shrine. Exotic coral reefs are abundant in the town’s coastline, particularly in Tinoto Cove and Tampat Point. These spots are favorite destinations for divers.

Features
Total Land Area – 50,043.00 hectares
Member – MAKIMA Industrial Triangle
Micro-Industrial Center
Industrial Zone / Mining Area (61% of its land area)
Mini Hydro Electric Power Plants (40 MW) by 2011)
Gensan Shipyard and Machine works Inc. in barangay Tinoto
Gensan Oxygen Corporation in barangay Tinoto
Dole Phils., Inc. – Pineapple Division Sarangani Expansion - 2,000 hectares
Integrated Coco Fiber Processor (Kanalo Agri-Aqua Resources, Inc.)
Lemlunay Diving Resort in barangay Tinoto
One Town One Product (OTOP): Fresh & Processed Banana (Cardaba)

Investment Opportunities
Aquaculture and Fishery Projects
Industrial Tree Plantation
High Value Crop Production
Livestock and Poultry Production
Industrial Estate & Techno Parks
Shipbuilding & Repair Industry
Light Manufacturing Industries
Telecommunication Development
Post-Harvest Facilities Projects (Cold Storage)
Alternate Port Zone Development
Mining Industry
Real Estate Projects
Tourism Development Projects

MAITUM

Maitum is a place of mystery; it is here where archeological finds, unparalleled in Southeast Asia, were unearthed.

The annual Binuyugan Festival is celebrated in May. Maitum is also a food basket famous for its rice and dried fish.

For nature lovers, Maitum offers an unspoiled rainforest.

Features
Total Land Area – 32, 435 hectares
Member – MAKIMA Industrial Triangle
Finalist  – Galing Pook 2007 (Forest Research and Learning Center Category)
National Awardee ’03-Cleanest & Greenest inland body of water
Philippine’s Most Child Friendly Municipality of 2003
Kalaong Rubber Plantation in barangays Kalaong & Upo
Pre-historic Archeological Finds (Burial Jars) in Ayub Cave
White Water River Tubing in barangay New La Union
Unspoiled Rainforest
One Town One Product (OTOP): Processed Fish (marinated flying fish, dried fish, fish sauces & paste)
Bangsi Festival (last week of January)
Binuyugan festival every (last week of May)

Investment Opportunities
Aquaculture and Fish Processing Industry
Industrial Tree Plantation
High Value Crop Production
Industrial Estate & Techno Parks
Light Manufacturing Industries
Telecommunications Development
Alternate Port Zone Development
Real Estate Projects
Tourism Development Projects

MALAPATAN

The place is ideal for coco-based estate and eco-villages for its expansive coconut farms and scenic shoreline.

Coastal villages lined with fishing grounds also serve as anchorage for big fishing boats. This town is also known for shipbuilding industry.

Features
Total Land Area – 62,456 hcetares
RD Prawn Farm in barangay Kawas
Finfish Hatcheries Inc. in barangay Lun Masla
SANACOR Prawn Farm in barangay Lun Padidu
RD Finishing Industry in barangay Lun Padidu
Fish Cages in barangays Sapu Padidu, Sapu Masla and Tuyan
Eco-Cultural Site (Mangrove Areas)
One Town One Product (OTOP): Tinagtag and other ethnic delicacies
Pakaradyan Festival (21st of June)

Investment Opportunities
Mari-culture Parks & Inland Fisheries
Industrial Tree Plantation
High Value Crop Production
Boat-making Industry & Auxiliary Services
Light Manufacturing Industries
Telecommunications Development
Post-Harvest Facilities Projects (Cold Storage)
Real Estate Projects
Tourism Development Projects

MALUNGON

Sarangani’s only landlocked town is the leader in high-value commercial crops and top producer of sugarcane in the province.

It is one of DOLE Philippines’ major sources of banana and pineapple. Malungon also produces asparagus. Its 18-hole Golf Course and Country Club at Pulatana, Malandag provides fast service for visitors breaking free from the city life’s drudgery.

