PHILIPPINE GASTRONOMIC

TOURISM MODULES
MODULE 8 – SOUTHERN PHILIPPINE CUISINE

(Photo grabbed from theculturetrip.com)

INTRODUCTION
The foods that are cooked in the regions of the Philippines vary depending on
the available resources on each. The location and landscape also play an
important role on what are commonly prepared and consumed by the locals.
This part will discuss the food that are cooked and prepared in regions at the
Southern part of the country.
TEST IT!

1. What dish or food item from the Southern part of the Philippines have you
tried? Please share its name, its origin and description of the dish.

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LEARN IT!

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the food and flavors of the Southern Philippines

2. Explain the unique characteristics of Southern Philippine Cuisine

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SOUTHERN PHILIPPINE CUISINE

In Mindanao, the southern part of Palawan Island, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, dishes
are richly flavored with the spices common to Southeast Asia: turmeric,
coriander, lemon grass, cumin, and chillies – ingredients not commonly used in
the rest of Filipino cooking.

Well-known dishes from the region include Satti (satay) and ginataang manok
(chicken cooked in spiced coconut milk). Certain parts of Mindanao are
predominantly Muslim, where pork is rarely consumed.

Rendang, a spicy beef curry with its origins among the Minangkabau people of
Sumatra; biryani and kiyoning (pilaf), dishes originally from the Middle East, are
given a Mindanaoan touch and served at special occasions.

Pyanggang is a Tausug dish made from barbecued chicken marinated in spices,

and is served with coconut milk infused with toasted coconut meat.

Popular crops such as cassava root, sweet potatoes and yams are grown

Sambal, a spicy sauce made with belacan, tamarind, aromatic spices and
chillies, is a popular base to many dishes in the region

Another popular dish from the region is tiyula itum, a dark broth of beef or
chicken lightly flavored with ginger, chili, turmeric, and toasted coconut flesh
(which gives it its dark color)

REGION IX – ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA

Tiulah Itum/tiyula itum - However, it definitely had a different taste, despite

looking a lot like dinuguan. The Tiulah Itum is a type of beef-and-goat stew with
a broth blackened with roasted coconut, a dark broth of beef or chicken lightly
flavored with ginger, chili, turmeric, and toasted coconut flesh (which gives it its
dark color)

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Kurma - is a popular dish in the city. It is the local version of curry. The right
amount of spice, which was probably caused by the careful braising of the meat
in coconut milk during the preparation of the dish.

Satti - the local version of barbecue, called Satti, was one of my favorites. The
chicken and beef strips were grilled to crisp perfection. It was served with rice
cooked inside woven coconut leaves. Like the two previous dishes, this dish was
smothered in a thick spicy sauce.

Piyanggang Manok - is a dish made by boiling a chicken, and then grilling it

afterwards. The chicken was so tender, and the smoky flavor of the grilling
further levelled up the taste of the meat. This chicken dish was served with a
very creamy sauce that made it impossible to stop eating.

Tetuan Lechon - This dish is very similar to Lechon Cebu. The one we tried was
a little bit salty to my taste, so I ate my helping without sauce.

Ensalada Chamba - A flavorful blend of smoky grilled eggplant, mango, and

salted egg.

Chupa Kulo - A traditional viand, the Chupa Kulo is a dish of cooked snails
served with a thick, sauce-like broth made from squash and coconut milk. The
snails were not deshelled so the meat stayed moist and flavorful inside. Eating
the snail meat required sucking it out of the shell.

Paella Chabacana - local version of paella. Zamboanga was one of the places
where the Spanish colonizers first established a settlement, and the paella is just
one of the few influences that they left in the peninsula. generous topping of
prawns, clams, peas, and green beans.

Baked Imbao - Another seafood dish - imbao, a type of small mangrove clam.
The clam itself was naturally salty but the butter and garlic toppings added more
flavor and texture to the dish.

Lato - the local term for sea grapes. The seaweed clusters were salty, and they
were accompanied with unripe mangoes and a sauce created with a
combination of shrimp paste and coconut milk.

