THE FILIPINO CUISINE

A Powerful Mix
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
 is a sovereign country in South East Asia in
the western Pacific Ocean.
 With a population of more than 92 million
people, the Philippines is the 7th most
populated Asian country and the 12th most
populated country in the world.
 Philippines is a combination of Eastern and
Western Culture.
 Filipino Cuisine
 refers to the food, preparation methods and
eating customs of the Philippines.
 Filipino cuisine has evolved from its origins at
the time of indigenous Austronesian peoples to
the cooking styles and methods after centuries
of influence from Spanish and Chinese
cuisine, and later American cuisine.
 Dishes range from the very simple, like a meal
of fried salted fish and rice, to the
elaborate paellas and “cocidos" (stews) created
for fiestas.

 Filipino uses Western cutlery unlike many

other Asian countries.

 The traditional way of eating with the hands

known as kamayan is seen more often in
less urbanized areas.
History of Filipino Cuisine
Austronesian food
 In the era of the Austronesian people, food was

prepared by boiling, steaming and roasting.

 Meat and other products from livestock and farming
were combined with those from local flora and fauna.
 Livestock included "kalabaw" (water buffaloes),
"baka" (cows), "manok" (chickens) and "baboy"
(pigs). The island locale provided a ready source of
fish and crustaceans.
Cuisine and Trade
China
 China introduced number of staple foods:

TOYO (soy sauce) TOKWA (tofu)

TAWGE (bean sprout) PATIS (fish sauce)

 The Chinese also brought the stir fry method and recipes
for savoury soup bases. Many dishes retain their Hokkien
names:
PANCIT (noodles) LUMPIA (fried spring rolls)

 Also introduced to the Philippines in this period were

staples of the chinese traders and workers, for example,
PANCITERIAS (noodle shops) ARROZ CALDO (congee)
SINANGAG (fried rice) CHOPSEUY
NEIGHBOURING KINGDOMS
 Trade with Malacca, Srivijaya, Malaya and
Java brought lasting influences:
Bagoong (Malay: Belacan) (fermented fish)
Patis (fish sauce),
Puto (Malay: Ketupat) (rice dumpling)
Rendang (spicy meat dish)
Kare-kare (peanut sauce stew)

 Coconut Milk - Malay-Indonesian origin.

SPANISH SETTLERS
 In the 16th century, Spanish settlers brought
produce from the Americas such as chili peppers
, tomatoes, corn and potatoes.

 They brought the method of sautéing with garlic

and onions.

 Some dishes such as "arroz a la valenciana" (a

savoury rice dish) remain largely unchanged.
 Significant influences
The many influences on Filipino cuisine
include Malay, Indian, Arab, Chinese,
Spanish, Japanese, American and
South American cuisines.

These influences have been adapted to

ingredients that are locally available and
suit the local palate.
 Unique
components/characteristics
Counterpoint
 "Counterpoint" is a feature of Philippine cuisine produced
by the pairing of sweet, salty and sour elements.

Preserving
 In the hot tropical climate of the Philippine archipelago,

preservation of food is essential.

 “Adobo", means ingredients marinated in vinegar and

garlic.
 “Tinapa", a smoke-cured fish; curing with salt, for

example corned "tuyo", "daing", and "dangit"; and sun-

drying of fish.
 Significant subregions
 Northern Philippine cuisine
ILOCOS REGION
The diet comprises boiled or steamed
vegetables and freshwater fish.
Dishes are flavored with “bagoong",
fermented fish that is used instead of salt.
IGOROT REGION
Local cuisine includes roasted meats,
particularly carabao meat, goat meat,
and venison.
BAGUIO
Baguio city is a highly urbanised area in
northern Luzon. It lies in a mountainous area
with a mild subtropical climate. The produce
in the region includes temperate zone fruits
and vegetables, for example strawberries
CALASIAO, PANGASINAN
in the west of Luzon is known for puto
(steamed rice cake).
PAMPANGAN
the traditional home of the Kapampangan
people
ANTIPOLO
A town known for its "suman" and cashew
products.
LAGUNA, CALABARZON
known for "buko pie" (coconut pie) and
"panutsa" (peanut brittle).
BATANGAS
is home to Taal Lake, a body of water that
surrounds the Taal Volcano. The lake is home
to 75 species of freshwater fish. Among these,
the “maliputo" and “tawilis", two delicacies,
are species not commonly found elsewhere.
Also known for its coffee, “kapeng barako".
 Central Philippine cuisine
BICOL
Bicol Express and other Hot & spicy dishes
BACOLOD
Chicken "inasal" (roast chicken served on skewers).
ILOILO
The cuisine includes La Paz batchoy,
pancit molo, dinuguan,puto, biscocho and piyaya
CEBU
Lechon prepared "Cebu style" has a crisp outer skin
and a moist meat with a unique taste given by a blend
of spices. Cebu is also known for sweets like
dried mangoes and caramel tarts.
 Southern Philippine cuisine

