The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Filipino Foods. If you manage to be in an Filipino restaurant or you are visiting Philippines, I recommend the following:
1. Isaw
Isaw is a popular Filipino street food made of marinated, boiled and grilled chicken and pork intestines, usually rolled and cut into a stick. Although pork cutlets are similar, they tend to be larger and firmer than the chicken version. Marinades are usually made with soy sauce, oil, tomato paste, garlic and spices. This dish is usually covered in a vinaigrette made with peppers and onions. As one of the cheapest Filipino street foods, the dish is so popular that there are even street stalls called isawan dedicated entirely to this special dish.
2. Lumpiang Shanghai
These are Filipino-style lumpias, spring rolls that are slightly different from what we are used to in Chinese restaurants. These rolls are prepared with ground beef, pepper, soy sauce, garlic, salt, a touch of hot sauce, carrots, potatoes, celery and onion, as well as the traditional lumpia wrapper. They may look different from traditional Chinese lumpias, but if you venture out to taste them, you’ll know what it’s like to encounter great flavour.
3. Balut
This dish consists of fertilised duck eggs or roe. The egg must be incubated until the foetus develops feathers and a beak. The eggs are then fertilised with live embryos. Oddly enough, Balut is considered a delicacy. The food is sold at street stalls and served with an alcoholic drink, usually beer. They said it tasted like chicken or duck eggs. Most balut eaters use a salt shaker to add a few grains of salt as they eat, and some add chilli or vinegar to the eggs.
4. Proben
It is a satisfying Filipino snack and one of the most popular street foods. It is made with an unusual chicken organ ingredient called gizzard, which in many ways resembles a chicken gizzard. After a quick dusting of flour, the pieces of gizzard are fried until golden brown and crispy on the outside. The snacks can be found in many traditional streets and markets, and are often made by street vendors who throw large quantities of fresh proben into street food stalls. Although they can be eaten on their own, bagged or skewered versions are often served with a spicy vinaigrette or sweet chilli sauce.
5. Pancit Bihon
This dish originates from China and is very popular in this country, especially for its quick preparation. It consists of stir-fried noodles sautéed in a wok with bits of chicken, pork belly, peppers, green beans, cabbage, garlic and onion. This is definitely one of those dishes that you won’t get tired of trying, as it is prepared in a variety of ways, so you can try different versions of this dish, each one better than the last. There is a purely vegetarian version, another with pork, beef and so on, each with a spectacular flavour that will dazzle your palate.
6. Taho
Taho is a type of snack in the Philippines. It has a pudding-like texture. The toppings include a sweet brown syrup called arnibal and sago pearls. You will often see street vendors early in the morning selling taho on the streets. The white pudding part of taho is actually tofu. It is called soft silken tofu because of its smooth texture and shiny appearance. The brown syrup or arinibal is made from brown sugar and water. Vanilla extract can also be added to the syrup for better results.
7. Kwek Kwek
Kwek kwek, a popular street food in the Philippines, are hard-boiled quail eggs in orange batter that are deep-fried and served with a sweet and sour sauce. The thick batter is made of flour, cornstarch and water with achiote powder, which gives the dish its bright orange colour. The hard-boiled quail eggs are beaten well and fried until crispy. The most important condiment in kwek kwek is hot sauce, which is made from vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, chilli and sometimes tomato sauce, and is often used as a sauce. Many street vendors sell kwek kwek eggs, as well as other delicious fried Filipino snacks such as fish or squid balls.
8. Bibingka
Bibingka, a sweet and savoury coconut rice cake, is a favourite in the Philippines. This dessert is especially celebrated during the Christmas holidays but remains a popular street food all year round. Although the cake is sweet, it is the flavour notes that make this dessert so special. Soft, fluffy and extra delicious with salted egg, cheese and shredded coconut topping, this classic Filipino treat is sure to please.
9. Espasol
Espasol are Filipino delicacies made from toasted rice flour and sweetened coconut milk. Soft and chewy, these rice cakes make a delicious snack or dessert. The mixture is flattened to the desired thickness, sprinkled with toasted rice flour to coat and then cut into bite-sized tubular or square shapes. Sticky rice cakes are usually wrapped in banana leaves or Japanese flimsies for serving.
10. Cascaron
Cascaron, sweet and chewy shells are a frittinese delicacy usually served with syrup. Commonly known as bitu bitsu, this traditional dessert is made from sweet glutinous rice flour, grated coconut and coconut milk. The dough is rolled into balls and fried until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Although they can be eaten as is, these tasty balls are often topped with a variety of sweet syrups, such as a simple sticky toffee sauce or the traditional Filipino latik, a creamy glaze made with coconut milk and sugar. The incredible variety of textures and the mild coconut flavour make cascaron one of the most popular Filipino desserts.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Asian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.