Top 10 dishes in the Philippines

Food from the Philippines

The Philippines is a tropical archipelago with a vast range of ethnic groups, stunning scenery, colourful cultures and amazing food. Diversity of cuisine is not unusual in South East Asian countries, but Filipino food is somewhat unique. Its complex and varied history really gives it an East meets West dimension. In particular, the Spanish influence is strong, as it was a Spanish colony for over 300 years from 1565.  Here are some of its top dishes, including a few national dishes of the Philippines.

1. Adobo

A classic dish influenced by the Spanish! Adobo refers to a common cooking process indigenous to the Philippines. Its main ingredients are those native to Southeast Asia - vinegar, soy sauce or patis (fish sauce), black peppercorns and cinnamomum tamala leaves. The dish is normally cooked with pork or chicken, and sometimes with only vegetables like kangkong (water spinach) or sitaw (green beans).

2. Lechon

This cherished dish, usually served at celebrations, comes in a number of forms, though its essentials are the same. It's a whole pig, roasted over a charcoal spit. One lechon is from Luzon, home island of the Philippines' capital, Manila, where the pig is roasted with simple salt-and-pepper seasoning, and the meat then dipped in a rich sauce of mashed pigs' liver, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic and onion.

Another lechon is from the Visayas archipelago, home of Cebu. Here the pigs are stuffed with lemongrass, garlic, onions, salt and chillies before being roasted. There is, however, no dipping sauce. Many cooks these days use a blend of the two techniques.

3. Kare-Kare

Another Filipino favourite that because of its long and involved cooking process is usually reserved for special occasions. It has a long history that goes back hundreds of years. There are many stories as to its origin - one stating is that it came from Pampanga - a province which became known all over the country as the ‘culinary capital of the Philippines’.

Cooking usually starts with a base of oxtails, beef stew cuts, pork hocks or tripe. The meat is simmered for hours to be tender. It’s then made into a stew with a variety of vegetables such as banana heart, long beans and eggplant, and ground peanuts for flavour, toasted ground rice for thickening and annatto for colouring.

4. Sinigang

Some may say Sinigang is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. It’s a classic Filipino soup characterised by its sour and savoury mix of flavours. It can be served on its own, or with steamed rice.

Like adobo, the term sinigang describes the cooking method more than a particular dish, and it has many variations. It can be made with pork, fish, shrimp, beef, and chicken, and souring agents such as tamarind, guava, green mango, calamansi, kamias, batuan, santol, and other native fruits.

Sinigang with its indigenous origins is one of the country’s oldest dishes, existing long before any colonisers set foot in the country. There are no written records, but it’s likely it was created in the country or from nearby Southeast Asian neighbours, as sour soups are also popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

5. Pancit

Pamcit (pansit)  is a term referring to various traditional noodle Filipino dishes. There are numerous types of pancit, which are named based on the type of noodle used, cooking method, place of origin, or the ingredients. Most pancit dishes are characteristically served with calamansi, as its freshly-squeezed juice may be used for seasoning.

Noodles were introduced to the Philippines by Chinese immigrants over the centuries. They have been fully adopted into the local cuisine, even incorporating Spanish influences.

6. Halo-Halo

Time for something sweet. Say ‘hello’ to halo-halo! With its Japanese origins, this is an iconic Filipino shaved ice dessert that's assembled in a tall glass and mixed with various ingredients with a long-handled spoon. The name literally means ‘mix-mix’.

Each region has its own version of halo-halo with a host of add-ins - from sago (tapioca pearls in syrup) and macapuno (coconut sport strings in syrup) to colourful kaong (sugar palm fruit jelly). In some places, they even add shredded cheese, cornflakes, or polvorón, a crumbly shortbread flavoured with cashews, pinipig, ube, or chocolate. Everyone can create their own dessert.

7. Lumpia

Evolved from Chinese spring rolls, Lumpia is a simple and flavourful Filipino snack or side dish. Lumpia consists of a rice or flour dough wrap stuffed with meat often ground pork or beef), and vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, onions, and garlic. It’s then coated with egg wash and deep fried.

Its crusty, crunchy exterior and tender interior go perfectly with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Most Filipino feasts will include variations of lumpia, such as unfried lumpia, lumpia with bean sprouts, hearts of coconut palm, bangus, or saba bananas (ripe plantains).

8. Puto

Puto are Filipino steamed rice cakes — and there are as many varieties as there are regions of the Philippines. They’re traditionally made with ground rice that’s been soaked in water overnight, this version is easy to make at home with rice flour. Eaten alone or as an accompaniment to savoury dishes, such as dinuguan, pancit or sopas.

Over the years, home cooks have spun a little magic with these native cakes by adding extracts such as pandan and ube flavourings, or by topping them with slices of cheese or salted duck eggs.

9. Bibingka

Bibingka is a type of baked rice cake - one of many traditional rice cake variations that the Philippines have. It tastes rather like rice pudding, though is much sweeter. It’s traditionally cooked in a terracotta oven, lined with banana leaves and is usually eaten for breakfast, or as a mid-afternoon snack, especially during Christmas. Of course, bibinka is just one of the many foods eaten at Christmas in the Philippines. For more on these and other festive traditions, read our interesting article on Christmas in the Philippines.

Bibingka are often sold by street vendors and people serve them with toppings like cheese, butter, grated coconut, margarine, and sugar. Other variations use fruits like pineapple and duck eggs.

10. Cassava cake

Cassava cake is a traditional snack cake made with grated cassava, coconut milk, and a layer of molten custard on top. The cake has a soft, slightly chewy texture similar to Hawaiian mochi butter cake and is gluten free.

Cassava, also known as yuca (not to be confused with yucca), is a starchy, tuberous root frequently used in the cuisine of tropical countries like the Philippines. Its use in Filipino cooking dates back to the 16th century, when the Spanish imported it from Latin America through the Filipino capital city of Manila.

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