Chef Jam Melchor is keeping Philippine food heritage alive through his new cookbook “Kayumanggi,” a colorful collection of 150 recipes from various parts of the archipelago.
“Every sip and every bite into a Filipino meal underscores the ways we can celebrate and keep alive what we like as Filipinos, what we admire, and what we respect in Filipino heritage,” shared food historian, writer, and educator Felice Prudente Sta. Maria during a speech that honored the launch of Kayumanggi: A Kaleidoscope of Filipino Flavors and Food Traditions, a new cookbook by Chef Jose Antonio Miguel “Jam” Melchor.
Jam, the talented Kapampangan chef behind the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement (not to mention among those responsible for making Filipino Food Month a reality), has worked tirelessly to pass his knowledge and appreciation for Philippine cuisine to the next generation through his endeavors, the latest of which is a spiral-bound book containing 150 tried-and-tested recipes of beloved dishes from all around archipelago.
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An Exploration Of Flavors
Kayumanngi is a collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry Philippines (DTI), a passion project that’s been over a decade in the making. Jam descends from a family of cooks and foodies—a natural expectation, given that his birthplace, Pampanga, is one of the country’s most vibrant culinary capitals.
He went on to earn a diploma from the American Hospitality Academy, before opening Villa Café in 2011 to serve heirloom Kapampangan recipes. In 2012, he launched Bite Contemporary Cuisine, which placed organic ingredients and sustainability at the forefront. Most notably, he also served as the private chef to U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Loss Carlson, who attended the intimate book launch hosted by Newport World Resorts at Sheraton Manila Hotel.
“You [Jam] are a leading figure in the new generation of chefs bringing food from this archipelago to tables everywhere, a true ambassador for the Philippines to diners around the world,” she expressed during a speech.
In a world where most people follow recipes online or through social media videos, it’s refreshing—and yes, nostalgic—to have a printed cookbook like Kayumanggi. It keeps things simple yet engaging with clear ingredient lists and instructions, colorful illustrations, and of course, little tidbits of information about every dish, from mouth-watering sinigang na baboy (pork soup with a sour broth) to crisp lumpiang sariwa (vegetables shrouded in a crêpe-like wrapper, served with a sweet-savory sauce). The book also features sections on the essentials of a Filipino kitchen, as well as basic cooking techniques, so beginner cooks can easily find their footing.
The book launch was accompanied by a special menu featuring these very recipes, artfully executed by the culinary team at Sheraton.
More Than A Cookbook
The old adage rings true: you are what you eat. Cooking and tasting a country’s dishes are some of the best ways to understand its complex cultures, every dish an amalgamation and iteration of inherited traditions.
Given our long and rich history, Filipino cuisine is more than a tantalizing set of sour, salty, rich, and bold meals: it’s a living, ever-evolving map that traces the ways in which our ancestors have remained resilient amid colonization, globalization, food shortages, natural disasters, and the like. Every recipe is a continuing thread, its existence a testament to the fact that someone out there loved it enough to pass it on and ensure its survival.
“Kayumanggi serves as a guide for future generations, ensuring that the beauty of Filipino cuisine is cherished and never underutilized,” the chef shared. The project aims to foster a sense of pride and identity among Filipinos, hence the title “kayumanggi,” a reference to the rich brown skin tone many Filipinos possess and ought to be proud of.
The book is designed as a nation-building project that’s accessible to all, that’s why the chef—with support of DTI and his backers—will be giving all copies away for free in April 2025 (Filipino Food Month) through orders placed via official social media channels. More details will follow.
To learn more about the project and Philippine food heritage, and to receive more updates, follow Chef Jam Melchor on Instagram @chefjamme, and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement on Facebook.
For more information on Newport World Resorts, visit www.newportworldresorts.com and follow @newportworldresorts on Facebook and Instagram, and @nwresorts on X.
Photos courtesy of Newport World Resorts (unless specified).
