Taste of the Philippines: 5 Must-Try Dishes

Being a culturally rich country, the Philippines and its food perfectly explain the diversity of that culture. Filipino food ranges from savory stews to fried delights, representing a wide array of flavors combining influences of Asia, Spain, and America. Whether one is traveling through the country for the first time or simply wants to have some taste of the Philippines in their kitchen, there are dishes that one just has to not miss. Here, we introduce you to five dishes from Filipino cuisine that you really need to try the mirror of its heart and soul.

Sinigang

Sinigang is an authentic Filipino soup loved for its delicious, sour taste, making this dish unique and special in Filipino cuisine. This tamarind broth dish is one of the favored Filipino dishes in which pork, shrimp, or fish are cooked with a garden of assorted vegetables such as spinach, eggplant, and green beans. This gives it a hearty and wholesome texture. The sourness in the taste of the broth imparts distinction to sinigang, refreshing and appetizing every bite. This makes each spoon a delight in the mouth, balancing its sourness with richness from meat or seafood, which makes it loved throughout the Philippines.

Bicol Express

Bicol Express, originating from the Bicol region, is thick and spicy, well-known for its significance for chili peppers and coconut milk. The stew is prepared with slices of pork tender cooked in rich coconut milk spiced with shrimp paste and enough chili, resulting in its savory, mildly sweet, and spicy flavors to tease one’s taste buds. Exquisitely meant for those who love a little heat in their meals, Bicol Express needs to be paired with a bowl of steaming rice so the spiciness will be tempered.

Halo Halo

A food trip in Filipino cuisine would never be complete without a taste of halo-halo, its Tagalog name translating its English name, “mix-mix.” Colorfully true to its name, halo-halo is a mixture of sweetened beans, jelly, fruits, and shaved ice all topped with leche flan and purple yam ice cream, ube. It would be the perfect treat during hot days, where the combination of textures and flavors combined in a refreshing single dish is just about perfect. Halo-halo is essentially a reflection of Filipino food’s diversity, a sweet mix coming together to create something delightful.

Lumpiang Shanghai

Lumpiang Shanghai, Filipino spring rolls, does not disappoint and is definitely on the food list. These little roll-ups consist of a mixture of ground pork, garlic, onions, carrots, and seasonings inside a thin pastry deep-fried to golden and crispy. Lumpiang Shanghai comes with a spicy and sweet dipping sauce and is offered as an appetizer or snack. They can be enjoyed in large or small gatherings and can even be an immediate reaction to a snack that suddenly wants to be crispy. Your key to making this at home is a reliable lumpiang Shanghai recipe, and if you are curious about trying to make it, well, here is your chance at getting that perfect balance of flavor and crunch.

Kare-Kare

Kare-Kare is a popular Filipino stew of oxtail and tripe and a variety of vegetables like eggplant, string beans, and banana blossoms in its thick, savory sauce of peanut paste. The unique flavor produced by the creamy peanut butter base of the dish, makes it sound extremely rich and somewhat sweet. Instead, it is more appropriately served with bagoong, which is fermented shrimp paste, to give it a salty contrasting flavor. This flavorful stew is a favorite at Filipino family gatherings since it provides the comforting and hearty meal that one needs.

Conclusion

Filipino food is just as varied and colorful as the culture of the country. From the sharp taste of sinigang to the crispy goodness of lumpiang Shanghai, each dish has its story to tell and brings people to the table. Be it a novice or an experienced eater of Filipino dishes, these five dishes that you really must try will give a sneak peek into the Philippines’ rich food tradition. Next time you feel like trying something new and exciting, just plunge into the flavors of the Philippines for a truly unique dining experience.