The History Behind Your Favorite Filipino Foods (And How to Include Them in Your Wedding)

If you're planning a wedding with Filipino traditions at its heart, you might be dreaming of a menu that features the rich, vibrant flavors of Filipino cuisine. Whether you’re in the Philippines or a part of the Filipino diaspora, food holds a special place in Filipino weddings, connecting families and honoring heritage through every dish. Filipino cuisine, after all, is a mosaic of cultures, blending indigenous roots with Spanish, Chinese, American, and Japanese influences. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the evolution of Filipino food, the beloved dishes that often grace wedding tables, and creative ways to incorporate them into your celebration.

Dishes Rooted in Filipino Indigenous History

Before the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, early settlers cultivated crops like rice, root vegetables, and fruits. Lechon, adobo, sinigang, and kare-kare, which are staples of Filipino cuisine, originate from these indigenous ingredients and cooking methods. These dishes have become the foundation of Filipino food culture.

Lechon

Though the name “lechon” comes from Spanish for “suckling pig,” roasting whole pigs was already an indigenous practice in the Philippines before the Spanish arrived. Lechon is the ultimate showstopper at any Filipino wedding. Representing prosperity and celebration, the whole roast pig is an impressive centerpiece, making it popular at Filipino banquets. If a whole lechon is too much of a production, lechon kawali (deep-fried pork belly) presents a simpler, equally delicious alternative that still delivers big on flavor.

Traditional Wedding Ideas:

• Serve a whole lechon as the centerpiece of a buffet.

• Set up a lechon carving station.

• Include lechon kawali as an appetizer.

Fun Twists:

• Offer late-night lechon sliders or tacos, topped with atchara.

• Instead of a cake-cutting ceremony, have a lechon-cutting ceremony where the couple carves the first slice.

Adobo

Adobo is considered an unofficial national dish of the Philippines. Similar to lechon, the name “adobo” sounds Spanish, but the cooking method is indigenous. Long before Spanish colonizers arrived, Filipinos had already been stewing meat in vinegar, salt, and spices. The high acidity helped preserve food in the country’s warm, tropical climate. When the Spanish saw this method, they called it adobo, their word for “marinade.” While chicken adobo is the most popular, adobo is incredibly versatile. It can be made with other meats, vegetables like eggplants, and even seafood. 

Traditional Wedding Ideas:

• Serve a classic adobo entrée with rice and atchara.

Fun Twists:

• If the bride’s family and groom’s family have different adobo styles, serve them side-by-side.

• Serve bite-sized chicken adobo on a crispy rice cracker for cocktail hour.

Kakanin (Rice Cakes)

Kakanin are rice-based cakes made with coconut milk, sugar, and sometimes other ingredients like sweet potatoes or cassava. Before modern ovens, kakanin were steamed or cooked over coals in banana leaves, a method that gave them their signature smoky aroma. Families and neighbors often gathered to prepare them for fiestas, weddings, and harvest celebrations, turning the act of making kakanin into a joyful, communal ritual. Their sticky texture is often said to represent togetherness and unity—making them a natural fit for weddings, where they symbolize the sweet, enduring bond between two people and their families.

Traditional Wedding Ideas:

• Set up a dessert table with an assortment of traditional kakanin—such as bibingka, suman, sapin-sapin, and puto—arranged on woven trays lined with banana leaves.

Fun Twists:

• Make kakanin-inspired dessert shooters by layering sapin-sapin or biko in small glass cups with coconut sauce or ube halaya.

• Send guests home with kakanin wedding favors, packaged in banana leaves.

Spanish Dishes Reimagined in Filipino Cuisine

When Spain colonized the Philippines in the 16th century, the Spanish brought with them new ingredients such as tomatoes, garlic, and onions, and new cooking techniques like braising. Dishes like menudo and caldereta (hearty beef stews) became popular as a result of Spanish influence.

Paelya

Paelya is a Philippine rice dish adapted from the Spanish paella. Traditionally cooked in a wide pan, paella was a communal dish meant to be shared. Over time, Filipino cooks reimagined the dish with local ingredients and flavors, giving rise to the uniquely Filipino paelya. Instead of saffron, which was expensive and rare, they often used atsuete (annatto seeds) to achieve its signature golden color. Local rice replaced imported varieties, giving a softer, stickier texture. In some regions, paelya was even cooked in banana leaves for a subtle smoky flavor—turning a Spanish delicacy into a proudly Filipino celebration food.

Traditional Wedding Ideas:

• Include paelya as a show-stopping centerpiece of your dinner buffet.

Fun Twists:

• Serve paelya in individual banana-leaf cups for cocktail hour.

Empanadas

Spanish colonizers brought the idea of stuffed pastries filled with meat and vegetables. Filipinos quickly adapted the recipe using local ingredients—often swapping wheat flour for rice flour and adding the signature touch of sweetness with raisins or a hint of sugar in the dough. Regional versions emerged across the archipelago: Ilocos empanada with green papaya and longganisa, Batac empanada fried crisp and golden, and Vigan empanada with a deep orange rice-flour crust. Each variation reflects local tastes and ingredients, showing how Filipinos made this Spanish import truly their own.

Traditional Wedding Ideas:

• Serve empanadas with classic picadillo-style filling (ground beef, potato, onion, and raisins) as hand-held starters.

