When it comes to food, the Philippines has it all: a fabulous mix of foreign cuisine plus its own mouth-watering delicacies.
Background
As a result of its successful mix of Eastern and Western cultures and cuisines, the Philippines is considered the melting pot of Asia. Filipino food is the result of Malay, Spanish, and Chinese influences dating back more than 400 years. These influences, combined with Filipino ingenuity, have created a variety of foods that is totally different from neighboring Asian countries like Thailand, China, Korea, and Japan.
Some people say that Filipino food is bland compared to other Asian food, especially hot and spicy Thai food. However, removing the hot spices allows Filipino food to develop its own delicious flavor without the overpowering, dazzling hotness of red hot chili peppers. The very blandness of Filipino food makes it suitable for those with appreciative and sensitive taste buds.
Filipinos love to eat and like other Asian countries, rice is the staple food and is served with most meals. Filipinos typically eat three main meals a day, plus a morning and afternoon tea called a merienda, which literally means “snack.” These “snacks,” however, are often just as filling as main meals.
In the Philippines you cannot escape the temptations of food; you are literally surrounded by it. Take a stroll along the beach and you’ll likely find vendors selling everything from barbecue sticks to balut: hard-boiled, unhatched chicken or duck eggs.
Filipino restaurants come in many forms, from small roadside stalls or cantinas to large restaurants like The Seafood Market in Ermita, where you choose not only your seafood, but also how you want it cooked.
regional variety
Many regions of the Philippines are famous for specific foods: Bicol is famous for its Bicol Express, a spicy pork dish; Pampanga for its Tocino, a honey-cured pork; Leyte for its sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves (although this is now common throughout the Philippines). If you travel to different regions of the Philippines, it will be worth trying the local specialties, you will be pleasantly surprised.
Main courses
Many dishes are named to describe the way they are cooked. For example, adobo is meat stewed in vinegar and garlic; kilawin is raw shellfish; sinigang is sour soup.
Here is a small list of Filipino food delicacies:
Adobe: probably the most popular dish in the Philippines. It is pork and/or chicken (sometimes seafood and vegetables) cooked in vinegar and spices.
Broth Rice: the Filipino version of Chinese Congee, a thick chicken rice soup flavored with ginger and garlic. It is usually served with a splash of calamansi.
Bangus: Philippines National fish, milkfish. It is usually grilled and often served boneless.
Bulalo: Veal shank on the bone with marrow and vegetables.
Caldereta: Goat meat stew.
Canton Pancit: Noodles with pork and vegetables.
Chicken Tinola: Stewed chicken cooked with ginger, onion and garlic, and served with vegetables.
Sinigang: Sour soup with tamarind and patis (fish sauce). The soup can be vegetable, meat or seafood.
Sa Kawali piglet: Fried pork.
crispy potato: Fried pork leg with a very crispy skin.
Kinilao: Raw seafood, marinated with vinegar or calamansi juice.
And of course there are famous Filipino desserts. Here are some:
halo halo: (Known as the Queen of Desserts) – An exotic concoction that includes fruits, vegetables, and coconut, all colorfully stacked under crushed ice and topped with a drizzle of ice cream.
Bibinka: a popular pudding dessert made from ground rice, sugar, and coconut milk.
Cassava cake: made from ground cassava, a starchy root similar to sweet potatoes.
world cuisine
The Philippines is also a showcase of world cuisine. You don’t have to go far to find food from other Asian countries and the best from Europe, America and even Australia.
And the Philippines hasn’t missed out on fast-food chains, either. You’ll find McDonald’s and KFC here, as well as the Philippines’ own fast-food chain, Jollibee. Jollibee is an American-style fast food chain, a pseudo combination of McDonald’s and KFC, but leans towards traditional Filipino tastes.
And there’s Max’s Restaurant, “The House That Fried Chicken Built,” which has been in business since 1945, longer even than the KFC franchise.
So there you have it! The Philippines has it all…a rich history, nightlife, tropical islands, white sand beaches, its own delicious cuisine and even western fast food chains.
All this is waiting for you just around the corner. Come and find out now!