Curacha - One of the most famous dishes in the peninsula is the curacha. The
curacha, a hybrid of a giant sea crab and spiny lobster, is a rare species of crabs
that is abundantly found in the waters of Zamboanga and the nearby Sulu. The
dish can only be served and eaten fresh here. Unlike ordinary crabs, the bulk of
the meat of the curacha was inside the crustacean’s body, not inside its claws.

Oko-oko - a cooked sea urchin with rice inside it. The rice inside the sea urchin
was sautéed and flavored, which blended well with the natural saltiness of the
sea urchin.

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Knickerbocker - local desserts; the Chavacano version of halo-halo; filled with
sliced frozen fruits, gelatin, and light strawberry ice cream on top.

Lokot-lokot - Also called Zamboanga Rolls, this dessert, usually eaten as a

snack, is made from fine rice flour and water. The thick mixture is then poured
into a strainer with small holes and then rolled and fried in a pan. These crispy
rolls had a very light and pleasing taste like wafer.

Tamales - Zamboanga has their own version of Tamales. Unlike the one in
Pampanga with Pork, chicken and Egg toppings, Zamboanga Tamales is stuffed
with Vermicelli noodles and prawns.

Fried bananas - Saging Frito con Haleya for Chavacanos or Juwalan for
Tausugs, whatever you call it, fried bananas are perfect with sweetened coconut
sauce. Bananas are usually halved and coated before frying.

Dried Fish “Bulad” - All-time favorite pasalubong when you visit Dipolog City with
variety of choices.

When it comes to food, City of Dipolog in Zamboanga del Norte is known for its
Spanish Style Sardines. It is one of the things that travelers and tourists visiting
the city are looking forward to bring home as pasalubong.

REGION X – NORTHERN MINDANAO

Cagayan de Oro / Bukidnon / Camiguin

The South is a source of various recipes with unique tastes uncommon in the
North. You can find zesty, spicy, and sweet delicacies in CDO.

Sinuglaw - Northern Mindanao is proud to present its unique spin on

kinilaw. Sinuglaw is a mix of sinugba and kinilaw – two dishes common in
Filipino palate.

 Sinugba is grilled pork belly while kinilaw (ceviche-style) is raw fish,

usually tuna, soaked in a cocktail of vinegar and citrus juices.
 The kinilaw in Mindanao is unique because of the suwa and tabon-tabon
included in the mix. Tabon-tabon is a tropical fruit that grows in the
wilderness of Mindanao, that looks like the more familiar chico.

Binaki - is a kakanin from Bukidnon. It comes from the word “baki” which means
frog. The delicacy may have caught its name due to its appearance. When the
binaki is ready to eat, it is wrapped in corn husk and folded in the shape of a
frog.
The delicacy is made from ground corn and mixed with the usual ingredients for
baking—milk, sugar, baking powder, eggs, and salt. The corn husks are soaked

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beforehand and steamed for an hour, so it’s ready-to-use once the mixture
cools.

Puto Maya - is another favorite afternoon kakanin of Filipinos. The South’s

version uses sticky rice from their neighboring province, Bukidnon. The snack
includes white and purple rice and fresh coconut milk. Combined with ginger and
sugar, it cooks in a constant simmer. Once it’s cooled, it is wrapped in banana
leaves or served in plates.

Remember Me - Known as Soup No. 5 or RM, Remember Me is a treat in the

streets. Remember Me is a broth made of bovine innards, tendons, and a
horse’s private parts. Tourists are excited to try it because it is a so-called
aphrodisiac. Moreover, the exotic dish is the locals’ cure for headaches after a
night of drinking.

Proben is short for proventriculus, an organ that is part of the chicken’s digestive
system. The pieces are breaded in flour or cornstarch then fried.

Piñasitas, a pineapple-based product, is one of the famous delicacies in

Bukidnon - the Pineapple Capital of Asia and Food Basket of Mindanao”. No
wonder why its emerging delicacies come from pineapple. However, aside from
pineapple-based products, organic rice-based products such as cookies,
barquirice, pop rice, chicharice, etc. are also getting popular in Northern
Mindanao.

