EP 25: Writing the Philippine Food, Cooking and Dining Dictionary with Edgie Polistico

from Exploring Filipino Kitchens · host Nastasha Alli

This episode we chat with Edgie Polistico, author of the Philippine Food, Cooking and Dining Dictionary. From growing up in Leyte to travelling across the archipelago - and eating everything along the way - Edgie shares his journey to writing what I consider one of the best resources on contemporary Filipino food culture.

What this episode covers

Show notes 01:40 87 entries on adobo 06:25 Growing up in Leyte 07:55 Edgie's high school 10:00 On English instruction and summer vacations 12:40 His first Cebuano-English dictionary 14:50 An "accidental lexicographer" 16:30 Moving to Tacloban 18:50 Starting with source code 20:15 Edgie's digital dictionary, circa 1995 21:25 "It wasn't the time" 22:10 On food and migration patterns 24:00 "Why not promote our food?" 25:50 What would it take to keep millions now home from COVID-19? 28:55 Edgie's digital dictionary, circa 2008 29:45 Trailing writers, libraries, markets 31:30 Embracing our inherent diversity 33:40 "We are regionalized" 34:15 From the highlands, coasts and plains of Luzon 36:00 Eastern and western Visayas 36:40 Tawi-tawi as a microcosm 40:45 Why Edgie goes to markets 41:30 What it takes to make a dictionary 44:15 Using ethnographic research 45:45 On verbal vs. written names 47:55 Pastil and Maranao cuisine 49:30 Culinary homonyms: patis, adobado, aratiles 51:55 "We are of different languages" 52:40 Finding our value/s 56:55 "What's been lost is still here"

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EP 25: Writing the Philippine Food, Cooking and Dining Dictionary with Edgie Polistico

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This episode was published on October 15, 2020.

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