Dishes from the southern region are richly

flavoured with the spices common
to Southeast Asia such as turmeric,
coriander, lemon grass, cumin, and chillies.
These ingredients are not commonly used in
other parts of the Philippines. Crops such
as cassava roots, sweet potatoes, and yams are
grown.
 Cooking methods
 “Adobo/inadobo" − cooked in vinegar, oil,
garlic and soy sauce.
 "Babad/Binabad/Ibinabad" − to marinate.
 "Banli/Binanlian/Pabanli" − blanched.
 "Bagoong/Binagoongan/ – sa Bagoong" −
cooked with fermented fish paste bagoong.
 "Binalot" – literally "wrapped." This generally
refers to dishes wrapped in banana leaves, pandan
leaves, or even aluminum foil. The wrapper is
generally inedible (in contrast to lumpia— see
below).
 "Buro/Binuro" − fermented.
 "Daing/Dinaing/Padaing" − marinated with garlic,
vinegar, and black peppers. Sometimes dried and
usually fried before eating.
 "Guinataan/sa Gata" − cooked with coconut milk.
 "Guisa/Guisado/Ginisa" or "Gisado" − sautéed
with garlic, onions and/or tomatoes.
 "Halabos/Hinalabos" – mostly for shellfish.
Steamed in their own juices and sometimes
carbonated soda.
 "Hilaw/Sariwa" – unripe (for fruits and
vegetables), raw (for meats). Also used for
uncooked food in general (as in lumpiang sariwa).
 "Hinurno" – baked in an oven or roasted.
 "Ihaw/Inihaw" − grilled over coals.
 “Kinilaw" or “Kilawin" − fish or seafood
marinated in vinegar or calamansi juice along with
garlic, onions, gginger, tomato, peppers.
 "Laga/Nilaga/Palaga" − boiled/braised.
 "Nilasing" − cooked with an alcoholic
beverage like wine or beer.
 "Lechon/Litson/Nilechon" − roasted on a spit.
 "Lumpia" – wrapped with an edible wrapper.
 "Minatamis" − sweetened.
 "Pinakbet" − to cook with vegetables usually
with sitaw (yardlong
beans), kalabasa, talong(eggplant),
and ampalaya (bitter melon) among others
and bagoong
 "Paksiw/Pinaksiw" − cooked in vinegar.
 "Pangat/Pinangat" − boiled in salted water
with fruit such as tomatoes or ripe mangoes.
 "Palaman/Pinalaman" − "filled" as in siopao,
though "palaman" also refers to the filling in a
sandwich.
 "Pinakuluan" – boiled.
 "Prito/Pinirito" − fried or deep fried. From the
Spanish frito.
 "Relleno/Relyeno" – stuffed.
 “Tapa/Tinapa" – dried and smoked. Tapa refers to
meat treated in this manner, mostly marinated and
then dried and fried afterwards. Tinapa meanwhile is
almost exclusively associated with smoked fish.
 "Sarza/Sarciado" – cooked with a thick sauce.
 "Sinangag" – garlic fried rice.
 "Sigang/Sinigang" − boiled in a sour broth usually
with a tamarind base. Other common souring agents
include guava, raw mangoes, calamansi also known
as calamodin.
 "Tosta/Tinosta/Tostado" – toasted.
 "Torta/Tinorta/Patorta" – to cook with eggs in the
manner of an omelette.
 Common terms, food, ingredients
LOCAL INGREDIENTS
Rice
 is a staple food.

 it is served steamed with meals and enjoyed

with the sauce or broth from the main dishes.

 Rice flour is used in making sweets, cakes and

other pastries.
 Leftover rice may be fried with garlic to make

"sinangag" (garlic fried rice).