Fun Twists:

• Bring out empanadas as a late-night snack. They’re easy for guests to bring to the dance floor!

Filipino Dishes Influenced by Chinese Traders

Centuries after Spanish colonization, Chinese traders began arriving in the Philippines, bringing with them soy sauce, tofu, and noodles—ingredients that would become essentials in Filipino kitchens. Their culinary influence blended seamlessly with local flavors, giving rise to enduring favorites like pancit and lumpia. Even today, Chinese-inspired dishes remain a staple at Filipino celebrations and wedding banquets, symbolizing abundance and good fortune.

Pancit

Pancit has become one of the most beloved staples in Filipino cuisine since early Chinese traders introduced noodles to the country. Pancit symbolizes long life and prosperity, making it especially fitting for weddings. The long noodles represent longevity, while the colorful mix of vegetables, meats, and seafood reflects abundance and harmony in marriage. Pancit has many different versions from different regions of the Philippines. Some use egg noodles, like pancit canton, while others use rice noodles like pancit bihon. All of them are delicious!

Traditional Wedding Ideas:

• Include your favorite pancit as part of your reception dinner.

Fun Twists:

• Feature a late-night “pancit party” station for guests to enjoy a comforting midnight snack before heading home.

Lumpia

A staple at many Filipino gatherings, lumpia is a crowd favorite that wins over Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike. The origins of lumpia trace back to Chinese spring rolls, brought to the Philippines by traders centuries ago. Over time, Filipinos made the dish their own by adjusting flavors and fillings to local tastes. The word “lumpia” comes from “lunpia” (Hokkien for “soft cake”), a nod to its Chinese roots and the centuries of culinary exchange between the two cultures. Crispy lumpia, or lumpiang shanghai, might steal the spotlight, but we have a soft spot for fresh lumpia too.

Traditional Wedding Ideas:

• Include lumpia as an appetizer or cocktail snack.

Fun Twists:

• Set up a dedicated lumpia table with different kinds of lumpia and dipping sauces. Think crispy and fresh lumpia with different fillings, and sauces like sweet garlic, banana ketchup, and spicy vinegar.

Taho (Silken Tofu with Syrup)

Taho is a beloved street food made of soft silken tofu, syrupy sweet arnibal (caramelized sugar), and chewy sago pearls (similar to tapioca pearls). The dish has its roots in Chinese cuisine but has become deeply embedded in Filipino culture. On the streets of the Philippines, the taho vendor is a welcome sight, peddling taho from two aluminum buckets balanced on a pole. It would also make for a sweet and unique dessert at a wedding. 

Traditional Wedding Ideas:

• Set up a self-serve taho bar for dessert.

Fun Twists:

• For a late-night snack, pass around cups of taho. Bonus nostalgia points if they’re served from aluminum buckets!

How American Staples Became Filipino Comfort Food

When the United States colonized the Philippines in the early 20th century, a wave of new ingredients and cooking habits entered Filipino kitchens. Canned goods like Spam, condensed milk, and corned beef became pantry staples, while American-style condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce found local adaptations. The era also popularized fast food and sweet-savory flavor combinations, leading to beloved comfort foods like Filipino-style spaghetti.

Banana Ketchup

Banana ketchup is a Filipino favorite, made from mashed bananas, sugar, vinegar, and spices. Due to the scarcity of tomatoes in the Philippines during World War II, bananas were substituted for the condiment. Banana ketchup is sweeter and thicker than American ketchup, and it’s red-tinted with food coloring. It’s now a nostalgic flavor for many Filipinos, pairing perfectly with fried chicken, lumpia, and even spaghetti.

Traditional Wedding Ideas:

• Offer fried appetizers like lumpia or crispy chicken bites with banana ketchup for dipping.

Japanese Touches in Filipino Flavors

During the 1920s and 1930s, Japanese immigrants brought new flavors and cooking techniques to the Philippines, introducing sushi, tempura, and condiments like wasabi and soy sauce in different styles. Rich stews like kare-kare incorporated subtle seasoning and preparation methods inspired by Japanese cooking, while refreshing treats such as halo-halo reflected techniques for layering textures and flavors, like shaved ice desserts popular in Japan.

Halo-Halo

The name halo-halo literally means “mix-mix” in Tagalog, and that’s precisely what you do with all the sweet ingredients inside: beans, fruits, jellies, ice cream, and more, all topped with evaporated milk. It’s a colorful, fun, and refreshing treat that reflects the Philippines’ cultural diversity.

Traditional Wedding Ideas:

• Hire a halo-halo vendor (with a professional ice shaver!) for a nostalgic dessert station.

Fun Twists:

• Set up a halo-halo ice cream bar, where guests can build ice cream sundaes with halo-halo toppings. We recommend using only ice cream instead of shaved ice for a self-serve buffet, because your titas will complain if the shaved ice isn’t fresh!

• Include a cocktail inspired by halo-halo during happy hour.

Why Filipino Food is Perfect for Weddings

Filipino food is a celebration of tradition and creativity. Each dish—from lechon to pancit to halo-halo—carries a story of heritage and family, yet Filipino cuisine has always evolved, blending influences from indigenous, Spanish, Chinese, American, and Japanese flavors. Your wedding is the perfect place to continue that evolution: honor beloved classics while adding your own twists, creating a feast that is uniquely yours and unforgettable for your guests.