'Fried is in, sugar is out': Philippines is 'fried food nation' this holiday season — study

MANILA, Philippines  — Here's a challenge, look at your holiday spread and count how many of the dishes are cooked fried? It is highly likely that there will be a number, and it only confirms a recent study that found out that sawsawan and breading and coating mix were the two products with the highest consumption rate in the Philippines. 

Packworks’ Sari IQ, in collaboration with sociocultural research firm Fourth Wall, did a comparison of data obtained from Sari IQ on December 1 to 14, between 2021 and 2022.

The result showed that among all holiday season products, packaged dipping sauce or “sawsawan” has the highest consumption rate, with a significant increase of  8%. Breading and coating mixed came second at 7%, while cooking oil, despite ranking in third place, remained statistically static with a 5% increase.

Fourth Wall Research Director Brylle L. Bae explained that at a sociocultural level, the Filipinos' preference for fried foods is because of their association to "sawsawan" and the culture it breeds. 

"The sawsawan culture epitomizes the communal nature of eating for us, Filipinos – that is, eating is more than just consuming good food, but forging long-lasting connections with others,” he said. 

Apart from these, products related to fruit salad remain favorites with Evaporated milk consumption increasing by 2%. Interestingly, other complementary fruit-salad ingredients experienced declines: Condensed milk (-1%), All-purpose cream (-11%) and Canned fruits (-16%).

Suprisingly, or not, sugar and seasonings consumption have gone considerably low at -9% and -33%, respectively. According to the study's researchers, this shows that Filipinos are becoming more conscious about their diet – even during the holiday season.

“Our analysis further suggests that on holiday seasons, Filipinos are willing to forgo salads and sweets, but they are struggling to let go of fried foods. The aversion to sugars and salads comes from high inflation, growing concerns on diabetes, and increasing health consciousness. Meanwhile, the propensity for fried foods comes from practical considerations (convenient and economical) but also from a much deeper sociocultural consideration,” Bae explained.

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