Fruit
 Bananas (the “saba" variety in
particular), kalamansi, "bayabas"
(guavas), mangoes, papayas,
and pinneaple lend a distinctly tropical flair in
many dishes.
 Coconuts are ubiquitous. Coconut meat is
often used in desserts; "kakang gata" (coconut
milk) in sauces; and coconut milk for frying.
Vegetables
 "kangkong" (water spinach), "petsay" (chinese
cabbage), "petsay wombok" (napa cabbage),
"repolyo" (cabbage) and other vegetables like
"talong" (eggplant) and "sitaw" (yard-long
beans) are the mainstay.
 There are abundant harvests of root crops like
potatoes, carrots, "gabi" (taro), "kamoteng
kahoy" (cassava), "ube" (purple yam) and
"kamote" (sweet potato). The combination of
"kamatis" (tomato), "bawang" (garlic) and
"sibuyas" (onion) is found in many dishes.
Protein
 Meat staples include chicken, meat, pork and
fish
Seafood
 Popular catches include fish such as tilapia,
"hito" (catfish), "bangus" (milkfish), "lapu-
lapu" (grouper), "galunggong hasa-hasa"
(mackerel), swordfish, sablefish, tuna, cod
and blue marlin.
 Localcrustaceans include "hipon" (shrimp),
"sugpo" (prawns), "talaba" (oysters), "tahong"
(mussels), "halaan and tulya" (clams),
"alimango" (large crabs) and "alimasag" (small
crabs) and "pusit"(squid/cuttlefish).
Seafood
 Other seafoods are seaweeds, abalone and eel.
Fish is commonly salted, pan-fried or deep-
fried and then served as a simple meal with
rice and vegetables.
 Food culture
 Cooking and eating in the Philippines is
traditionally an informal, communal affair which
is centered around the family kitchen.
 Food is served all at once rather than in courses.
The traditional way of eating is to take a bite of
the main meal (especially if it is a dry food such as
"inihaw" or "prito") and then a mouthful of rice
pressed together with the fingers. This practice,
known as "kamayan", is rarely seen in urban areas.
 Meals of the Day
 "agahan" or "almusal" (breakfast)
 "tanghalían" (lunch)

 "hapunan" (dinner)

 “merienda" (also called "minandál"

or "minindál").
 Breakfast
 A traditional Filipino breakfast might
include pandesal (small bread rolls), “kesong
puti" (white cheese), “champorado" (chocolate
rice porridge), sinangag (garlic rice) and a meat
such as "tapa", longganisa, tocino, “karne norte"
(corned beef) or fish such as daing na bangus
(salted and dried milkfish)—or "itlog na pula"
(salted duck eggs).
 Coffee is also served, particularly “kapeng
barako". Kapeng barako is a strong flavoured
coffee produced in the mountains of Batangas.
 Merienda
 The word, "Merienda", is taken from
the Spanish.
 It is a light meal or snack served in the
afternoon, similar to the concept of
afternoon tea. If the meal is taken close to
dinner, it is called "merienda cena" and may be
served instead of dinner. Kape' (coffee) is served
with breads, pastries and cakes. There might also
be savoury dishes.
 Pulutan
 "Pulutan" comes from the Filipino word
"pulutin" which means "something that is
picked up". It is a term roughly analogous to
the English term "finger food". Originally, it
was a snack accompanied with liquor or beer
but it has found its way into general Philippine
cuisine as appetizers or main dishes.

Condiments
Fried food may be dipped in vinegar, soy
sauce, juice squeezed from “kalamansi"
(Philippine lime), or a combination of two or
all.
 "Patis" (fish sauce) may be mixed with
kalamansi as dipping sauce for most seafood.
 Fish sauce, “bagooong" (fish paste), "bagoong
alamang" (shrimp paste) and "luya"
(crushed ginger root) are added in cooking or
as condiments when served.

RICE DISHES
Arroz Caldo- a rice porridge cooked with chicken, ginger and
sometimes saffron, garnished with spring onions (chives), toasted
garlic, and coconut milk to make a type of gruel.
 Goto - Arroz caldo made with ox tripe.
 Champorado - sweet rice porridge flavoured with chocolate,
served at breakfast with "tuyo" (salted dried herring) or "daing"
(milk fish).
 Arroz a la valenciana - a paella named after Valencia, a region
in Spain.
 Bringhe - a glutinous rice dish with coconut milk and turmeric.
 Kiampong - fried rice topped with pork
pieces, chives and peanuta. A specialty of Chinese restaurants
in Binondo and Manila
 Paella - fried rice, chicken and seafood
 MEAT DISHES
The Lechón
 A “lechon" (also spelled litson) is an adult pig

