Traditional Palaw'an Food Preparation Practices: Cultural Significance and Community Identity in Brooke's Point, Palawan

Traditional food preparation practices among indigenous communities are essential expressions of cultural identity, ecological knowledge, and social cohesion. This study explores the traditional food preparation techniques of the Palaw’an community in Brooke’s Point, Palawan, Philippines, focusing on Barangay Amas, Barangay Saraza, Barangay Malis, and Barangay Samariñana. Despite increasing scholarly attention to indigenous food systems, there remains limited documentation of specific culinary processes and their embedded cultural meanings within localized contexts. Addressing this gap, the study employed a qualitative case study design, utilizing semi-structured interviews and participant observation to gather in-depth insights from community members. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and cultural themes. The findings reveal that traditional dishes such as lut-lut, mel-mel, minel-mel, and arat-arat are central to Palaw’an cultural life, particularly during rituals, communal gatherings, and harvest celebrations. Food preparation is a highly structured and culturally regulated process involving techniques such as soaking glutinous rice, extracting coconut milk, and preparing purad—a fermented mixture critical for flavor development and preservation. Cooking methods rely on indigenous materials, including bamboo tubes, clay pots, and embers, demonstrating deep ecological knowledge and sustainable resource use. Moreover, these practices reinforce social structures, including gender roles, communal participation, and intergenerational knowledge transmission through observation and oral tradition. Ritual elements, such as food blessings and offerings, further emphasize the spiritual significance of food within the community. Despite challenges posed by modernization and environmental changes, the Palaw’an continue to preserve these traditions, reflecting resilience and cultural continuity. The study concludes that traditional food preparation among the Palaw’an is not merely a subsistence activity but a dynamic cultural system that sustains identity, strengthens community bonds, and preserves ancestral knowledge. It underscores the importance of safeguarding indigenous culinary heritage and recommends its integration into cultural education, heritage conservation, and sustainable tourism initiatives.