This paper is an ethnographic account of the Cebuano hotpot dish, tuslob buwâ, literally, to ‘dip in the bubbles’, wherein ‘hanging rice’ (pusô) is dipped into a wok with a sizzling sauce. The dish became popular in the greater Cebuano community in the early 2010s when mainstream restaurants featured bizarre ingredients such as pork brains. The historical contexts of tuslob buwâ are traced from humble origins in the neighborhood of Pasil, to trending street food restaurants in Cebu City. The foci of this study are threefold: (1) the origins and evolution of tuslob buwâ, (2) effects of mainstreaming tuslob buwâ, and (3) the reimagination of tuslob buwâ as a Cebuano cultural item. Through qualitative research methods – both ethnographic and “netnographic” techniques – the research aimed to shed light on the crazed “Filipino fondue”, to dispel false notions about tuslob buwâ that have permeated popular culture and to empower the informal settler community of Pasil.
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