Filipino food may not be for everyone and popular as Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, however, having more than 7,000 islands, this exotic archipelago has some delicious local dishes that every foodie would love.
The
food in the Philippines is much more than the favourite street food yet staggering
balut, a boiled duck embryo eaten from the shell.
A
typical Philippine meal usually consists of seafood, rice, soy sauce, vinegar, pork and noodles, while tropical fruits such as mango, aratiles, durian, rambutan and lanzones tickle your taste buds in whole new ways.
Having been colonized by the Spanish for 333 years and the Americans for 48, there is no wonder why
Filipino food and culture is a mystifying mix of these cuisines and former residents, ranging from Malaysian and Indonesian, to Indian and Chinese.
That being said,
Filipino cuisine is diverse and huge, with a thriving street food scene with a plethora street vendors offering local delicacies, it is easy to get confused about what to eat when in the Philippines. However, these are a few
must-try local recipes to have in mind.
Philippine adobo, originated from Mexico, is the most usual food of locals and you will find it literally everywhere from
Manila to
Taguig City to
Boracay to
Cebu. It is a popular dish in Filipino cuisine that involves either meat (often chicken and pork), or seafood, or vegetables marinated in vinegar, salt, pepper, soy sauce, garlic. This cooking process was also found by Filipinos that it was an excellent way to preserve food without refrigeration.
Lechon, a very popular and delicious pork dish to try especially in
Cebu and
Manila! Especially Cebu Island is known for offering the tastiest version of Lechon which needs no sauce! The stomach of the pig is filled with star anise, pepper, spring onions, laurel leaves and lemongrass.
Fish tinola, a perfect dish for seafood lovers in
Cebu! It is a soup-based dish made of the freshest fish flavoured with onions, tomatoes and tamarind sauce while it is prepared over firewood for hours.
Balut, a controversial traditional delicacy in the Philippines that is actually a fertilized bird egg, usually a duck, that is boiled or steamed while it is eaten directly from the shell. Balut eaters in the Philippines prefer balut with salt, chilli, garlic and vinegar.
Other popular delicious dishes include mechado (larded beef in soy and tomato sauce), longganisa (type of Philippine sausage), pinakbet (kabocha squash, eggplant, beans, okra, and tomato stew with shrimp), pancit (noodles), lumpia (fresh or fried spring rolls), puchero (beef in bananas and tomato sauce), and afritada (chicken or pork with tomato sauce and vegetables).
As for desserts, the islands’ tropical climate has led to the creation of a wide diversity of sweets made from rice and coconuts. Bibingka is a must-try hot rice cake, usually topped with butter, white cheese, salted duck eggs or grated coconut. While biko (glutinous rice sweets), bitsu-bitsu (pinoy donut), kutsinda (brown rice cake), and halo-halo (cold dessert made of ice and milk) are also yummy desserts to satisfy your palate for something sweet!