It's not so much that Filipinos eat rice. For most Filipinos, food IS rice; the ulam is there just to add a bit of flavor.

A thread.

Growing up, I've heard this dinnertime reminder: "Huwag puro ulam." Viands are rationed and eating almost sparingly, and there should be enough for everyone. But that there will not be enough rice for everyone is unthinkable.

Poorer families take it further: You eat rice with sabaw, or coffee, or even with a bit of salt. Even if you cannot afford ulam, rice is enough. A poor family knows they are truly in desperate poverty if they can no longer afford rice.

These days of the pandemic, news programs would sometimes features families asking for food assistance, showing how they survive with boiled saba (a starchy variant of bananas). It's heartbreaking to watch.

Rice should be served plain, the ulam to be added upon eating. We have flavored rice dishes—our paella and arroz valenciana—but they are often reserved for holidays and special occasions. And the family will STILL cook a pot of plain rice.

Rice isn't the staple food because it's a source of carbohydrates. Even other sources of starch and carbohydrates are eaten with rice. Noodles are eaten with rice. Potatoes are eaten with rice. Flavored rice dishes are eaten with plain rice.

Bread might be an exception. But bread is merienda, a snack. Bread isn't a meal.

Many middle class Filipinos are now exposed to world cuisine and can appreciate other ways of preparing food. Rice has ceased to be essential. But deep down into our brown Southeast Asian hearts is a craving for a steaming serving of plain rice.