IV FRENCH INFLUENCES IN THE 1898 MALOLOS BANQUET

IV

FRENCH INFLUENCES IN THE 1898 MALOLOS BANqUET

French influences are very much evident in the 29 September 1898 Malolos Banquet which celebrated the ratification of the Declaration of Philippine Independence by the representatives of the Malolos Congress.

About two hundred guests were sent invitations to the banquet by La Comisión de festejos del Gobierno Filipino (the Commission on Festivities of the Philippine Government) to what would be a veritable feast of French cuisine. Guests were invited to attend both the lunch and dinner.

Designed by Arcadio Arellano, the menu card presented to the guests is shaped as a Philippine flag when folded and had the Spanish phrase “Solemn Ratification of the Philippine Independence” printed on its cover. The surviving copy of the Malolos Menu, found in the collection of the Museo de Oro at Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro,40 is small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.

Figure 208. Invitation card to the 29 September 1898 Malolos Banquet issued by the Commission on Festivities of the Philippine Government. The invitation was issued on 26 September 1898. (Retrato Collection of the Filipinas Heritage Library)

Figure 209. The Malolos Menu Card resembled the Philippine flag.

Unfolded, both the lunch and dinner menus would have the words—Libertad, Igualidad, and Fraternidad—albeit written in Spanish, but singularly the motto of the French Republic. French was then used for both the lunch and dinner menus to describe the distinctly French dishes and wines the guests were offered during the banquet.

Figure 210. The Malolos Menu Card unfolded. (Museo de Oro at Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro)

The dishes were prepared by pastry maker Juan Padilla and cook Emilio Gonzales.41 The lunch menu consisted of seven appetizers, followed by six main dishes, five kinds of dessert including cheeses. Four types of wines were served as well as two kinds of liqueurs and finally, coffee, and tea.

Figure 211. Malolos Banquet Lunch Menu Card (Retrato Collection of the Filipinas Heritage Library)

APPETIZERS

OYSTERS – SHRIMPS – RADISH WITH BUTTER – OLIVES – LYON SAUSAGES – SARDINES IN TOMATO SAUCE – SALMON WITH HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

MAIN COURSES

STUFFED CRAB SHELL FILLED PASTRY SHELLS À LA FINANCIÈRE (with cockscombs, chicken kidneys, chicken quenelles, veal sweetbreads, mushrooms, olives and truffles)

TAGALOG-STYLE CHICKEN GIBLETS

MUTTON CHOPS EN PAPILLOTE WITH POTATO STRAWS

MANILA-STYLE TRUFFLED TURKEY

BEEF FILLET À LA CHATEAUBRIAND (with a butter, wine, shallot and mushroom sauce) WITH GREEN BEANS

COLD HAM WITH ASPARAGUS STALKS

DESSERT

CHEESES – FRUIT – JELLIES STRAWBERRY JELLY – ICE CREAMS

WINES

BORDEAUX – SAUTERNE – SHERRY – CHAMPAGNE

LIQUEURS

GREEN CHARTREUSE, COGNAC

Figure 212. Malolos Banquet Dinner Menu Card. (Museo de Oro at Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro)

The dinner offering for the guests was less than that of the lunch but, it was still quite substantial. Guests were served soup, a light dish, four appetizers, followed by a roast, salad, and vegetables, some ice cream, cheese, fruits, and jellies. The meal was paired with four types of wines and capped by a choice of three liquors, coffee, and tea.

The use of French cuisine and French language in the menu cards was not accidental. France was the center of diplomacy and culture at that time and the use of French influences in the banquet can be considered as General Emilio Aguinaldo’s subtle political message to the world that the fledgling Philippine Republic had arrived.

Dinner Menu

SOUP CHICKEN CONSOMMÉ À LA ROYALE

AFTER-SOUP COURSE FISH IN WHITE SAUCE

APPETIZERS PHILIPPINE-STYLE CROQUETTES CHICKEN SAUSAGE À LA RÉPUBLIQUE MARBLED BEEF PIGEONS WITH MUSHROOMS ROAST BROWN CAPON (A typical French holiday fare of roasted male chicken which has been eunuched at 6 to 7 weeks old to ensure that the meat is tender)

SALAD SEASONAL SALAD

VEGETABLES STUFFED EGGPLANTS SAUTÉED GREEN BEANS

PALATE CLEANSER PARISIAN MOCHA ICE-CREAM

DESSERT CHEESE–FRUIT–JELLIES

WINES BORDEAUX–SAUTERNE–SHERRY–CHAMPAGNE LIQUEURS GREEN CHARTREUSE–COGNAC–ANISETTE

COFFEE AND TEA