Detailed Guide to Local Cuisine of the Philippine

By: Sharwin Tee

CONTENT:

 Origins of Philippine Cuisine

 Influences of Filipino Food

 Basics of Food from the Philippines

 An Introduction to Filipino Dishes

 Luzon Dishes

 Adobo

 Sinigang

 Sisig

 Pinakbet/Pakbet

 Pancit

 Laing

 Halo Halo

 Visayas Dishes

 Lechon

 Batchoy

 Inasal

 SuToKil

 Mindanao Dishes

 Inihaw na Panga

 Piyanggang Manok

 Sinuglaw

 Barbecue

 Discover Filipino Cuisine for Yourself

Discover the different local dishes in the Philippines. What really is Filipino food?
What are some Filipino dishes that are simply must try? Why do both celebrity
chefs Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern think so highly of it? Consider this
an introductory dive into one of Southeast Asia’s most unique cuisines – Filipino
food.

While the cuisine of the Philippines is one of the world’s most distinct, giving momentum to
the numerous culinary and food tours in the country, it had, until lately, been quite
mysterious that it’s prone to misunderstanding or misrepresentation. To understand why it’s
important to understand its background and its multiple influences.

Origins of Philippine Cuisine

Some would like to call Filipino food as, “one of the world’s earliest fusion cuisines,” and while
that may be true up to a certain point, it may also be an oversimplification. Most Filipino
dishes began with their creators making use of whatever ingredients they could find (usually
within a 1-2 mile radius) and creating a dish from those ingredients.

With the Philippines being one of the world’s largest archipelagos, Filipino cuisine is highly
local and regional. This not only means that there are hundreds (if not thousands) of
individually different dishes but also there are some Filipino dishes served throughout the
country, but often have different preparations and even names.

Influences of Filipino Food

Philippine cuisine has several foreign influences that have successfully melded with local,
indigenous cuisine. Indigenous Filipino food is heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine, brought
along by the various traders and later on, Chinese immigrants mainly from Fujian region of
China and the Cantonese.
Filipino food is also heavily influenced by the cuisine of its different colonizers like the
Spanish, who ruled the Philippines for 300 years, the Americans, who ruled the Philippines
for a number of decades, the Japanese, who ruled a few years during World War II, and the
British for a couple of years (bringing along Indian workers with them).

There are also Mexican influences as workers and traders from the galleon trades brought
ingredients and dishes to Philippine shores. Plus, there are native food from the country’s
Islamic regions, which were influenced by the neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

By virtue of it being local, regional, seasonal and being influenced by a number of different
foreign cuisines, cataloging Filipino dishes is a little bit of challenge, especially for foreigners.
This also means that it is difficult to truly define Filipino food in just a few sentences but there
are some basics to give you a clearer picture.

Basics of Food from the Philippines

1. Most Filipino dishes are named for cooking techniques and not specific ingredients or
dishes. For example, the dish adobo refers to the technique of stewing in vinegar with
peppercorns and bay leaf.

This means saying adobo could mean a host of different dishes. When ordering, it’s better to
be more specific like chicken pork adobo or adobong pusit (squid adobo).

2. Unlike the rest of Southeast Asia, Filipino food is rarely spicy. Instead, most Filipino dishes
are a combination of salty, sour, sweet and bitter. Most of the spicy dishes are found in just
2 main regions, the province of Bicol and in the Muslim areas of Mindanao

3. Among the flavors, sourness is the most prevalent in Filipino food. Filipinos draw sour
flavors from 3 main sources, fruits, leaves and fermentation.

4. The Philippines has one of the most varied selections of vinegar in the world. Varieties
include coconut sap, pineapple, sugar cane, palm, and banana among others.

5. The cuisine is best enjoyed with rice. Filipinos enjoy each and every meal with one form of
rice or another, even snacks and breakfast.
6. Filipinos could eat as much as 5-7 times a day. Early breakfast, breakfast, morning snack,
lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and pulutan (small bites while drinking beer or hard liquor).

7. Filipino cuisine encourages the use of sawsawan or dipping sauces. This is usually a
combination of calamansi (Philippine lime), soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, onions, garlic and
chilies.

