Facts and trivia about breakfast in the Philippines

Since I was in my elementary days, it is always emphasized that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, since those days, I always skip breakfast. It’s because I started my schooling days at noon and too lazy waking up. During my high school days, I still skipped it due to may early schooling and I used to wake up late. My college days are still the same. I’m on a night shift and will never wake up early.

In short, I’m not punctual. That’s why I used to skip my meals.

In line with this, here are some fun facts about breakfast in the Philippines:

A typical adult Filipino will eat garlic rice with tuyo (salted dried fish), or tocino, longanisa, and many more. Filipinos also love pandesal,which will cost you P2.00 each and paired with coffee. Breakfast here in the Philippines, always come cheap.

Egg is another typical breakfast to the Filipinos. We love fried eggs, salted eggs, scrambles eggs, boiled eggs, that most of the times paired with rice.

Another all-time favorite breakfast in the Philippines is called the Taho. This is a combination of jelly-like soya, syrup with some tapioca balls. This is catered by vendors roaming around places in the Philippine carrying bamboo yoke wherein both ends are hanging buckets containing the ingredients.

There are also sidewalk vendors catering different forms breakfasts like, porridge  champorado, stir fry noodles, and many more. Usually, their prices are ranging from P5.00 to P25.00 depending on what you wanted to eat.

Filipino kids loved pancakes, oat meals, cereals with hot chocolate for their breakfast.

I asked 20 high school and 20 elementary students some information in their morning routine. I came up with the conclusion that 90% of high school students skipped their breakfasts while 50%  of those coming from the elementary department were able to take it in the past month. Mostly of them stated the time issues in not taking their breakfasts.

A typical office worker will have a ready-made breakfast and this is  due to hectic morning schedules. Again, because to punctuality reasons, most of the office workers usually take their breakfast at their office tables or will just dine in the nearest restaurant their offices.

But, despite of the time issue, Filipino adults will always promise to themselves of looking for time for them to cook their own breakfast. The saying goes: “Promises are meant to be broken (guilty!)”.

Based on an online poll, conducted in the last 24 hours, majority answered “sometimes” when asked on how often they take their breakfasts, followed by “always” and “most of the time, but not everyday”. Someone also answered “Never”. This made me come up with the conclusion that Filipinos are still into taking breakfasts.

FOR MORE INFORMATION JUST VISIT THIS LINK BELOW:

http://foodcitations.com/facts-and-trivia-about-breakfast-in-the-philippines/

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History and Origins of Filipino Cooking

Perhaps a keen or not so keen observer might wonder how Filipino food originated by merely looking at the ingredients, cooking methods or even just the name of dishes.

Sweet yema pastillas. Photo credit: www.flickr.com/people/ajanem/

The history of Filipino food also goes along with the history of the Philippines as a nation. Filipino food is indeed a gastronomic telling of Philippine history. As a country surrounded by water and islands blessed with fertile soil, early Filipinos ventured out in the sea for a rich catch, into muddy rice paddies to plant rice or into the woods to hunt abundnant wildlife. The harvest and catch were cooked in simple manner: boiled, steamed, roasted or broiled over an open fire.

Trade with other Asian nations introduced a number of staple foods into Philippine cuisine, most notably toyo (soy sauce) and patis (fish sauce), as well as the method of stir frying and making savory soup bases. Vinegar and spices were used in foods to preserve them.

The Chinese who came to trade and brought their own ways of cooking. Many married local Filipinas and introduced their dishes, and thus Filipino-Chinese food came to be. The names identify them: pansit are noodles that come in various forms such as bihon, Canton, miki or sotanghon; lumpia are vegetables rolled in edible wrappers; siopao are steamed, filled buns; siomai are dumplings.

