“Viand,” meaning “an item of food,” can be found in several language traditions. Going back to Latin, “vivere” means “to live,” and out of this came the Old French word “viande,” meaning “food.” In modern French, “viand” specifically means “meat.” In English, “viands” is an old-fashioned way to refer to a culinary dish — it’s usually plural because there will be multiple items. In the Philippines, a viand is a traditional dish served with rice that can be made of meat, seafood, or vegetables.