This is a transliteration into Tagalog of the Spanish word vianda, which is defined as “comida, especialmente carne y pescado” (food, especially meat and fish).
Though no longer commonly used in modern conversation, the word biyanda has its legacy — Filipinos now use the English equivalent “viand” as a translation for the native Tagalog word ulam. This use is so pervasive that many Filipinos do not realize how obscure the word “viand” is to English speakers.