When Spanish came, Filipinos were exposed to a flair for rich food, the way Europeans chose to prepare it. Stews such as the cocido and puchero, rice-meat dishes and elaborate desserts such as brazos, and tortas imperiales are generally considered fiesta food, and most often found on the dining tables of the upper classes. The food influences they brought were from both Spain and Mexico. Popular cuisines introduced into the Filipino tables include paella, the dish cooked in the fields by Spanish workers, came to be a festive dish combining pork, chicken, seafood, ham, sausages and vegetables. Relleno, the process of stuffing festive capons and turkeys for Christmas, was applied to chickens, and even to bangus, the Philippine milkfish. Christmas, a new feast for Filipinos that coincided with the rice harvest, came to feature not only the myriad native rice cakes, but also ensaymadas (brioche-like cakes buttered, sugared and cheese-sprinkled).

American influence did not only bring their staple food of burgers, pies and salads. They also brought technology like the refrigerator and microwave ovens that makes cooking easier and preserving food longer now possible. The Americans introduced to the Philippine cuisine the ways of convenience: pressure-cooking, freezing, pre-cooking, sandwiches and salads; hamburgers, fried chicken and steaks.

Pansit Malabon. Photo credit: www.flickr.com/photos/bigberto/

Filipinos did not wholly adopt to the intended taste as the originally intended to be. We made variation of foreign food to suit our taste such as Pinoy spaghetti which is sweeter than the original Italian version and pansit Malabon on which oysters and squid have been added into the Chinese noodles. This also includes sweets consisting with Spanish origins like yemas, dulces de naranja, membrillo, but also include local fruits like guava, mango or durian as ingredients.

Combination of foreign influences was also observed during the earlier history. When restaurants were established in the 19th century, Chinese food became a staple of the pansiterias, with the food given Spanish names for the ease of the clientele: this comida China includes arroz caldo (rice and chicken gruel); and morisqueta tostada (fried rice). Lechon, the spit-roasted pig, may have Chinese or Polynesian influence but has Spanish name.

Cuisines found in the Philippines were also influenced by other global favorites: French, Italian, Middle Eastern, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese. As globalization brings cultures closer, Filipino food continues to transform itself with help of foreign influences and modern technology.

FOR MORE INFORMATION JUST CLICK THIS LINK BELOW:

http://pinoy-cooking.com/recipes/profile/history

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Have You Tried Boodle Fight? Ngaon Ta!

Picking up food with your bare hands and eating like there’s no tomorrow. Boodle fight is a Filipino culture we can be proud of.

Boodle fight, according to urbandictionary.com is a military style of eating where long tables are prepared and food are placed on top of the banana leaves. Viands and rice are ready to eat using your bare hands.

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Foods that Filipinos Bring to the Beach

 Most of us would choose to bring our own home-cooked meals to the beach rather than rely on the resort restaurant’s menu considering how one order would cost you.

Just wondering, what are the usual foods you bring to a summer beach outing?

Do you have the same items as listed below?

1. Anything “pang-ihaw”

What we usually do, say for example we’re going to Laiya, is we drop by the Padre Garcia public market to buy pork, chicken, fish, or squid, which we can grill. Mas feel ang summer vibe sa may dagat kapag may inihaw!

2. Chips, chips, and more chips

Hindi lang pang-meryenda, pampulutan pa. Nothing beats the fun of munching on corniks and potato chips after swimming. Better, healthier options? Nuts and dried fruits!

3. Manggang hilaw at bagoong (or alamang)

Aaaaargh! Salivating much? The official summer fruit that you would opt to be unripe and crunchy! This is the reason why we see a lot of vendors selling unripe mangoes by the beach.

4. Ensaladang talong

Eggplant salad for the unfamiliar ones. Why is this on the list? Because it’s the perfect sidekick, err, side dish to anything grilled! Grill the eggplant, chop it afterwards then mix with chopped onions and tomatoes and voila! You’ve got one heck of a meal that’s worth 10 rapsa points!

5. Cool, watery fruits and veggies

Ah, think watermelon, melon, cucumber, turnips. They do double duty as they fill your stomach and keep you hydrated at the same time.

Got the same list and more? Share your items!

