Arsenic and Adobo

Content Warning: This section of the guide describes and discusses the source text’s treatment of fatphobia.

In Arsenic and Adobo, The Importance of Food emerges as a central theme, illustrating the interplay between culture, comfort, and individuality. While Tita Rosie’s food is initially framed as the murder weapon, food ultimately becomes a tool for building community and expressing emotions amidst bigotry, ignorance, and even murder.

The arsenic-laced rice serves as a pivotal moment that highlights the thematic exploration of food as emblematic of culture. Throughout Arsenic and Adobo, author Mia P. Manansala spotlights traditional Filipino dishes and food customs. For example, Adobo is one of the dishes that Tita Rosie makes in her restaurant. It is usually made with meat, but she makes a vegetarian version for Adeena. At the end of the book, Manansala includes a recipe for chicken adobo. Throughout the novel, the reader learns about Filipino food culture, such as how they “don’t use chopsticks in the Philippines” (10). When Mr. Long tries to frame Rosie’s restaurant for Derek’s death, he calls in an anonymous tip about arsenic in the rice. However, the tip mentions a type of rice that wasn’t used in the food Derek ate before he died.