Food and Drink: Tea Culture

Drinking tea at the market

Tea with ginger

Serving tea

History

Tea was originally brought to the Philippines by Chinese immigrants and later continued to find a market through Spanish colonization. However, tea has never gained as strong a foothold in the Philippines as it has in many other Asian countries. This can possibly be attributed to the cultural divisions between Chinese immigrants, Spanish colonials, and native Filipinos. Another factor may be coffee. When coffee was introduced and cultivated during Spanish colonization, it became (and continues to be) the hot drink of choice in the Philippines. While tea is widely available, Filipinos who do enjoy tea are more likely to do so because of its health benefits.

Cultivation

Tea is not grown in any large quantity in the Philippines, even though the islands have the climate for it. However, Filipino officials have spoken with the Chinese government about sending Chinese tea experts to the Philippines to help grow and cultivate tea there. The Filipino government hopes that these tea plantations on the island of Mindanao can help diversify the Filipino agricultural sector.

Popular Varieties

Although tea is not incredibly popular in the Philippines, there are still a few local favorites. For example, salabat (tea with ground ginger) is often enjoyed during cold months and is used as a cure for several common illnesses. Milk tea and bubble tea have also gained popularity in recent years. Tea in the Philippines is most commonly served over ice.

How It's Enjoyed

Although it is certainly not ubiquitous, merienda is a fairly common social gathering in the Philippines. Brought over by Spanish colonists, this afternoon snack and social gathering time is similar to many European afternoon teas. Both sweet and savory snacks are served during merienda, and guests socialize, play games, and drink coffee or tea. It can take place with small amounts of food as a break between lunch and dinner or with a larger variety to take the place of the evening meal.

Interesting Facts

Instant and bottled teas are popular in the Philippines, but the country has not quite embraced artisanal tea yet. Specialty tea houses have struggled to find business and failed to grow in the Philippines.