8. Traditionally, Filipino food is best enjoyed using hands in place of utensils. This practice is
called kamayan.

9. Filipino cuisine employs some unique condiments, including banana

catsup, bagoong or guinamos and buro. Banana catsup was developed in light of the
unavailability of tomatoes and is used to enhance a lot of fried dishes.
Bagoong is fermented shrimp or fish paste and its strong pungent flavors are used to
complement some of the milder tasting dishes like grilled squid or Kare Kare (ox tail peanut
stew). Buro, meanwhile, is rice fermented with shrimp or fish and is a great complement to
fried fish or raw greens like mustard leaves.

10. Food is such a big part of Filipino culture that you are usually greeted with, “Kumain ka
na ba?” (Have you eaten?) and regardless of your answer, the host will usually still bring you
food, especially if you visit someone’s home.

An Introduction to Filipino Dishes

Filipino cuisine, as explained above, is both regional and local. What this means is there are
literally thousands of dishes to try which, even with accomplished gourmands, is a tall order.
This is why culinary and food tours in the Philippines are popular for travelers,
especially first-time visitors.

Here are a few from each of the 3 major regions to get you started. Take note that a lot of
these dishes are now available beyond the regions or provinces they are known for.

Luzon Dishes

Cuisine in Luzon vary based on the regions but they all are easily identified by the ingredients
that are local to each destination. The most popular culinary destinations in Luzon are
Pampanga or the Culinary Capital of the Philippines that serves a mix of savory dishes.

The Bicol region is known for spicy foods that infuses coconut milk. Here are some of the
most notable dishes that you can try in this part of the country.
Adobo

Usually, among the first to be mentioned when talking about Filipino food, adobo refers to the
cooking method of stewing in vinegar, peppercorns and bay leaf. Most of the modern
versions add soy sauce but there are plenty of regions in Luzon alone that don’t add soy
sauce.

The most common things cooked adobo style are pork, chicken (or both together), squid and
even vegetables, and these are easily available throughout the country. The earthiness of
the bay leaf and peppercorns play well with the brightness of the vinegar and it makes for a
hearty lunch or dinner.

Variations include the addition of turmeric in the Batangas, fish sauce in the Cavite version,
coconut milk sometimes found in the Bicol region, annatto seeds in Iloilo or even pineapple
in some homes. Adobo can come with the braising liquid as a sauce or with the braising liquid
reduced until it’s almost a glaze.
The running joke is that there are as many adobo recipes as there are islands in the
Philippines (over 7000) but actually, there could be more since almost every Filipino family
has an adobo recipe they treasure.

Chef’s Tip: Adobo is best enjoyed with rice and it is also lovely with some freshness to cut
through the richness like fresh sliced tomatoes, jicama or green mangoes.

Sinigang

Sinigang refers to a soup soured by a sour fruit or leaf. Usually, sinigang can be pork, beef,
salmon or shrimp cooked in a broth with vegetables like kang kong (swamp cabbage), radish,
Chinese long beans, tomatoes, and onions.

As for the souring agent, the use of sour fruits largely depends on seasons. Most of Manila
and Luzon use tamarind or kamias, while Pampanga uses guava.

Meanwhile, to the south in Iloilo, Visayas they use libas to sour the broth. Most areas in Luzon
love to cook the broth very sour, which makes it an excellent mouthwatering appetizer.

Chef’s Tip: Locals enjoy sinigang also with rice, and some create a dipping sauce of fish
sauce and calamansi to dip the meat, seafood and veggies in.
Sisig

It has become one of the most popular dishes in Filipino cuisine, with versions of it being
served internationally to rave reviews. Sisig, which originated in Pampanga, has undergone
quite an evolution through the years and that has left it as one of the most misunderstood
dishes.

The word “sisig” comes from an old Filipino word “sisigan,” which translates as to “munch on
something sour”. Early indications are that the first version of sisig could be a sour salad of
chopped vegetables, onions and chili. Sisig “Matua” (meaning “old” in Pampanga) is a dish of
pig’s ears and face (maskara) with liver, onions, chilis all marinated in vinegar.