Duku in Indonesia, Lang-sat in Thailand, Lanzones in Philippines - This sweet

and slightly sour fruit is one of the popular fruits in Southeast Asia, and mostly
unknown in the West. This tropical fruit grows well in North-Central coast of
Mindanao, and is said that the sweetest Lanzones in the Philippines comes from
Camiguin. During the month of October Camiguin's Lanzones Festival is
celebrated, which is held every third week of the month.

Pastel is a Spanish term for cake. It is a mouthwatering delicacy from the

paradise island of Camiguin. These are soft, sweet bun, filled with yema (made
mostly of milk, eggs and sugar). Today, Vjandep Pastel of Camiguin has 12
varieties of fillings to satisfy your taste buds! Available flavors are as follows,
Regular Yema, Ube, Mango, Macapuno, Cheese, Langka, Pineapple, and
special flavors such as Durian, Guava, Strawberry, Chocolate, Special Yema
and Assorted flavor.

Dodol is the most popular rice-based delicacy in Lanao, particularly in the city of
Baloi and Marawi, the places which have been touted as the "Dodol Country". It
is often served in the special occasions of Maranao such as weddings, fiestas,
birtday, etc. It is made from sticky rice flour, coconut milk, and sugar. Others add
durian to make it more delicious.

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Halang-Halang, literally means "anghang-anghang" (spicy-spicy), is where chilis
are the primary ingredient of this spicy soup dish. It has small bits of beef,
served as a soup.

In the province of Misamis Occidental, "Moron" for the locals, is one of their best
delicacies. Moron is a sweet tasty treat made of glutinous rice or rice flour mix,
chocolate, sugar and coconut milk, rolled and wrapped in banana leaves then
boiled or steamed.

Found in the one and only House of Suman in Clarin, Misamis Occidental, this
Suman is hard to miss! It is made from malagkit, pure coconut milk and sugar.
Its sweet and comes in a variety of flavors such as balintawak, suman
latik, and ibus.

Cagayan de Oro is famous for its hams which are locally known as Jamon de
Cagayan. Also known as leg ham, this product undergoes the long process of
salt curing and natural smoking. Once it’s done, it comes out fully cooked and
ready to serve. Jamon de Cagayan is even packed in traditional cloth bags
called “katcha” which are symbolic of Southern comfort and warmth. This
delicacy is being produced by the best local ham makers in the city namely
SLERS Ham, Pines Ham (TGO Foods), and Oro Ham.

REGION XI – DAVAO REGION

Kinilaw, a local version of ceviche or raw fish cured in vinegar and spices. Tuna
and blue marlin are [commonly] used

Balbacua or ox trotters slowly simmered in a hearty broth with annatto and

spices, tops them all.

Nilotlot - native chicken is traditionally prepared by slow-cooking it for at least

three hours in coconut milk and ginger in a bamboo pole, over charcoal.

Davao which is known as the “Fruit Basket of the Philippines”, one is sure to find
the freshest, plumpest pomelo, mangosteen, and rambutan here, especially
when in season. Durian, pineapples, bananas, and marang are also abundant.
Davao is widely known as the “Durian Capital of the Philippines”, this is where
you can taste the best varieties of the durian fruit, dubbed as the “King of Fruits”.
They also have a range of products derived from this fruit such as durian
candies, durian cake and durian flavored ice cream.

Davao is also recognized as the Chocolate Capital of the Philippines since it

produces at least 81% of the Philippines’ total cacao production. A trip to Davao,
isn’t complete without sampling and learning about Philippine chocolates in one
of the cacao tourist spots like Malagos Chocolate Museum.

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Malagos Chocolate has been making waves for many years now. Launched in
July 2013, it is a single-origin fine flavour chocolate that is truly tree-to-bar. Its
first international award in 2015 was a first for the Philippines and was also
recognized in July 2017 by the Cocoa Excellence Programme in France.

