SECOND-GENERATION CITY

FILIPINO CHEFS IN JACKSONVILLE BRING TRADITION AND INNOVATION TO THE TABLE

- LAUREN TITUS

JOJO HERNANDEZ 

OWNER, ABSTRAKT FILIPINO ESSENCE

THE HOME OF THE LARGEST FILIPINO POPULATION IN FLORIDA IS NOT MIAMI, TAMPA, OR ORLANDO. It's Jacksonville, the only big city in Florida, where the majority of immigrated residents are from Asia. With a community numbered at more than 25,000, Filipinos make up 35 percent of the city's Asian community, and about 12 percent of all Duval County immigrants.

An early influx of immigrants to the city began in the 1940s, when Filipinos were able to enlist in the Navy during World War II and move to the States due to the military ties the US has with the Philippines. The city's expanding health care industry has also provided opportunities for the Filipino medical community.

Yet up until recently, even with such a significant number of Filipinos in the area, the region had been lacking in restaurants featuring cuisine from the Philippines. Eating traditional dishes at home with their children to retain their culinary heritage has historically been important to first-generation Filipinos. Now, however, the Jacksonville dining scene is benefitting from an emerging influence of second-generation Filipinos eager to introduce the food they grew up with to a wider audience.

The first order of business may be to define Filipino food. While there are more than 7,500 islands in the Philippines, only about 2,000 are inhabited, leading to diverse regional variations and flavors. The cuisine has also been impacted by Spanish colonial rule that began in the 16th century, as well as other foreign cultural influences from China, India, and Britain. Geography also plays a role in the availability of ingredients found in each region of the country. It's no wonder that traditional Filipino dishes may vary from island to island and even from family to family.