Features
Total land area – 89, 663 hectares
Mango Capital of Sarangani
Dole Phils., Inc – Stanfilco Division in barangay Malandag
Banana, Papaya and Asparagus Production
Davao Musatech Corp. in barangay Malandag
Tissue-cultured Banana Seedlings
La Hermosa Stock Farm in barangay Malandag
Top Producer of Corn & Sugarcane
Lamlifew Tribal Village in Brgy. Datal Tampal
(Tabih Weavers, Beaded Accessories & Dresses)
Busagan Falls in barangay J.P. Laurel
One Town One Product (OTOP): Fresh & Processed Mango – 3,841 has.
Slang Festival (15th of July)

Investment Opportunities
Industrial Tree Plantation
High Value & Industrial Crop Production
Livestock and Poultry Production
Light Manufacturing Industries
Telecommunication Development
Post-Harvest Facilities Projects (Cold Storage)
Real State Projects
Tourism Development Projects

P-Noy’s Sona-ta

Balitang Kutsero
By Perry Diaz

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE SAN PEDRO

My investigative reporter James Macaquecquec emailed me a draft of President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III’s 2011 State of the Nation Address (Sona).

James told me that the draft was leaked by an assistant of P-Noy’s scriptwriter, Mai-Mai. Remember her of Twitter fame or infamy?

But there’s a caveat – the document was not verified that it was indeed written by Mai-Mai.  Well, you be the judge.

The following is P-Noy’s draft Sona which seems to be more of a “State of the Nation Address – Tell All” or Sona-ta.  Here it is:

My dear shooting buddies, classmates, cronies, and my “boss” – the Filipino people.

P-Noy's 2010 Sona

And now that my first year has come to an end
I’m here to give you my report for the year-end
My friends I’ll say it clear
I’ll tell you all the things you’d want to hear.

It was a very exciting year
More than what I could bear
I traveled to many countries far and near
More than Gloria did in her first year.

Regrets I’ve had a few
But what the heck I’m just new
I did what I had to do
And learn as I go.

I thoroughly planned each junket
And budgeted it to save for my next junket
My only regret is that I could have traveled more
And beautiful chicks I could have met more.

I regret for not responding to the Luneta hostage fiasco
And I should have fired my shooting buddy Rico
It was his job to handle the murderous melee
But instead he chose to flee.

I regret for not getting involved in the Stradcom conflict
It made LTO administrator Virginia look like derelict
I should have fired my shooting buddy Virginia
Cuz’ she’s causing me headaches and hernia.

I regret for failing to free from China the Filipino drug mules
Convicted to death for violating their anti-drug trafficking rules
But to gain their freedom was too high a price to pay
Cuz’ trading the Spratlys for their freedom is out of the way.

And lastly, I regret buying a third-hand Porsche sports car
I enjoyed driving it around with my girlfriends near and far
But Juana Change lampooned me and my Porsche in a video hit
So I decided to sell it.

But what excites me more is meeting people
Especially women who are beautiful and noble
One of them would be the star
Who will be my bride to the altar.

I promise to do a good job in my second year
And promise that I’ll give you my ear
For there’s only one way that I can succeed
And that is to take your advice to accomplish my deed.

I made a lot of mistakes in my first year
Which I plan not to repeat in my second year
I’ll try to win my lost friends back
And work with them with a lot of tack.

I’ll try to keep the trust of my “boss” — the people
And I’ll work harder on the double
My goal is to make the people happy
And for me never again to be sloppy.

And to my critics I have this to say
You can attack me every hour of the day
But this I tell you: you can keep on ranting
Cuz’ you can’t dent my 64% approval rating.

Yes, there were times I’m sure you all knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But I faced you all
And I stood tall and I did it my way.

I made a lot of boo-boo
And my enemies call me a dodo
But they can say all they want to say
Cuz’ I always did it my way.

Yes, it was my way.

