My Top 10 Filipino Food

Eating is an undying habit for the Filipino. If you’re a Filipino, and anyone who’s been to the Philippines must know how Filipino love to eat so much. Food has always played a huge part in Filipino culture, traditions and celebrations. They believe that food is more than just a physical nourishment, but also a way to make the family bond stronger.

With the influence of their rich history and traditional cooking techniques, Filipino cuisine has been tagged as the ‘next big thing’ to look out for in the culinary world. Most Filipino have the knack for combining flavors to their cooking that would reach their satisfaction and would probably result in simply delicious creations.

My parents both know how to cook so we are never exposed to the kitchen since we are little because it is them who always makes a meal for us. When my parents are in the house, we always have a full stomach since they always do magic to the food. Even if it’s just vegetables on the table, they would turn it to something special than the meat. And that is also the very reason why I never hated vegetables even when I was a kid.

I decided to write this article after having my lunch today. We are poor, yes, but it doesn’t mean that we aren't able to eat three meals a day. Well, having three meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) a day is part of the Filipino culture. And sometimes there would be afternoon and midnight meriendas (snacks). So, I decided to write this to point out my top 10 Filipino foods or my 10 most favorite Filipino foods.

1. Bulad (Dried Fish)

Bulad is a Visayan term for Daing or Tuyo which means dried fish. Bulad also means ‘staying out in the sun’, which is exactly what is done to the fish—sun-dried and being salted. They are usually split open but some also are not. This is also one way of food preservation here in the Philippines since ancient times. Bulad can be fried, grilled, cooked with tomatoes or escabeche.

When I was a kid, my mother cooked Escabecheng Bulad once and I instantly liked the taste of it. It has a mixture of saltiness from the dried fish and sourness from the tomatoes. A mouth-watering combination indeed.

And when it is either fried or grilled, it tastes better when it is dipped in vinegar. Pair it with rice and hot chocolate or coffee, and this will be a perfect meal.

2. Ginataang Gulay (Vegetables with Coconut milk)

Gata or coconut milk is basically a culinary gold, and cuisines that are cooked with gata are very famous in the Philippines. You see, we have so many coconuts here, especially in most provinces. And since I live in the countryside, I've already tasted many dishes that are cooked with gata. One of those dishes is my viand earlier in lunch today. Ginataang Langka.

Langka or jackfruit is mostly known as a fruit and it is sometimes mixed in Halo-halo, but it can also be cooked as viand when the Langka isn’t ripe yet. It is originally cooked with coconut milk, and I love it better if it is dipped in a soy sauce and vinegar.

Anything that is cooked with gata is bound to taste fantastic. Vegetables like squash and string beans, meat, or seafood such as shrimp and crabs that are cooked in gata really taste majestic. If you would try to cook something with gata in your home, better use an authentic coconut milk rather than those powdered and instant because their taste are very different.

3. Bagoong

Bagoong is one of the most famous Filipino foods. I liked it the most when it was cooked with some garlic, onions, vinegar, and lots of lots of tomatoes. It can be a snack to be paired with boiled bananas, sweet potatoes and mangos, but at the same time it can also be a viand in a meal with rice. My mother loves it so much that she doesn't feel like eating if it isn’t present on the table.

4. Adobo

Adobo is one of the Filipino dishes that would make you love the Philippines even more. It is made by stewing meat in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, onion, peppers, and bay leaves. You can make your desired Adobo by adding pineapples if you want a sweet and sour taste.

Originally, pork and chicken meat were used in cooking adobo. However, you can cook adobo with chicken lungs, chicken and pork intestines, and chicken feet.

5. Lechon

One of the best contenders that Filipino’s are known for aside from adobo is the famous lechon. It is a very tasty, fully-roasted pig with perfectly crispy skin and juicy meat. It is roasted in equal heat for 6 hours, more or less.

I’ve seen the process of cooking lechon many times since it is the number one cooked dish when there is a gathering such as fiesta, birthday, or Christmas. And my favorite part of lechon is the ribs since all flavours are in there. I love sipping and nipping the tasty ribs so much. I love it so much that even just writing this makes me salivate.

6. Sinigang (Sour Meat stew)

Sinigang or the Sour Meat Stew is also a Pinoy classic. It is a delicious sour broth usually made by Sampalok or tamarind which is the primary source of its sourness, and is filled with different vegetables and your meat of choice such as pork, chicken, shrimp, and fish. If you’re out of sampalok, you can use green mango or tomatoes as an alternative for the sour taste.

My favorite sinigang is Sinigang na Hipon (shrimp) since I am a seafood lover, but it tastes equally delicious with other meats.

7. Tinolang Bisayang Manok (Bisaya Chicken Soup)

The difference between a normal Chicken soup and a Visayan Chicken soup is that the latter tastes better and sweeter. Bisayang Manok are the Fiipino chickens or the chickens in the backyard, not the processed chicken or the chicken meat that you’ve usually bought in the malls and supermarkets.

Filipinos are naturally fond of chicken, and 8% out of every 10 Filipino have chickens in their houses. If you had one then you would probably know what I mean. My mother is also fond of chicken so we have so many chickens in our backyard, and sometimes if we don’t have anything for viand then we’ll just cook it. And it did really taste sweeter and better.

8. Dinuguan

Dinuguan is another famous Filipino dish. It is kind of an eccentric stew since it is made by pig’s blood and intestines and is cooked in vinegar and chilli but it tastes really delicious. It is sometimes paired with Puto but mostly it is a viand and paired with rice.

But for me, I think the leftovers taste better. Because if there is any leftovers then it will be cooked by the next day, adding some vinegar again. So I usually eat the leftovers since it tastes better for me.

9. Pancit Guisado

Pancit is also one of the most popular Filipino foods. Noodles symbolizes long life, thus Filipino love eating Pancit. It is sautéed noodles with some vegetables and meat, and is all cooked in soy sauce and fish sauce. Others prefer squeezing calamansi over it upon serving that adds to its flavour. Usually it is paired with rice, but at some point you can also pair it with bread.

10. Barbecue

Barbecue is usually for merienda in the Philippines, but it also tastes good with some rice. Barbecue is made of either chicken or pork meat that is marinated and grilled. It is usually eaten in the afternoon or a viand at dinner, and it tastes even better when you dip it in a soy sauce with some calamansi and chilli.

You can usually see vendors grilling and selling barbecue at night anywhere on the street in the Philippines. It is my friends and I’s favourite food trip before the pandemic starts. We would buy 2 sticks or barbecue and 2 Puso (rice) right after the classes ended.

If you noticed, Filipino meals are usually served with rice. Rice is always present in every Filipino meal because it isn’t called a meal without rice. And every time they become creative in making sawsawan or condiments that will go likely to their tastes since Filipinos don’t link bland and plain taste meals.

Filipino really love to eat, and usually they would eat together with their families or friends. They believe that eating together brings family together, because when they eat they would talk and interact with each other. Every meal in the Filipino household is important, and that is also the reason why fiestas are the center of every Filipino celebration.