Cooking and eating in the Philippines has traditionally been an informal and communal
affair centered around the family kitchen. Filipinos traditionally eat three main meals a
day: agahan or almusal (breakfast), tanghalían (lunch), andhapunan (dinner) plus an afternoon
snack called meriénda (also called minandál or minindál). Snacking is normal. Dinner, while still
the main meal, is smaller than other countries. Usually, either breakfast or lunch is the largest
meal. Food tends to be served all at once and not in courses. Unlike many of their Asian
counterparts Filipinos do not eat with chopsticks. Due to Western influence, food is often eaten
using flatware—forks, knives, spoons—but the primary pairing of utensils used at a Filipino
dining table is that of spoon and fork, not knife and fork. The traditional way of eating is with
the hands, especially dry dishes such as inihaw or prito. The diner will take a bite of the main
dish, then eat rice pressed together with his fingers. This practice, known as kamayan, is rarely
seen in urbanized areas. However, Filipinos tend to feel the spirit of kamayan when eating
amidst nature during out-of-town trips, beach vacations, and town fiestas.