The most commonly enjoyed version of sisig, however, features pig’s ears and face and are
boiled and then grilled, chopped and served with onions, chili, liver and calamansi on a
sizzling platter.
The dish is a celebration of the interplay of the pork’s richness with the brightness of
calamansi and it is a wonderful celebration of textures of both tender and crunchy meat.
Meanwhile, modern interpretations have utilized chicken, squid or even milkfish as a main
protein while some have added egg to the dish.

Chef’s Tip: Sisig was actually first considered a pulutan (something to eat while drinking)
but now it is also enjoyed with rice. Whatever the occasion, though, it is still best enjoyed
with beer.

Pinakbet/Pakbet

One of the more humble Filipino dishes, pakbet, is a vegetable stew that usually consists of
eggplant, string beans, okra, bitter melon and squash and it is usually flavored with bagoong
(strong shrimp paste or fish sauce). As with all Filipino dishes, other vegetables may be
substituted and depending on the region.

Pinakbet can be a stew which you can easily find in almost every province or it can have a
more soupy quality like the ones from Northern regions like Ilocos and Pangasinan.

With its humble ingredients, the dish is considered less glamourous, but millions of Filipino
homes enjoy pinakbet with the interplay of salty, sweet and bitter flavors mixed in with the
umami from the shrimp paste.

Chef’s Tip: The addition of crunchy pork on top of the pinakbet makes it a more luxurious
dish.
Pancit

Pancit refers to noodles and it is one of the many dishes influenced by the trades with the
Chinese early in Philippine history. Like the adobo, there are hundreds, if not thousands,
of pancit varieties in the Philippines, depending on the region.

The most common would be the Pancit Canton, egg noodles stir fried with vegetables and
meat, flavored with soy sauce and/or oyster sauce. Pancit Bihon (rice noodles), Cha Misua
(angel hair flour noodles) or Pancit Sotanghon (vermicelli) are similar versions using
different noodles as base.

Other well-loved varieties include the Pancit Malabon and Pancit Luglog/Palabok which are
rice noodles served with a rich anatto tinted sauce with shrimps and pork cracklings and the
Lomi, thick egg noodles cooked with meat, shrimp and vegetables in thickened broth.

Just like the Chinese, a lot of Filipinos believe that noodles represent long life and so pancit
is served in almost every birthday celebration.
Chef’s Tip: Whatever pancit variety you’re enjoying, the dish always gets better with a
splash of calamansi juice to brighten up the flavors. Meanwhile, Pancit Habhab, a version
from Quezon is best enjoyed with vinegar and eaten with no utensils!

Laing

One of the more iconic dishes in the Southern Luzon region of Bicol, Laing is stewed taro
leaves cooked with pork, shrimp, chilies and coconut milk. The intense heat of the labuyo
chilies is mellowed by the coconut milk and the taro leaves that are dried first before being
stewed is made even richer with the addition of the pork. Pieces of cooked taro root may also
be added to make the dish more substantial.

Chef’s Tip: As with most Filipino dishes, Laing is best enjoyed with rice and it makes a great
tag team with some grilled pork belly.
Halo Halo

“Halo” is the Filipino word for mix and as the name suggests, this sweet treat is a mix of
preserved and sweetened fruits, legumes and gels served with crushed ice and usually,
evaporated milk. Halo could also refer to how to best eat this dish as you are expected to mix
all the ingredients up as you enjoy them.

Debating the exact ingredients of Halo Halo can lead to controversy, but it really depends on
the maker. Most versions would have multiple sweetened fruits or legumes like saba
(cardava bananas), sweet potato, chickpeas, white beans, nata de coco (coconut gel), kaong
(sugar palm), sago (tapioca pearls), halayang and ube (purple yam jam).

Modern versions also include a scoop of ice cream (usually ube flavored). Some popular
versions in Pampanga have as little as three ingredients underneath the ice while a version
in Cavite boasts of 12. Whatever the number of ingredients, Halo Halo is an excellent mixture
of sweetness and creaminess and never fails to be the perfect antidote to harshly hot
Philippine summers.
Chef’s Tip: Make sure to mix the ice quickly as the warm Philippine weather can melt the
crushed ice into one large, unwieldy piece.

Visayas Dishes

Some of the tastiest and most iconic Filipino dishes can be found in Visayas. When you think
of lechon or roasted whole pig, Cebu's lechon comes to mind as the best in the country.

