If you are a foodie and love to eat, then you are going to like today’s topic. I’m going to tell you about a food eating ritual also referred to as a food competition called Boodle Fight!. They call it a “fight” because in essence, everybody grabs what they want as fast as they can and everyone eats with their hands, no utensils allowed.
So what is the history behind the boodle fight and how did it come to be that a meal is eaten in such a manner? This Filipino practice originated from the Filipino military where large piles of food are displayed in a vast array across a very long table at the mess hall where hungry soldiers would dig in hastily devouring the food in front of them in an act of catching and consuming. “Kamayan”, in Tagalog translates to “by hand”, and describes the method of eating with your hands, which is commonly used during a boodle fight where you share a meal with friends and family.
In the boodle battle, all types of culinary delights are served on top of a long table lined with banana leaves. This kind of consumption requires you to make use of your hands with no help of utensils or even plates to transfer your food on to. While eating with your hands might seem like a primitive way of consuming food in the west, it’s a very much accepted way of eating in the Philippines. To this day, it is still culturally accepted and considered common practice in many parts of the world including the Philippines and in many Filipino Canadian and American households as well. However, in restaurants you most likely will see Filipinos use utensils as it is more customarily accepted when eating out in public or at a restaurant.
As a dinner guest at a boodle fight feast, you would not be provided with any utensils and invited to “fight” for your portion of food. Should you ever get to experience such an event, one would think it a monstrosity, however, the event is a long-standing customary type of fun festivity for many Filipino occasions. Its a fun way to build comradery and share a meal amongst friends, family and colleges.
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