The 10 Spicy Street Foods in the Philippines

Philippines is a paradise that lies at the edge of Western Pacific. Dubbed as the “Pearl of The Orient
Seas”, the country is bizarrely gifted with numerous resource-rich islands. Its location gives the country a
tropical atmosphere; a climate conducive to sustain its rich biodiversity. Blessed with beautiful beaches
and islands, the country is always on someone’s top destination for a summer getaway.

Given its archipelagic geographical feature, the Philippines is characterized by warm temperature and
humidity. The year-round temperature could range from 23 degrees Celsius up to 34 degrees Celsius.
Filipinos somehow managed to adapt to the hot temperature. The adaptive method was somehow
integrated to the local’s culture and tradition. It was a common belief that cold and freezing foods could
potentially ease the heat and cool down the body. During the peak period of summer, people flock in
beaches and resorts together with their chilling sweetened deserts like halo-halo, banana con-yelo and
mais con-yelo.

Most of us are sure that ice could ease the heat. However, it is more effective if you “fight fire with
fire”. Studies suggest that eating spicy food is a much more effective way to eliminate the irritating hot
sensation. According to Erdos (2012), spicy foods make you sweat and ironically, sweating helps you cool
down faster. He added that, eating spicy foods works raises your internal temperature to match the
temperature outside. When your blood circulation increases, you will start to sweat and once the
moisture from sweating evaporated, you've cooled off. It is a phenomena known as "gustatory facial
sweating," because you start sweating in the face first. Moreover, in his article, Bouchard (2017) cited
that sweating is one of the main methods to regulate temperature. The evaporation of sweat removes
heat from your body. So as long as you stay hydrated while eating spicy food, the perspiration will help
your body cool itself rapidly and more efficiently.

It is somehow evident in the Philippines because of its rich selection of spicy cuisines. As a country with
hellish summer temperature, it could offer some of the world’s best spicy cuisines.
1. Bicol Express
Bicol express is the most celebrated dish of BICOL, a region located at the south end of the
country’s biggest island. It got its name from its place of origin: the carinderias or local food
stops beside express ways and is meant to feed exhausted travelers. Its primary ingredients are
coconut and chili pepper; the two most abundant resources in the region. The staple is
composed of chopped meat flavored with an unstinting amounts of diced chili pepper combined
with shrimp paste and coconut cream. It has the perfect balance of creaminess and spiciness
that makes it well known in the country. Ask a native Filipino about spicy foods and the first
thing that will cross his/her mind is Bicol express!
2. Laing
This dish is for vegetarians with special keenness to spicy flavor. Another cuisine from the BICOL
region, it will surely make anyone drool with its magnificent combination of cream and spice,
mainly produced by the generous amount of gata (coconut cream) and chili pepper. Laing is
primarily made of taro leaves; heart-shaped leaves of the taro plant that is common in the area.
The leaves are sliced and dried for a few days before being cooked in gata. It is sometimes
added with pork and is best served with a cup of rice! Like bicol express, you can find this cuisine
in any carinderia nationwide.
3. Pinangat
Pinangat is a much creamier and spicier variety of laing. Also made of taro leaves as the primary
ingredient coupled with shrimp paste, dried fish, pork, and crushed chili peppers all stewed in
gata, this cuisine will leave anyone speechless with its heavenly combination of sweetness and
spiciness. Unlike laing, the taro leaves in pinangat are wrapped rather than shredded. It is also
commonly partnered with rice and is a common staple in the southern part of Luzon, the
country’s biggest island. Its taste really defines what pungency is, food that hurts so good!
4. Spicy Sisig
Unarguably the most famous staple of Philippine streets, spicy sisig will surely satisfy your meat
cravings to the fullest! This mouth-drooling cuisine made of chopped meat flavored with onion,
garlic and other spices will surely blow your mind away! Its sharp combination of savoring sour
and spicy taste makes it very addictive. It is best served in a sizzling plate topped with egg. The
most exciting part of eating sisig is where you mix it in a sizzling plate as fast as you can! Sisig
 has been popular pulutan (hors d'oeuvre) during happy drinking sessions. In the Philippines,
there’s no night party without sisig!

5. Kinilaw
Sometimes called Philippine ceviche due to its resemblance to the Latin American dish Ceviche,
kinilaw is a native dish that will surely give you an authentic seafood taste! It is made of raw fish
cut into thin slices and treated in a mixture of calamansi juice, onion, ginger, chili and other rich
seasonings. They said that to make this dish perfectly, you should choose the freshest ingredient
in the market. This dish is characterized with the perfect blend of sweet, sour and spicy taste. It
is usually served for casual gatherings. Like sisig, it is very popular as pulutan or a food served
during happy drinking sessions.
6. Kinunot
This cuisine is in some way perfect for thrill seekers because this is probably the most exotic
food in the list. Another spicy Bicol recipe famous for its creamy and spicy combination similar
to bicol express and laing, kinunot will surely free your inner thrill-seeking spirit! What makes
kinunot exotic is the use of shark and stingray as the primary ingredient. However, due to the
government’s ban on fishing this exotic species, the locals were seen using crab or tuna as
alternatives. Kinunot means flakes in Bicolano which defines the dish flawlessly. The fish flakes
 are simmered in a spicy gata along with malunggay leaves. It is also one of the popular dishes
during inuman.

7. Binagoongan
Binagoongan is a spicy cuisine made of pork stew sautéed in garlic, onion, chili, and tomato and
shrimp paste. This is arguably the tastiest and most savory food in the list. In the Philippines, the
shrimp paste is called bagoong, where binagoongan’s name was derived. Bagoong is a
fermented krill, a kind of seafood that bears a resemblance to shrimp. This cuisine gives a
perfect balance of sweet and salty taste and is always perfect with a cup of steamed rice. It is
popularly eaten for lunch and dinner.
8. Kaldereta
Kaldereta is a celebrated Filipino cuisine made of stewed meat cooked in flavorful tomato paste.
It is originally made using goat meat but due to poor accessibility of goat meat in the Philippine
market, variations of beef, pork and chicken were more popular. What makes this dish different
from normal stew is its tenderness and spiciness. This dish is meant to be really spicy. The
perfect tenderness of meat added with the right amount of red pepper, potato, tomato and hot
sauce will surely make your dinner wonderful! Popular during special occasions, this dish is
usually served with steamed rice and optionally embellished with shredded cheese.
9. Dynamite Lumpia
 It is the cheapest and the most prevalent appetizer in the Philippine streets. Dynamite lumpia is
the native spicy version of deep fried egg rolls. It is made with finger chili peppers and meat
fillings enveloped in lumpia wrapper. It is then deep fried in oil and sometimes added with
quick-melt cheese to add extra creamy taste. It is usually served as an appetizer and is best
partnered with sweet and sour dipping sauce. There’s a crunchy and spicy taste in every bite and
it will surely leave you wanting for more bites! It is popular as a pulutan like most of the food in
this list.

10. Dinuguan
Bloody but tasty! Dinuguan is the sinful but cherished bloody pork stew of Filipinos. It is made
using authentic ingredients like native pork loins, vinegar and shockingly, pig’s blood. This food
is very popular in Filipino tables during lunch and dinner. The tender and soft texture of the pork
with the bloody sauce added with other flavorful ingredients will surely make you fall in love
with the cuisine despite its bizarre appearance. Incorporating chopped chili peppers to the
recipe gives this food a jolting flavor. It is traditionally partnered with puto, a steamed rice cake
made of rice flour and coconut milk.