The majority of destinations in Visayas are islands or are located near coastlines, that's why
fresh seafood in this island region is also a must-try. Check out the most iconic dishes in this
part of the Philippines:
Lechon

A celebration dish, lechon is found on almost every feast and party in the Philippines. Lechon
refers to the method of cooking meat on a spit over an open flame, so it can refer to a whole
pig or just the belly, calf, goat or even chicken.

The most common version enjoyed by Filipinos remains to be Lechon Baboy or whole roast
pig. While a lot of countries do whole roast pigs, Filipino masters called “Lechoneros”, have
mastered the art of cooking them.

Mastering both hand turning the spit and moving the charcoal constantly throughout the
cooking process, they are able to achieve an even, smooth browning of the skin, giving it a
beautiful caramel colored sheen and keeping it crunchy (even 8 hours after they are cooked)
while the meat inside is moist and tender.

There are many regions that boast of making delicious lechon but the lechons from Cebu are
enjoying the most publicity now, and with good reason.
Whole pigs have heaping amounts of lemongrass, onions and garlic sewn into the belly with
sea salt rubbed all over the pig, making it a fragrant and flavorful dish that does not need any
sauce. If one absolutely has to insist, it can be enjoyed with a spicy vinegar dipping sauce.

Chef’s Tip: Outside of the pig, many regions in Visayas (and Mindanao) do Lechon Karnero
(whole roasted lamb) which is also best enjoyed without sauce.

Batchoy

Batchoy is one of the Philippines’ most popular noodle soup dishes that features egg noodles,
beef and pork meat, liver, marrow and intestines, in a pork and beef broth with a hint of
guinamos (shrimp paste). As if that’s not rich enough, fried garlic and chicharon (fried pork
rinds) are added.

The broth is an exercise in rich umami flavors with the tender meat adding substance to the
freshly made egg noodles. Naturally, the best place to try batchoy is in its birthplace, Iloilo,
particularly in La Paz.

Chef’s Tip: Batchoy is best enjoyed with puto (steamed rice flour bread) or breads like Pan
de Sal or Pan de Leche.
Inasal

The most popular version of Inasal is chicken marinated in ginger, vinegar and lemongrass,
skewered and then grilled over open flame. As they are grilled, they are brushed with oil
flavored with garlic and annatto seed.

With inasal places, you can enjoy not only the traditional meat of paa (thigh and leg) or petso
(breast and wing), but also the other parts including the baticolon (gizzard), corazon (heart),
atay (liver) and isol (butt).

The vinegar ginger marinade infuses the chicken with lots of flavor and the smokiness that is
imparted by the charcoal flame make this dish more flavorful than normal grilled chicken.
Bacolod is the ultimate place for inasal lovers as they even have a row of inasal restaurants
affectionately called, “Manukan Country.” (chicken country).

Chef’s Tip: Inasal is best enjoyed by making a sawsawan (dipping sauce) which can be a
combination of soy sauce, vinegar, chilies, calamansi and minced garlic.
SuToKil

SuToKil is actually not just one dish but three dishes that are usually enjoyed together. “Su”
or “Sugba” refers to grilled and it’s usually a grilled whole fish or other seafood like scallops
or shrimps. “To” or “Tola/Tinola” refers to a ginger soup, in this case a ginger and fish soup,
and “Kil” or “Kilawin/Kinilaw” refers to raw seafood marinated in vinegar and citrus.

Together, they give the diner 3 different ways to enjoy fresh seafood, giving them 3 vastly
different textures and flavor profiles. Numerous places in Cebu still specialize in serving only
SuToKil.

Chef’s Tip: While places specializing in SuToKil are a little bit harder to find now, most
places serving Filipino food in the Visayas region, especially those near the water, would
have all three dishes that can be ordered separately.

Mindanao Dishes

Another island region in the Philippines blessed with access to the freshest seafood is
Mindanao. Because of its close proximity to other Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia
and Indonesia, dishes in Mindanao are also influenced by their cuisine. Here are some
must-try dishes when you're in Mindanao:
Inihaw na Panga

Inihaw na panga refers to grilled tuna collars and it has become a staple in Mindanao,
particularly in Davao, where most Filipino grill restaurants have it on the menu. While a lot
of the Philippine tuna meat is sold internationally, a lot of the collars remain in the country
and locals have taken quite a liking to them.