Malagos chocolates are not only used in desserts. In fact, in Malagos Garden
Resort, one can savor the bestselling pork humba with Malagos dark chocolate.
Of course, one can also relish tablea in myriad forms: cake, ice cream,
milkshakes, and more. It also has a Chocolate Spa that uses cacao nibs for
exfoliation and melted 65 per cent Malagos dark chocolate for its signature
massage.
Davao City is also a great place to sample seafood like prawns, mussels, and
crabs. Popular among locals and tourists are tuna dishes like tuna kinilaw (tuna
ceviche), tuna eye sour soup, and grilled tuna belly.

Delicacies other than seafood:

 Chicken inato – grilled chicken that is sweet and salty
 Bulcachong – a street food; a rich soup dish that uses carabao meat
chunks simmered for hours until tender, the soup is then mixed with
spices, ginger and atsuete.

REGION XII – SOCCSKSARGEN / SOX

Region 12, which is composed of the provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato,

Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani (Soccsksargen or SOX), and the city of General
Santos, is one of the top food producers in the Philippines.

COMMON DISHES IN THE REGION:

BEEF SININA - sinina – a traditional Muslim delicacy that is usually served

during festivities called “Kanduli”. Traditionally served with tenderized goat meat
and served without vegetables but, to be more appealing to the young ones and
those who are health conscious, one can either add potatoes or carrots.

FRIED CATFISH - VE-JR IHAW IHAW located in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat.
This restaurant is really famous because of its delightful fried catfish dishes. The
resto has their own pond full of catfishes which can be cooked either fried or
grilled.

PASTEL - A steamed rice topped with flaked chicken, beef, or tuna that is
wrapped in banana leaves. It is also best if paired with hard-boiled egg.

GRILLED TUNA AND TUNA TACOS TOPPED WITH CHEESE

Since GenSan is known for being the “Tuna Capital of the Philippines”, grilled
tuna and tuna tacos are a must-try. You can get this from BigBen Steaks and

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Grills for a unique experience. It is one of the most favorite restaurants in the
province, located in Robinsons Mall.

CALDERETA RICE - Glutinous white rice cooked with seasoning, liver spread,
corn and peas.

TINAGTAG - It is made of ground rice and sugar, mixed with a little bit of water.
This glutinous mixture is cooked then folded like a taco. It is best eaten with
either milk or coffee.

SOUTH COTABATO

South Cotabato’s highland getaway – Lake Sebu is also a great invitation to try
local cuisine aboard a Lake cruise where the gastronomic choices are endless.

Tilapia Cuisine
A must try are the Tilapia dishes that are a staple on most South Cotabato
menus:
• Chicharon Tilapia
• Nilagang Tilapia
• Nilasing na Tilapia
• Tilapia Sisig

Sinanglay/Sinaglay – is a fish dish wrapped in cabbage and cooked in coconut

milk.

Native Chicken Adobo – native chicken has a different flavor from that of the
commercially raised broiler chickens. Cooking it Filipino adobo-style is one of the
best ways to have it.

COTABATO

Coco bread – a log of pan de coco slices with neon-orange filling preferred by
Muslims

Sininang kambing

Pastil – steamed rice topped with shredded chicken adobo and rolled into
banana leaves

Taro chips

Kalintubo – Chunky chicken adobo on top of rice then wrapped with banana
leaves with a portion of the meat peeking out on top

Sinina – typically beef or goat meat It is a stew mixed with gata, palapa and can
be compared to beef rending

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Dodol – a sweet and sticky treat often packaged inside folded banana leaf
squares

Tinagtag – made from rice flour and sugar

Beef Sinina

SULTAN KUDARAT

 Aripahol - cassava puto a.k.a. puto lanson

 Chicharon tilapia
 Native doughnut - in pilipit shape with ube filling
 Malasugue (Blue Marlin) kinilaw
Beef rendang

SARANGANI

Tinibuok na manok, Manok tinibuok - whole chicken soup or almost like tinola,
but the chicken is cooked whole with lemongrass and cabbage, giving "a mild,
sweet, citrus flavor.

