When Mangoes & Olives Met at the Philippine Table is the first book to document how ingredients, cooking methods, and cuisines from Asia, Europe, and the Americas converged in the Philippine archipelago from 1565 to the end of World War II. The adoption of culinary ingredients and practices, however, was not a one-way street. Growing wild locally was paho mango, which became a substitute for the olive that the Spaniards favored but could not avail of because it was unable to fruit in the Philippines. The colonists' cuisine was Filipinized just as foreign influences on Filipino island cuisines were nativized. 

Filipinos not only enjoy eating; they also cook, feed, and care for guests as a means of sharing joy. The historical evidence in this book reveals that whether the Filipino cuisine is served as street food, elevated to fine dining, or featured in a casual bistro, the pursuit and sharing of happiness have always been a central goal.