Ethnoscience: Chapter 15 - Case study in Tboli indigenous food system: ingredients, preparations, and nutritional components

This study examines the intricate links between culinary tradition, nutrition, and cultural wisdom among the Tboli people of Mindanao, using an ethnographic approach and the gastronomic systems research framework. A total of thirteen traditional Tboli dishes such as onuk nelut, onuk heklafak, onuk snóbów, kléngé snóbów, fak snóbów, ubi koyu, kleb, ubi, ubi koyu ndek, and lubed, among others were documented and analyzed not only as sources of sustenance but also as vessels of indigenous knowledge, seasonal adaptation, and community identity. At the heart of the Tboli food system are root crops, vegetables, chicken, fish, crabs, and foraged species, all minimally processed through boiling, steaming, or grilling, methods that retain both nutrition and cultural authenticity. Amidst rising fast-food culture and shifts in younger generations’ lifestyles, the Tboli traditional food system faces the threat of erosion. This study documents these foodways using a comprehensive, mixed-method approach, involving 219 participants from Tboli elders to local students and cultural experts. Nutritional components were analyzed against national standards, confirming that root crops and native chicken provide the community’s primary sources of carbohydrates and protein, with added nutrition from wild greens and aquatic species. The findings reveal not only the health advantages, lower fat intake, minimal processed additives but also the environmental sustainability embedded in local sourcing and culinary restraint. Ultimately, the Tboli culinary heritage, marked by its diversity and adaptiveness, emerges as a model of resilience and cultural continuity. By documenting, analyzing, and celebrating these food traditions, this work underscores their potential to inform nutrition security, environmental stewardship, and the preservation of cultural legacy in the face of modern dietary change.