Frozen sashimi

Bangsi or flying fish - prepared in three ways: fried, kinilaw, and cooked in
coconut milk

CARAGA

Binaga - is a native term for roasting mudfish which is abundant in Agusan del
Sur. Since the start of the Naliyagan Festival in 1993, the Binaga became the
main attraction that catches the attention of guests and local residents alike
because of the aroma of the roasted mudfish that fills the air.

Adobong Sahang - Sahang is a sea snail which is abundant in the bodies of

water of Surigao. It is then cooked adobo style with bell pepper.

Sayongsong - This famous Surigao delicacy is a kakanin wrapped in banana

leaves with the color and consistency of a puto or rice cake. It’s made up of
glutinous rice, brown sugar, calamansi juice, roasted peanut, and coconut milk.

Poot Poot Ginamos - This delicacy is unfamiliar to tourists and even Filipinos
coming from Manila. Poot poot ginamos is a unique and tasty treat from Surigao.

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This flavorful delicacy is made of small fishes locally known as poot poot. This
type of fish can only be found in Philippine shores. This fish specialty comes with
fermented fish sauce which is very cheap, making it even more popular to
tourists.

Kinilaw is a common dish for many provinces. What sets apart Surigao’s kinilaw
among others is its exotic flavor. This local delicacy is made of raw fish and it
does not involve any form of cooking. To prepare this native cuisine, the people
of Surigao debone and wash the raw fishes and combine it with a number of
condiments. The perfect mix of ginger, vinegar, onions, chilli peppers, and salt.

Gigaquit Rhum is one of the most popular native beverages in Surigao. It even
ranks number four in the top five delicacies of the city. This rare and flavorful
beverage is fermented at a Sasa tree which is found in Surigao. This is quite
similar to the “tuba” but it’s tastier.

Dried Pijanga - Also known as “white goby,” this first class dried fish comes from
Lake Mainit in Surigao del Norte. This delicacy has a special story because it’s
produced from the efforts of the rural agrarian reform community of Surigao.

Nilusak - is cassava that is mashed with sugar and margarine, sprinkled with
grated mature coconut, and rolled into ping-pong sized balls. The yellow color of
the cassava, speckled with white coconut.

Nilambiran - is a different version of the suman. It is made of two kinds of

glutinous rice, the purplish red and the white, cooked separately with coconut
milk, sugar and salt, and delicately intertwined then wrapped in banana leaves.
The result is a delightful brown-and-white-striped suman.

Palagsing - is another version of the suman that is made from the starch of the
sago palm mixed with coconut and brown sugar. This is usually eaten along with
hot chocolate or coffee.

BARMM

The BARMM region is famous in rice delicacies, namely; duldul, pastil, katilapan,
pawa. Native dishes like chicken with curry powder. In addition is the Muslim
delicacies are putrid, sinigang na baka and tinadtag.

The food festival opened Monday with foods and delicacies unique to the
province of Maguindanao taking center stage. The array of authentic
Maguindanaon delicacies included the baling, tinapayan, palapa, pastil, fried
katipa, tapudi, lininggil, inasekan a layagan, blua, kumukunsi, tinadtag, and
panganansising.

Two of the most prominent Maguindanaon delicacies are the pastil and sininang
kambing.

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Pastil is cooked rice topped with sauteed chicken or fish meat flakes, known as
‘kagikit’, that is wrapped in banana leaves. A modern take on this unique
Maguindanaon dish features toasted fish meat, chicken or beef as kagikit, and
hot and spicy flavored kagikit.

The sininang kambing, on the other hand, is tenderized goat meat cut into
chunks cooked with with palapa, coconut milk, spices, garlic, onion, ginger,
chives, chili and soy sauce. The spices and coconut milk bring a unique and
contrasting flavor to the meat.

MAGUINDANAO

Sinina - festival beef or goat stew with coconut milk and spiced with palapa

Barubed - suman

Betengan – version of palitaw

Panialam/Panyalam - a rice cake with crisp edges and crust served mostly
during funerals and death anniversaries

Tinadtag - is a popular Maguindanao delicacy. It is made of finely ground rice

mixed with sugar and fried until turned golden brown and crispy

Tinumis - is the Maguindanaoan's version of suman.

