A Meal Wrapped in Warmth
By Bianca Marie France E. Viadan | JULY 2026
Whenever people think about rainy days, it is not always about bracing storms. There were ordinary days when the gentle sound of raindrops tapping against our roofs and windows brings a quiet sense of comfort and stirs cherished memories from different chapters of our lives. Rainy season in the Philippines sometimes gives us reasons to stay indoors and enjoy bowls of steaming soup with our families, indulge ourselves with our cravings for that hearty stews and rich flavorful broths that have long been cherished as Filipino comfort foods that brings warmth inside our home during those gloomy weather.
The typical Filipino kitchen have always been lively, because cooking for the people we care about have always been the best way for us to express our love. Just like the sour and flavorful sinigang, the taste of its rich sour soup with its varieties of vegetable, weather it is made with pork, beef, chicken or shrimp, have its a way of easing the coldness brought by rainy season, on the other hand just like the sinigang, nilaga is not only a favorite dish served during new year’s day to wish for prosperity for the coming year but it is also one of our comfort dish when the raindrops is tapping against our windows. Tinolang manok have always been one of our favorite picks, not only because most of us love chicken dishes but it is also one of the easiest Filipino dish to cook yet one of the most savory and healthy dish that brings warmth during cold rainy nights. But of course, we Filipinos do not only cook warm broths to match it with rice, we also have macaroni chicken soup (sopas), my all-time favorite savory chicken macaroni dish that didn’t need to wait for rainy days to have the perfect excuse to cook it.
There are countless other Filipino comfort foods that deserve recognition and of them is the Bulalo, a rich, and savory beef soup that have flavorful versions in each provinces and regions in the country. Then there is the sweet and tasty champorado that is made from glutinous rice and cocoa typically served with milk and traditionally paired with dried fish. But for some Filipino families who couldn’t always afford those type of dishes, they still found warmth in simpler meals shared inside their homes. One of the most beloved is a steaming bowl of lugaw, a humble yet filling rice porridge that has long been a source of comfort, especially during difficult times. Growing up, it was one of my favorite comfort foods whenever our budget was tight but at times when our circumstances allowed us to spend a bit more, that simple bowl became even more special with the addition of a hard-boiled egg, and on better days, it was replaced by a comforting serving of chicken arroz caldo.
Comfort food becomes more than just something to satisfy our cravings and hunger, it is a kind of food that gives us warmth, nostalgia and togetherness no matter how modest some of those meals are. A bowl of warm soup, tasty broth, rich stew and spoonful of porridge carries priceless memories of home, family, and friends who have spent time with us while listening to the rhythm of the rain.
So the next time you hear the raindrops falling, and when the dark clouds fill the sky, take it as an opportunity to pause and slow down, to cook a warm food and gather the people you love because as we grow older, we will realized that those were the meals that became part of our most fondest memories, proving that comfort isn’t measured by extravagance but by the love and warmth shared around the table.
“Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.”
Leviticus 26:4