which serves as the centerpiece of the dinner

table.
 Suckling pigs ("lechonillo" or "lechon de

leche") or cattle calves ("lechong baka") are

alternatives.
 The "lechón" is served with a "lechón" sauce.
 SAVOURY meat dishes
 Mechado - beef and pork stewed in a tomato sauce. Mechado
is named for the pork fat that is inserted into a slab of beef
making it look like a wick ("mitsa") coming out of a beef
"candle". The larded meat is then cooked in a seasoned tomato
sauce and later sliced and served with the sauce in which it
was cooked.
 Afritada - pork and chicken stewed in a tomato sauce.
 Caldereta - beef or goat and vegetable stew. Chunks of meat
are cooked in tomato sauce, minced garlic, chopped onions,
peas, carrots, bell peppers and potatoes to make a stew with
some recipes calling for the addition of soy sauce, fish sauce,
vinegar, chilies or ground liver.
 Puchero - a meat and chickpea stew derived
from the Spanish “cocido" sweetened with
banana or plantain slices simmered in tomato
sauce.
 Menudo - pork and liver stew
 Morcon - meat roll stuffed with sausage, carrots,
pickles, cheese and egg
 Embutido - a meatloaf (not sausage)
 Hamonado - honey-cured beef, pork or chicken.
 Relleno - stuffed chicken or milkfish.
 Adobo - considered by some to be the
Philippines' unofficial national dish (although
others would name "sinigang" as the national
dish).
 It consists of pork or chicken, sometimes both,
stewed or braised in a sauce made from
vinegar, cooking oil, garlic, bay leaf,
peppercorns, and soy sauce. It can also be
prepared "dry" by cooking out the liquid and
concentrating the flavour.
 Bistek- ("Filipino beef steak") consists of thinly
sliced beef marinated in Soy sauce and calamansi
and then fried in a skillet that is served with onions.
 Kare-kare - a peanut stew with ox tail or
ox tripe with vegetables. It is served with "bagoong"
(fermented shrimp paste).
 Dinuguan - pig's blood, entrails and meat cooked
with vinegar and seasoned with siling mahaba (the
long chilli pepper).
 Humba - a Visayan dish that is a vinegar pork stew
with fermented black beans. Also related to chinese
"pata tim".
 Crispy pata - pork knuckles ("pata") marinated in garlic-
flavored vinegar then deep fried until crisp and golden brown,
with other parts of the pork leg prepared in the same way.
 Lechon manok - Rotisserie chicken. Available in many "hole-
in-the-wall" stands and restaurant chains. The chicken is
seasoned then cooked over a charcoal flame and served with
"sarsa" or "lechon" sauce made from mashed pork liver, starch,
sugar, and spices.
 Sisig- made from the pig's cheek skin, ears and liver. Initially
boiled, grilled over charcoal and then minced and cooked with
chopped onions, chillies, and spices.
 Paksiw na baboy - a vinegar stew with pork hocks, sugar,
banana blossoms, and water (so that the meat is stewed in a
sweet sauce). Related to chinese "pata tim"

SEAFOOD DISHES
Pangat - fish cooked in a sour broth of tomatoes
or "pangat" (tamarind).
 Paksiw - fish simmered in vinegar and peppers.
 Sinigang - fish prepared with vegetables and a
souring agent or roasted over hot charcoal or
wood.
 Inihaw - fish roasted over wood or charcoal.
 Escabeche- sweet and sour.
 Relleno - deboned and stuffed.
 Kinilaw - similar to Peruvian ceviche. It is made
of raw seafood such as fish or shrimp steeped in
local vinegar, sometimes with coconut milk,
onions, spices and other local ingredients.
 Ukoy is shredded papaya combined with small
shrimp (and occasionally bean sprouts) and fried to
make shrimp patties. It is often eaten with vinegar
seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper.
 Paksiw na isda - a vinegar stew ("Paksiw") with
fish and ginger, fish sauce, siling mahaba and
vegetables.
 breads
 Pandesal comes from the Spanish "pan de sal" (literally,
'bread of salt'). It is ubiquitous breakfast fare, eaten with
(and sometimes dipped in) coffee. It takes the form of a
bread roll and is usually baked covered in bread crumbs.
Contrary to its name, pandesal is not particularly salty.
 Monay is a firmer, slightly denser or heavier bread.
 Ensaymada - from the Spanish word "ensaimada", this
is a pastry made using butter and often topped with sugar
and shredded cheese.
 Pan de Coco - is a sweet bread roll filled with shredded
coconut mixed with molasses.
 noodles
 "Pancit luglug" topped with hardboiled eggs,
shrimp, and chorizo.
 Pancit recipes consist of noodles, vegetables and
slices of meat or shrimp with variations often
distinguished by the type of noodles used.
 Ispageti (spaghetti) - similar to spaghetti bolognese.
It is sometimes made with banana ketchup instead of
tomato sauce, sweetened with sugar and topped with
hot dog slices.
 Pancit canton - chinese noodles
 Side dish
 Itlog na pula - (red eggs) - duck eggs that have been cured in
brine or a mixture of clay-and-salt for a few weeks, making
them salty. They are often served with diced tomatoes.
 Atchara - pickled papaya strips similar to sauerkaut, a
frequent accompaniment to fried dishes like "tapa" or "daing".
 Nata de Coco - a chewy, translucent, jelly-like food product
produced by the fermentation of coconut water, served with
"pandesal".
 Kesong puti - a soft white cheese made from carabao milk.
 Niyog - grated mature coconut, served with sweet rice-based
desserts.