NOTE: I just heard from James that his source told him that P-Noy rejected the Sona-ta written by Mai-Mai and that P-Noy decided not to tell all and only give a narration of all the good things he did in his first year.

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

Seven Wonders of the Philippines

1. Banaue Rice Terraces

The Banaue Rice Terraces (Tagalog: Hagdan-hagdang Palayan ng Banawe) are 2000-year old terraces that were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as the “Eighth Wonder of the World“. It is commonly thought that the terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 ft) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe.

The Banaue Terraces are part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, ancient sprawling man-made structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old. They are found in the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet,Mountain Province and Ifugao, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. Tubbataha Reef

Tubbataha Reef is anatoll coral reef located in the Sulu Sea of thePhilippines. It is a marine sanctuary protected as Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park. It is nominated at the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

Tubbataha is located in the Sulu Sea, 98nautical miles (181 km) southeast of Puerto Princesa City in the PalawanProvince. The reef is made up of two coral atolls divided by an eight-kilometer (5 miles) wide channel. The South Atoll, the smaller of the two is five kilometers in length and three kilometers in width; while the North Atoll, the larger of the two is 16 kilometers (10 miles) long and five kilometers (3 miles) wide.(Knipp 22) Each reef has a single small islet that protrudes from the water. The atolls are separated by a deep channel 8 km (5 miles) wide.

3. Chocolate Hills

The Chocolate Hillsare an unusual geological formation in Bohol, Philippines.According to the latest accurate survey done,^{[citation needed]}there are 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometres (20 sq mi). They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence the name.

The Chocolate Hills are a famous tourist attraction of Bohol. They are featured in the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attractions in the province. They are in the Philippine Tourism Authority’s list of tourist destinations in the Philippines; they have been declared the country’s 3rd National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

4. Taal Volcano

Taal Volcano is acomplex volcano on the island of Luzon in thePhilippines. It is situated between the towns of Talisay and San Nicolas in Batangas. It consists of an island in Lake Taal, which is situated within a caldera formed by an earlier, very powerful eruption. It is located about 50 km (31 Miles) from the capital, Manila. It is one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines, all part of the Pacific ring of fire.

5. Mayon Volcano

Mayon Volcano, also known as Mount Mayon, is an activestratovolcano in theprovince of Albay, in the Bicol Region, on the island of Luzon, in thePhilippines.

Renowned as the “perfect cone” because of its almost symmetrically conical shape, Mayon forms the northern boundary of Legazpi City. Local folklore refers to the volcano as Bulkang Magayon (Filipino: ‘Magayon Volcano’), after the legendary heroine Daragang Magayon(Bikol: ‘Lady Beautiful’).

On October 13, 2008 it was included in New 7 Wonders of Nature Top 10 list. However, it did not make the cut to the Top 25 finalists, giving way to thePuerto Princesa Subterranean River, another site in the Philippines.

6. Boracay

Boracay is an islandof the Philippines located approximately 315 km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the WesternVisayas region of thePhilippines. In 1990, it was voted by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook as one of the best beaches in the world and again in 1996 by British publication TV Quick as the world’s number one tropical beach.

The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up the municipality of Malay), and is under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the Provincial Government of Aklan.

7. Hundred Islands

The Hundred Islands National Park(Pangasinan: Kapulo-puloan or Taytay-Bakes) is in theprovince of Pangasinan in northern Philippines. It is located in Alaminos City,Pangasinan. The islands (124 at low tide and 123 at high tide) are scattered along Lingayen Gulf and cover an area of 18.44 square kilometres (4,557 acres). They are believed to be about two million years old. Only three of them have been developed for tourists: Governor Island, Quezon Island, and Children’s Island. The islands are actually ancient corals that extend well inland, in an area previously comprising the seabed of an ancient sea. Lowering sea levels have exposed them to the surface and the peculiar “mushroom”-like shapes of some of the islands have been caused by the eroding action of the ocean waves.