Since Department of Tourism recently launched their new slogan and logo which is "It's More Fun In The Philippines" with this logo.Bloggers together with celebrities, the social media community, Press, Broadcasters and the rest of the country is now helping one another to promote our wonderful country which is the Philippines. What's not to love right? In the essence of being proud becuase I live here in Manila and I love everything about being a Filipino, I'll be listing down my TOP 10 things that I love about the Philippines. I'll be starting off with the things I love most: FOOD! :)
Check out my Top 10 Favorite Filipino Dishes:
10. ) PANCIT
It is difficult to point to one noodle dish and call it pancit. Pancit may be made with rice noodles, wheat noodles, or noodles derived from another source of starch. It may be served with a dry sauce, a thick sloppy sauce, or even a broth or soup. Toppings for pancit are incredibly varied, including things like hard boiled eggs, shredded meat, and finely sliced vegetables, and the flavors of this dish are quite diverse.
One common variant of pancit is pancit bihon, which is made with extremely thin rice noodles, soy sauce, citrus, sliced meats, and vegetables. Many versions of pancit incorporate multiple meats; pork, shrimp, and beef are all common. Sauces can be spicy with chilies, rich with ground peanuts, or savory as a result of the addition of soy sauce.
9.) PORK BARBECUE
Pork barbecue is a fast selling street food item. It’s easy to cook and convenient for the hungry customer. It is very common on the sidewalks, outside the schools, offices and you can also find this at the native restaurant in the Philippines. This dish Often serve at a house party like birthday, wedding, anniversary etc.
8.) CHICKEN INASAL
When Spaniards colonize the Philippines they discovered this mouthwatering dish in Bacolod. They assumed that the chicken they taste was roasted so they called it “Asar”. Asar is the Spanish word for roasted. The natives of Bacolod adopted the word but they could not pronounce the word “R” at the end. So the “Inasal” word was born.
Chicken Inasal is marinated in native herbs and spices, skewered on bamboo stick, and then basted with achuete and grilled. This was always been beloved staple of the Bacolod cuisine.
7.) LECHE FLAN
This is a very popular dessert in the country. In every special ocassion, you can always be sure that this dessert is present. Even when I was a kid, I would always ask my Grandmother "Inang" to coo this for me.
6.) LECHON
Lechon is the Spanish word for suckling pig. In the Philippines it is connoted with a roasted whole pig or lechon baboy. The process of lechon involves stuffing of lemon grass, garlic, soy sauce, salt, thyme vinegar and black peppercorn after that the whole pig/piglet is slowly roasted over charcoal. A small pig is roasted for about 3-4 hours and the larger one takes about 5-6 hours. This day-long and arduous method of roasting leaves a crispy skin and very moist meat inside.
5.) VIGAN LONGGANISA
This is my favorite longganisa of all time, why? simply because I love the garlicky taste of it. Just the thought of it makes me hungry. It's always nice to pair this with Sinangag and a cup of brewed coffee.
4.) PORK/CHICKEN ADOBO
Adobo is Spanish for seasoning or marinade. The noun form describes the marinade or seasoning mix. Meat marinated or seasoned with an adobo is referred to having been adobada. Adobo relates to marinated dishes such as chipotles en adobo, which are chipotle chili peppers marinated in a rich, flavorful, tomato sauce. Adobo is prepared in regions of Latin America and Spain, and forms with the same name but with different cultural roots, are prepared in regions of Asia Pacific. Pork, spices, and especially red pepper are used.
3.) EMBUTIDO
Embutido is a type of meatloaf prepared Filipino style. Though a well known dish for the holidays, Embutido can be enjoyed everyday without any hassle. Several meat processing companies now produce this meatloaf for commercial purposes; all you have to do is grab one from your favorite grocery store.
2.) PASTILLAS DE LECHE
Pastillas de leche are sweet milk candies that are usually served for dessert. An authentic recipe will require the use of Carabao’s (water buffalo) milk and cooking is also necessary. This is my favorite as well, I can eat a dozen or more of this without getting tired of it.
and for my number 1:
1.) SINIGANG
Sinigang is a Philippine dish consisting of meat or seafood and vegetables simmered in a sour broth, often with a base of rice washing. The sour soup goes well with rice, the staple food of all Filipinos. Fish, pork, chicken, shrimp, or beef may be used for sinigang. There are usually leafy vegetables like gabi (taro), siling labuyo (red chili), or malunggay leaves, or kangkong (water spinach). Other vegetables cooked in sinigang may include okra, radish, eggplant, tomatoes, sitaw (snake beans), and string beans. The vegetables are chosen to complement the dish’s flavor.
Don't you love love eating here in the Philippines? It's really more FUN in the Philippines! :)
