Javellana / Global Exchange: Glimpses of an 18 th Century Colonial Kitchen in Manila 35 Kritika Kultura 24 (2015): –088 © Ateneo de Manila University <http://kritikakultura.ateneo.net> Abstract It seems self-evident that Spanish cuisine inluenced Philippine cuisine. he similarity in nomenclature, some with toponyms, suggests such connection. To imagine that Spanish- inluenced dishes that Filipinos consume in today were exactly the same in the 18 th  century is to be oblivious of the complex evolution of Hispanic dishes, the result of colonial exchange and negotiation. he 1768 inventory of the Colegio de San José’s kitchen, an otherwise laconic list, is interpreted and brought to life with help of other studies, like that on food migrants by scholars, the late Doreen G. Fernandez, Dr. Isagani Medina and Corazon Alvina, which shed light on the ingredients available in colonial Philippines. he 18 th  century recipe book from Mexico by the Franciscan Gerónimo de San Pelayo, Libro de Cocina del hermano fray Gerónimo de San Pelayo gives us a glimpse of a kitchen in Mexico and suggests that the dishes in Fray Gerónimo’s recipe book could easily be replicated in the Philippines as almost all the ingredients were readily available in Manila. If not some subsitute could be found. Essential in cooking with some complexity and sophistication is the ability to control heat. he versatile carahay, or wok, a common implement in the San José kitchen, was ideal for that. It was used not just for stir-frying, but for dry roasting, steaming and boiling. Keywords Colegio de San José, friars and religious, Hispanic cuisine, Jesuit suppression papers,18 th  century foods and dishes About the Author Rene Javellana is currently on the Research and Creative Work track of the Ateneo de Manila University (2013-2015). He teaches the history of art at the Fine Arts Program of the GLOBAL EXCHANGE: GLIMPSES OF AN 18 TH CENTURY COLONIAL KITCHEN IN MANILA Rene B. Javellana, SJ Fine Arts Program Ateneo de Manila University rjavellana@ateneo.edu