Grilled simply with maybe just a splash of calamansi and a touch of salt. The meat from the
tuna collar is much more flavorful and moist than regular tuna meat and the additional
smokiness from charcoal flame makes the meat even more delicious.

Chef’s Tip: Panga is best enjoyed with a cold local beer and lively conversation.

Piyanggang Manok
Although a little harder to find, chicken stewed with blackened coconut meat and a
condiment called palapa (ginger, chilies and sakurab) until tender and then grilled, is worth
the adventure. Intense flavors from the chilies and ginger penetrate the chicken while the
burnt coconut surprisingly helps bring out the natural sweetness of the chicken.

Chef’s Tip: This is an indigenous Filipino dish that is mostly enjoyed by the numerous
Muslim tribes in Mindanao but there are now restaurants in Metro Davao, Zamboanga and
even Quiapo in Manila that serve this.

Sinuglaw

One of the most curious pairings in Filipino cuisine, Sinuglaw is a combination of grilled pork
(sinugba) and raw marinated fish (Kinilaw). The smokiness of the grilled pork belly combines
well with the sour vinegar marinade of the fish, cutting into the pork’s richness.

The dish, which is widely enjoyed in Davao, also has interesting textures from the cooked
pork, raw fish and vegetables like raw cucumbers and radishes.

Chef’s Tip: The addition of sea salt makes the flavors pop up even more and it adds more
texture.
Barbecue

Unlike its American counterpart, barbecue in the Philippines is meat, usually marinated pork
or chicken, skewered on sticks and grilled over charcoal. While marinades may differ
depending on the chef, it usually consists of lemon lime soda, soy sauce, banana catsup and
calamansi. The same marinade is also used to baste the meat as they are cooking.

Served in night markets in provinces like Davao and Tagum, it is one of those dishes that
would be sweet, salty, sour, spicy and bitter all at the same time, making it easily one of the
favorite dishes of many.

Chef’s Tip: Barbecue is best enjoyed with atcharang papaya (pickled raw papaya) to cut into
the richness of the meat.

Discover Filipino Cuisine for Yourself

 Filipino food’s
regionality, seasonality and locality make it a subject that can’t be explained in a few
examples and sentences, hence its latent mystery, but that is part of its charm.

There are gems to find in every trips and experiences in the Philippines and the list
above, while already impressive, is just a mere appetizer to get people started.

Filipino food is the perfect complement to the Philippines’ majestic views and the Filipino
people’s graciousness as hosts. While it may be impossible to try every version of adobo,
kilawin or batchoy, it is the most fun journey to try.

Go on a food adventure around the Philippines. Explore Philippines culinary tours

and activities that you can add to your itinerary and taste authentic Filipino food!

Additional Information
Philippine cuisine is unique to the Filipinos. It ranges from appetizing to savory and exotic.
The country, being an archipelago, is divided into three main islands namely Luzon,
Visayas, and Mindanao. You can find almost all the world cuisines in the Philippines—but
with a twist. Its taste is made suited to the Filipino palate. Actually, every region in the
country has their own version of certain dishes despite having specialties that are unique
to their area. But in this article, we will first discuss about the Northern Luzon cuisine,
which everyone, locals and foreigners alike, has always loved.

So if you’re planning on food traveling around the country, read on and you will be
acquainted to some. Let’s start at the northern part of the country. Northern Luzon
cuisine is known for its cooking methods that yield delicious results despite them being
very simple.

Must-Try Northern Luzon Cuisine

Ilocos
Here are some famous dishes in the Philippines that originated from Ilocos Region.

Pinakbet

Pinakbet is a well-known vegetable dish throughout the archipelago that originated from
Ilocos, consisting of mixed vegetables including string beans, bitter melon, eggplant,
okra, and squash flavored with bagoong (fermented shrimp). All veggies can easily be
obtained from the backyard of every resident while the bagoong is available in all public
markets. Learn how to cook this with our pinakbet recipe.

