Must Try Traditional Filipino Foods

Last Updated on July 29, 2021 by Ed Joven

Traditional Foods You Want to Eat When in the Philippines

Visiting the Philippines anytime soon? If you are, you want to enjoy some of the fine foods that people have eaten there for generations. While some go on vacation and want to stick with their traditional favorites, you want the full experience in a great nation like the Philippines.

Enjoy Your Time in the Philippines to the Fullest

There are fantastic restaurants in the Philippines where you can enjoy this cuisine to its fullest. You can go in and taste traditional dishes that are fantastic, things that people enjoy in their everyday lives that are as tasty as it gets.

Teniel Castro, blogger for this comparison website, has collected this list of local dishes that foreigners like most when coming to the Philippines. By experimenting with the Filipino cuisine, asking friends, and collecting answers from few forums and blogs, these are the typical foods that any tourists should try no matter whether they visit Manila, Cebu or the smallest of villages in the PH.

Get Crazy with Your Experience

If you are planning on visiting the Philippines anytime soon, you may want to try an experience that is second to none. Instead of simply choosing a specific meal, why not try several options or let a spin of the wheel make the choice for you.

A great way to try the fantastic traditional foods of the Philippines is through food roulette. If you have never heard of this before, the food is placed on a wheel, which is spun and your meal of choice lands in front of you ready for you to eat.

This is a great way to get you out of your comfort zone and to introduce you to foods that are truly fantastic. You will be amazed at the fantastic dishes provided.

Now that you know how you can have a little fun with your dining experience, let’s talk about some great foods from the Philippines.

Adobo

This is a food that traces its roots to the days when the Philippines was controlled by the Spanish. Often made with chicken or pork, it combines several different types of spices, including both soy sauce and garlic, to give a fantastic taste. This meal has been altered over the years and can now be made with almost any type of meat, including seafood or lamb. In fact, you will find many who will only eat it with lamb.

Bopis

This dish is often found made in the Batangas region. It is a very spicy dish made of the lungs and hearts of pigs, sautéed in a mixture of chilis, tomatoes, and onions. Because of the ingredients, it can be quite spicy, and is not for the faint of heart or the queasy stomach.

Crispy Pata

This is another traditional dish that is made across the country. In crispy pata, portions of pig legs, including the knuckles, are deep fried and served with chili and calamansi flavored dipping sauces that are blended with vinegars and soy sauce. Again, this is another dish that can be quite spicy, but some use sweeter tasting chilis to soften the blow and make the taste a little sweeter to the tongue.

Daing na Bangus

If you are a seafood lover, then you will love Daing. This is made with fish, traditionally milkfish, and is a concoction made of dried, salted fish that is marinated in vinegar and garlic and then fried. Depending upon who serves this dish to you, you may find that it is marinated in an excessive amount of garlic. One of the interesting aspects of Daing is that it is made to have as much garlic flavor as one can stand.

Inasal na manok

I like this meat dish that is traditionally made in Negros Occidental. It is a grilled chicken that has been marinated in vinegar and is served with a dipping sauce made of atchara and a soy-vinegar blend. You will likely find that this is served with garlic rice.

Kaldereta

Another great regional dish is Luzon, which is made of pork, beef, or goat. The meat is simmered in a tomato paste or sauce and liver spread is added to it. It is a unique taste but one you are sure to enjoy.

Other varieties of Kaldereta:

Lumpia

If you are looking for a dish that has a very Southeast Asian feel to it, then Lumpia is a great one. This is a meat-vegetable dish that is rolled inside spring rolls and then deep or pan-fried. There are several different variations of this dish, especially when it comes to the types of spices, meats, and vegetables used. As a note, if you try this in one location and are not satisfied with the taste, do not just give up on it. You may come across another restaurant or café where they serve it a different way and will love it.

The Lumpia is similar to the South African biltong, a very tasty snack every traveler needs to try out. The biltong is also made from pork or beef and combines different spices. Many Philippines love this snack and if you've never tried it before, you definitely need to. You can visit this website for the recipe of this snack https://embersnacks.com/blogs/news/so-what-is-biltong
Here are some of the Popular Lumpia Recipes:

I could write an article with 100 dishes and barely scratch the surface of the fantastic cuisine that is traditionally served in the Philippines. However, you are sure to love these great treats.

Must Try Traditional Filipino Foods

Traditional Foods You Want to Eat When in the Philippines