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FILIPINO FOOD

A NATION-WIDE OBSESSION

Food has tremendous importance for Filipinos. Eating fewer than three meals a day (plus snacks in between) is seen as unnatural. Filipino food is not well-known outside the country, but is actually one of Asia’s most exciting cuisines—with plenty of variety, from simple grilled dishes to complex stews and delicious desserts. Trade and colonialization have resulted in Malay, Chinese, Spanish and American influences.

Filipinos will assume you’re unwell if you don’t partake in all five daily repasts. In between the three daily meals merienda (a snack) is eaten. Nearly a meal in itself, it consists of rice and other staples, along with a selection of sweet courses. There are no knives—spoons are used instead.

Steamed rice forms the basis of each dish, often accompanied by grilled fish and vinegar sauce. Seafood, including squid, crab and prawn, is particularly good, and readily available in most coastal areas. Sinigang, a delicious tamarind-based soup, features on most menus, while pancit (Chinese noodles) are also very common. Fried or barbecued chicken is another key staple, along with the ubiquitous pork. Adobo is the country’s national dish: a dish of pork or chicken stewed in soy sauce, garlic, bay leaf and black pepper. Lechón, roasted suckling pig, is enjoyed on special occasions.

One of the delicacies in Mountain Province in northern Luzon is pinikpikan, a chicken dish whose name translates as “killing me softly”. The chicken is beaten slowly with a stick until it dies; the blood rises to the surface, allegedly making the meat more tender.

The Bicol region in southern Luzon is famed for having some of the best cuisine in the country, with chili peppers and coconut milk featuring heavily in most dishes. The popular Bicol Express, named after a passenger train service from Manila to Bicol, consists of pork cooked in coconut milk, soy and vinegar with chilies. Another popular bicolano dish is laing, made with taro leaves simmered in coconut cream and served with chili peppers.

Vegetables do not feature as part of the main meal, and are often served as a side dish. Tropical fruits are available year-round, including durian, jackfruit, mangosteen, pineapple, bananas, sugar apple, watermelon and juicy mangoes, said to be the sweetest in the world.

Today, fast-food restaurants are ubiquitous (Jollibee is one of the most popular chains), and Coca-Cola is now consumed widely, a legacy of the American occupation.

Street food is popular among Filipinos at all times of day.

A woman sells an assortment of foodstuffs at a stall in Antipolo in Rizal province.

A young boy wearing a sombrero enjoys a refreshing coconut drink.

An assortment of foodstuffs at a street market in Taguig City, Manila.

In coastal areas seafood is often served on a banana leaf platter accompanied by a side of rice.

Children inspect lechón, roasted suckling pig that is a national delicacy.

A street food vendor lovingly prepares steamed corn on the cob at Mines View Park in Baguio.

A woman pours batter into individual cups as she prepares pastries.

Sundays see extended families gather together to enjoy one another’s company and feast on all manner of local dishes.

ADOBO PORK

Considered to be the country’s national dish, adobo is made with pork (as above) or chicken.

BALUT

Balut, a national delicacy, is traditionally sold as street food.

HALO-HALO

Made of shaved ice, evaporated milk and a motley of toppings, halo-halo is often enjoyed as a refreshing mid-afternoon snack.

CHICKEN AFRITADA

This popular dish is made of chicken cooked in tomato sauce with carrots, peppers and potatoes.

Filipino breakfast consists of longganisa (sausage), tocino (cured pork), and corned beef, while fruits, eggs and toast are also available in most hotels and restaurants. Street food typically includes deep fried or grilled meats or fish, often served on sticks—chicken feet and pig intestine are among the highlights.

The most popular snack is undoubtedly balut, partially boiled duck embryo. Typically sold by roadside vendors, it is allegedly an aphrodisiac—and not for the faint-hearted. The egg is cracked open and the salty broth (embryonic fluid) enjoyed before munching through the semi-developed egg. The veins, partially compressed beak and little wings are often visible, and it’s not uncommon to feel a brush of soft feathers as it slides down your throat. The egg is sometimes seasoned with salt, chili, garlic and vinegar. Rich in protein and cysteine, an amino acid that protects and breaks down toxins in the liver, it is said to be the ultimate hangover cure.

The nation’s most-loved dessert is the colorful halo-halo, a refreshing blend of shaved ice, evaporated milk and various toppings, including sweet beans, fruits and jello. Ice cream is very popular too, along with leche flan (caramel custard) and polvorón, a shortbread made with flour, sugar and milk.

SWEET AND SOUR FISH

This local classic is served on a bed of lettuce with cucumbers, carrots and tomato sauce.

LUMPIA

Also enjoyed in nearby Indonesia, lumpia semarang is a savory dish of thin pastry stuffed with vegetables and, at times, minced meat.

PANDESAL

An airy bread roll commonly dipped in hot coffee at breakfast time.

GINATAANG ALIMANGO

A deliciously creamy dish of crabs cooked in coconut milk.

PANCIT

Asian noodles were originally introduced by the Chinese and are now available in a number of variations.

LEEG NG MANOK

Grilled or deep-fried chicken neck is a popular type of street food sold on a skewer.

LECHE FLAN

Made of eggs, milk and soft caramel, leche flan is typically served at festive occasions throughout the year.

BIBINGKA

Traditionally enjoyed during the Christmas season, bibingka is a type of rice cake cooked in clay pots and paired with a variety of toppings, from cheese to grated coconut.

ISAW

A popular street food dish, isaw is made from barbequed chicken or pig intestines.