Dinengdeng

Dinengdeng is another authentic vegetable dish from Ilocos. It’s similar to pinakbet in a
sense that it uses several vegetable variants (more than 20 variants, actually), except
that it’s soupy and uses fried fish instead of bagoong.

Sinanglo

Sinanglao is a soup-based dish made from cow innards and flavored with kamias and bile,
boiled for a couple of hours until tender. This dish unique to Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.

Bagnet
Bagnet is a pride of Northern Luzon cuisine. Though originally from Ilocos, this crackling
chunk of fried pork is well known throughout the country for its deliciousness. To achieve
that blistered golden brown skin, the pork is fried twice for two to three hours. It can be
eaten alone, with a dip or mixed with other dishes. Whichever you like it, bagnet is sinfully
delicious. You can try your hands on our bagnet recipe.

Calasiao, Pangasinan
Being in one of the major agricultural lands situated near a body of water in the country,
Pangasinan has an access to a wide variety of products from these natural resources.

Puto

This particular rice cake is a regular food item in any market in the country. But the most
delicious of all puto is the Calasiao puto from Pangasinan. What makes it special from
other puto is it undergoes a fermentation process that lasts for several days.

Baguio
The place is dubbed as the Summer Capital of the Philippines due to its cool climate. And
while you’re there, don’t forget to get these two as pasalubong to your loved ones and
friends:
Sundot Kulangot

Sundot kulangot literally means picking boogers, but don’t be fooled by its name. The
orbs are actually coconut shells and inside it are sticky rice cake or kalamay made by
cooking glutinous rice with coconut milk and brown sugar. It’s a popular pasalubong item
in Baguio, Bohol, and other parts of the country.

Strawberries

Baguio is also famous for its vast strawberry farm. Vacation in Baguio is not complete
without tasting and experiencing strawberry picking.

Pampanga
For food travelers, put Pampanga on top of your bucket list as it’s the Culinary Capital of
the Philippines. The title was given to them because only rarely will you find a
Kapampangan who doesn’t know how to cook. Thanks to the Spaniards, the citizens of
Pampanga learned culinary techniques firsthand from great Spanish cooks and passed
down this expertise to their sons and daughter. Their dishes are one of the main reasons
Northern Luzon cuisine is well-loved by many.

Tocino
This popular sweet-salty pork dish is actually a native to the Philippines. And yes, it
originated from Pampanga.

Sisig

Sisig is the result of a failed barbecue recipe by Aling Lucing, a Kapampangan. The pork
barbecue was burned. To avoid wastage, she chopped it and mixed it with onion, chili,
chicken liver, Calamansi, and other ingredients. Today, sisig is a popular dish in the
country with various versions from other regions. One of those versions that many
Kapampangan use is grilling and frying the face mask and ears of the Lechon. You can
also read our pork sisig recipe here.

Leche Flan (using water buffalo milk)

This sweet treat is easily available anywhere, but what sets Pampanga’s leche flan apart
is that it’s richer and creamier because they use water buffalo milk instead of the usual
condensed milk. Read our easy-to-make leche flan recipe to learn how to cook one.

Longganisa

Longganisa is the Filipino version of chorizo. It can be made either with beef, chicken, or
tuna. Taste varies from each region. Provinces that have their own version of longganisa
are Vigan, Lucban, and Pampanga. Pampanga’s version is garlicky sweet.

Marzipans
Marzipan is made of ground almonds, egg whites, and sugar, a delicacy original to
Pampanga. Like what Northern Luzon cuisine is known for, marzipan is easy to make.

Tibok-Tibok

Another famous Kapampangan dessert is tibok tibok. It’s a rice pudding similar to maja
blanca, but instead of regular milk, carabao’s milk is used; and instead of corn/peanut
toppings, latik or coconut flakes are used.

Ensaymada
The original ensaymada is a type of bread that is soft, rich, not really sweet, topped with
queso de bola. It can only be found in Pampanga, although ordinary ensaymada is
easily accessible at any bakeshop in the neighborhood.

Bringhe

Another great-tasting Kapampangan delicacy is the bringhe. It’s the local counterpart of
arroz caldo. Glutinous rice is cooked in coconut milk, flavored with turmeric powder and
other ingredients for that distinct aroma. It is then covered with banana leaves until it’s
cooked. It’s a popular dish served during special occasions.