Soup
Sinigang - a sour tamarind soup with pork, beef,
chicken or seafood.
 Kusido - a simple fish stew. It is commonly cooked
with camote tops and calamansi. The soup is
purplish in color due to the reaction with the
camote tops and calamansi mixture.
 Tinola - large chicken pieces and
green papaya slices cooked with chili, spinach,
and moringa leaves in a ginger-flavored broth.
 Nilagang baka - a beef stew made with cabbages
and other vegetables.
 Binacol - a warm chicken soup cooked with coconut
water and served with strips of coconut meat.
 La Paz batchoy - a noodle soup garnished with pork
innards, crushed pork cracklings, chopped vegetables,
and topped with a raw egg. Another dish with the same
name uses misua, beef heart, kidneys and intestines, but
does not contain eggs or vegetables.
 Mami - a noodle soup made from chicken, beef, pork,
wonton dumplings, or intestines (called "laman-loob").
 Sotanghon - a chicken noodle soup with "sotanghon"
(cellophane noodles), chicken and mushrooms.
 OTHER FILIPINO FOODS
 Binatog - created with corn kernels with shredded coconut.
 Suman - sticky rice packaged in banana or palm leaves.
 Turon - a fried lumpia consisting of an eggroll
or phyllo wrapper filled with plantain and jackfruit and sprinkled
with sugar.
 Tokneneng - a larger version of "kwek-kwek" using chicken or
duck eggs.
 Kwek-kwek - hard-boiled quail eggs dipped in orange-dyed
batter and then deep fried like a tempura.
 Iskrambol - (from the English, "to scramble"), an iced-based
treat like a sorbet combined with various flavorings and topped
with chocolate syrup.
 Taho - a warm treat made of soft beancurd (taho), dark
caramel syrup (arnibal) and tapioca pearls. It is sold in
neighborhoods by street vendors who yell out "taho". Served
chilled or with added flavours such as chocolate or
 Okoy (ukoy) - a batter-covered, deep-fried street food with
bean sprouts, shredded pumpkin and very small shrimps,
shells and all. It is dipped in a combination of vinegar and
chilli.
 Balut- a boiled pre-hatched poultry egg, duck or chicken.
These fertilized eggs are allowed to develop until the
embryo reaches a pre-determined size and are then boiled.
Like "taho", "balut" is advertised by street hawkers calling
out their product.
 Penoy - hard-boiled unfertilized duck eggs.
 Sorbetes - ice creams. May use coconut milk.
 mais con yelo - shaved ice served with steamed corn kernels, sugar,
and milk
 Halo-Halo - made with shaved ice, milk, and sugar with additional
ingredients like coconut, "halaya" (mashed purple yam), caramel
custard, jackfruit, red beans, tapioca and “pinipig".
 buko pandan - sweetened grated strips of coconut with gulaman,
milk, and the juice or extract from pandan leaves.
 Bibingka - a hot rice cake optionally topped with a pat of butter,
slices of "kesong puti" (white cheese), "itlog na maalat" (salted duck
eggs) and sometimes grated coconut.
 Sapin-sapin - three-layered, tri-colored sweets made with rice flour,
purple yam, and coconut milk with its gelatinous appearance.
 Empanadas are a turnover-type pastry filled with a savory-sweet
meat filling. They are made with ground meat and raisins. They can
be deep fried or baked.
 Shingaling is similar to "sinipit" but is eaten casually on the
roadside. It is hollow and crunchy with a salty flavour.
 Turrones de casuy are made of cashew marzipan wrapped with
a wafer made to resemble a candy wrapper but is a tiny pie
about the size of about a quarter.
 Tokwa't baboy - tofu fried with boiled pork then dipped in a
garlic-flavored soy sauce or vinegar dip that is also served as a
side dish to pancit luglog or pancit palabok.
 Banana-cue - a whole banana skewered on a short thin bamboo
stick, rolled in brown sugar, and fried.
 Kamote-cue - a peeled sweet potato skewered on a stick,
covered in brown sugar and then fried.
 Chicharon - also spelled "tsitsaron" are pork rinds that have
been salted, dried, then fried.