Tapay - These are fermented rice wrapped in alum leaves.

Pastil is cooked rice topped with specially prepared chicken or fish flakes and
wrapped in banana leaf. It is one of the most known Maguindanao delicacies.

Browa/Bulwa - a bread like mamon and madeleine

Kumukunsi - a snake-shaped pastry

Apa – pancake

LANAO DEL SUR

A typical Maranao dish is characterized by heavy use of coconut milk

called tono and spices like turmeric or kalawag. Steamed freshwater fish and
stewed chicken are staples interestingly served with yellow rice
called kuning. But the star of any Maranao food fair is palapa, a condiment made
of pounded scallion bulbs mixed with chili and coconut oil.

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All of its culinary warfare comes to life during the Pagana Maranao, an
extravagant banquet showcasing all of its homemade recipes decked in ornate
table trays called tabak.

BASILAN

Dulang – a Yakan dish which is a thanksgiving set of food composed of rice

mixed with malagkit, viands like kaliya (Yakan chicken dish), kenna (fried fish)
and vegetable dish, with the cone-shaped rice placed on a large round platter
with banana leaves and the viands surrounding it.

Kaliya Manuk - chicken cooked by Yakan ladies for rituals, thickened by ground
rice and colored yellow using turmeric.

SULU AND TAWI-TAWI

Syanglag - roasted grated cassava which is an alternative to rice

Pyuto - salted cassava cake, with coconut flakes eaten with fish and green
salads

Byanban - cassava log

Junai - a Tausug dish of steamed rice with burnt grated coconut and eaten with
hard-boiled egg

Tamu - Tausug rice ball in banana leaf

Keema – Indian-origin minced meat with curry, peas, and potatoes

Kurma/Kulma/Culma - a chicken, pork or beef curry dish with peanut butter

Piassok - beef in coconut cream and spices

Tiyula itum - a ritual beef soup using turmeric plus two other kinds of ginger
(including blue ginger), pounded lemongrass, and burnt coconut meat"

Piyanggang or Black chicken - a chicken dish darkened by a sauce with burnt

coconut

Sate - Tausug chicken satay

Utak-utak - patty of filleted, battered, and fried fish

Suwan-suwan/Siyuwansuwan - lapu-lapu fish dish

Pyalam - an extra-spicy and paksiw na isda with many tomatoes

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Baulo - pastry molded into shapes such as mamon, mangosteen, or other
decorative shapes; served during festive seasons like Hari Raya

Bubungkung - a suman made of malagkit powder, flour, brown sugar, sipih over
ripe green banana then mixed with water

Durul - a kind of suman

Pasung - a cone-shaped ricecake/suman

Wadjit – a type of suman

Pitis - a suman; same as Putli mandi minus the grated coconut

Putli mandi - sweet purple rice balls covered with grated coconut

Syagul - A very spicy and tasty meat of stingray cooked with coconut milk then
added with burned coconut grated meat that gave the sauce its olive like color.

Guso - This particular seaweed or agar agar as others call it, is very much
common in the coastal waters of Visayas and Mindanao. The only difference is
that, instead of serving it fresh garnished with onion, tomatoes and vinegar, the
Tawi Tawinians blanch the seaweeds then added with little soy sauce and some
spices like ginger, onions, giving it a yellowish color.

QUICK QUESTION!

Do you know other food or delicacies from the Southern

part of the Philippines? Can you name and describe them?

References:

Barreto, Gretchen;
Calalang, Conrad;

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Fores, Margarita; Segismundo, Myrna; Sincioco, Jessie and Tayag, Claude.
(2016). Kulinarya, A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine. Tuttle Publishing

DDV Culinary. The Philippine Cook Book. Retrieve from www.ddvculinary.com

Sarthou, Tatung. (2016). Philippine Cookery: From Heart to Platter. ABS-CBN

Publishing Incorporated

REVIEW IT!

1. Name and describe at least five (5) food from the Southern Philippines.

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 2. Explain the unique flavor profile of the regions under the Southern part of
the Philippines.

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