When it comes to food, the Philippines has it all – a fabulous combination of foreign cuisine plus its own delicious delicacies.
Background
As a result of its successful blend 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 food that is totally different from neighboring Asian countries such as Thailand, China, Korea, and Japan.
Some people say that Filipino food is tasteless compared to other Asian foods, especially hot and spicy Thai food. However, eliminating the hot spices allows Filipino food to develop its own delicious flavor without the irritating and irritating sting of hot red chili peppers. The very smoothness of Filipino food makes it suitable for people with sensitive and appreciative 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 merienda, which literally means “snack.” However, these “sandwiches” are usually as filling as the 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 chances are you’ll find vendors selling everything from barbecue sticks to balut – boiled, unhatched chicken or duck eggs.
Filipino restaurants come in many forms, from small roadside stalls or canteens 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 fiery pork dish; Pampanga for its Tocino, a honey-cured pork; Leyte for its sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves (although now common throughout the Philippines). If you travel to different regions of the Philippines, you will want to try the local specialties; you will be pleasantly surprised.
Main courses
Many dishes are named to describe the way they are cooked. For example, the marinade is meat stewed in vinegar and garlic; kilawin is raw seafood; sinigang is sour soup.
Here is a small list of Filipino culinary delights:
Dressing: probably the most popular dish in the Philippines. It is pork and / or chicken (sometimes seafood and vegetables) cooked in vinegar and spices.
Rice Broth: the Philippine version of Chinese Congee: a rice soup thick with chicken and flavored with ginger and garlic. It is usually served with a splash of calamansi.
Bangus: the national fish of the Philippines, milkfish. It is usually cooked on the grill and is often served boneless.
Bull: Beef 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 made with vegetables, meat or seafood.
Lechon sa Kawali: Fried pork.
Crispy potato: Fried pork leg with very crispy skin.
Kinilaw: Raw seafood, marinated with vinegar or calamansi juice.
And of course there are famous Filipino desserts. Here are just a few:
Halo Halo: (Known as the Queen of Desserts) – An exotic mix that includes fruits, veggies, coconut, all colorful stacked under shaved ice and topped with some ice cream.
Bibingka: a popular pudding dessert made from ground rice, sugar, and coconut milk.
Cassava cake: made from ground cassava, a starchy root similar to sweet potato.
World cuisine
The Philippines is also a showcase for world cuisine. You don’t have to go far to find food from other Asian countries as well as the best from Europe, America, and even Australia.
And the Philippines hasn’t missed out on fast food chains, either. Here you will find McDonald’s and KFC, 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 it leans towards traditional Filipino tastes.
And there’s Max’s restaurant, “The House That Built Fried Chicken,” which has been in business since 1945, even longer than the KFC franchise.
There you have it! The Philippines has it all … rich history, nightlife, tropical islands, white sand beaches, its own delicious cuisine, and even western fast food chains.
All this awaits you around the corner. Come and find out now!