Guardians of the Kitchen: The Role of Maranao Women in Preserving Traditional Culinary Knowledge in Marawi City

Traditional culinary hold significant weight within the cultural heritage of a society because food traditions carry learned information, societal values, and daily habits which are handed down across many years. Many researchers believe that the movement of learned information from elderly individuals to the younger generation is growing fragile among the Maranao people of Marawi City. Traditional culinary knowledge shows the cultural identity, the memory of history, and the shared ideas of the group while traditional culinary knowledge is kept safe through spoken words and physical labor. The current study looks at the working position of Maranao women in keeping traditional culinary knowledge safe. This study also investigates the practices that allow traditional culinary knowledge to move between generations. Guided by Foodways Theory and the concept of Culinary Cultural Heritage, the research employed a qualitative case study approach using participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions with Maranao women involved in traditional food preparation. Although these factors offer people difficulties due to the influence of urbanization and altered lifestyle, as well as displacement after conflicts, old-fashioned culinary knowledge remains preserved due to family knowledge, collaboration in communities, and food-related enterprises run by women. The research highlights the necessity of promoting such local projects that preserve, record, and delegate Maranao food heritage by giving them to future generations.

Maranao women, traditional culinary knowledge

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