Time-honored praxis in preparing smoked meat delicacy (kinuday) of the ibaloy indigenous people in Benguet, Philippines

Abstract Every culture protects its indigenous knowledge and practices, distinguishing them from other cultures. A qualitative inquiry described the traditional processing methods in preparing smoked meat or kinuday, produced by the Ibaloy Indigenous Ethnic group in the Philippines. The saturation method was used to determine data sufficiency. Fifteen participants from the two Ibaloy-speaking municipalities of Benguet, Philippines served as the key informants for the study. Results show that Benguet native pork and rock salt are the usual raw materials for kinuday. Additionally, branches and trunks from locally available trees are utilized as smoking materials. Traditionally, meat is smoked on top of the cooking area called so-olan for one day, continuous to one month intermittent until fully consumed. Kinuday is attributed to the festivities performed by the Ibaloy IP group and the availability of the elements in producing the traditional food is the primary factor for continuing the practice. To ensure preservation and cultural transmission of traditional kinuday preparation practices, it is recommended that a formal documentary be developed and disseminated to various stakeholders.