Oh, never ever forget liters of drinking water. It’s also a very good idea to bring cooler and ice for storage of foods that might spoil in no time.

FOR MORE INFORMATION JUST VISIT THIS LINK BELOW:

http://wowbatangas.com/features/food-and-dining/foods-that-filipinos-bring-to-the-beach/

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12 Filipino desserts you should know about

Halo-Halo ("hall-o hall-o")

Perhaps the most well-known of Filipino desserts,halo-halo translates to “mix mix” and is just that: a jumble of toppings that you literally mix up to eat. Its origins can be traced back to various Japanese shaved ice desserts, but now halo-halo is a menu staple at most Filipino restaurants (Anthony Bourdain even tried some at the Filipino chain Jollibee in Los Angeles!).

The combination of sweet toppings may vary, but there is a general formula: a starchy base like boiled beans or ube; a syrupy fruit like macapuno coconut or jackfruit; a layer of jello; a layer of shaved ice; some ice cream or leche flan; and, finally, a drizzle of evaporated milk.

Halo-halo should be in your life.Lumpia Shack/Yelp

When chocolate rice is a breakfast staple and sugary cheese bread makes an appearance at merienda (snack time), it’s hard to know where everyday Filipino food ends and dessert begins. (Spoiler: There’s no clear line, we Filipinos will happily eat these all day every day.)

But for purposes of this article, I’m defining dessert as something you’d usually eat at the end of an enormous family dinner (you know, the buffets where there’s so much food that there isn’t room for anyone to actually sit at the table anymore, where aunts tell you simultaneously how fat you’ve gotten while also insisting you eat more, and where karaoke is happening in the background).

Many of these desserts use rice flour—a staple of the 7000 islands that compose the Philippines—along with tropical fruit like coconut, saba bananas (cooking bananas), and ube (purple yam). And while there are traditional methods and countless variations of each, the most Filipino approach of all would be to make these with whatever you have, however you can, and to share with everyone—even if they claim they’re too full to eat another bite.

Tropical Ice Cream

In the Philippines, ice cream peddlers sell tiny cones for the U.S. equivalent of 45 cents. While you won’t find one of them in the U.S., brands like Magnolia andMitchell’s import or make their own versions of Filipino flavors that are often unavailable at regular American markets. These tropical flavors come in an array of colors and include mango, avocado, jackfruit, ube, multiple kinds of coconut (buko, macapuno, and buko pandan—young coconut, matured sweetened coconut, and young coconut flavored with the tropical, vanilla-esque pandan leaf, respectively), and cheese. Yes, cheese!

Ube Halaya ("oo-beh ha-lay-ah")

Ube, often confused with its cousin taro, is a sweet purple yam native to the Philippines. Ube halaya is both a traditional dessert in itself and also a base for many other Filipino treats like halo-halo, ube bread, and ube ice cream. To make ube halaya, the ube is boiled, grated, then mixed with sugar and milk until it thickens into a viscous pudding. It can then be eaten with a spoon or in small chewy bite-sized pieces, depending on how the cook has prepared it.

Palitaw ("pah-lee-ta-ow")

Celeste Noche/Food52

These sweet, flat rice cakes are made of only five ingredients: water, rice flour, coconut, sesame seeds, and sugar. Their name comes from their cooking process: “Litaw” means “to float,” and that’s exactly how you know they’ve finished cooking. Although they are traditionally made with home-ground sticky rice, you’re more likely to find them made with factory-processed glutinous rice flour today. Water is added to glutinous rice flour and kneaded until a mochi-like consistency is formed. They’re then dropped in boiling water until they float, then scooped out and dipped with grated coconut, toasted sesame seeds, and sugar.

Puto and Kutsinta ("koo-chin-tuh")

Celeste Noche/Food52

These bite-sized treats are both made from rice flour and steamed: The difference is thatkutsinta gets its color and texture from brown sugar and lye water. While either one can be eaten for breakfast or merienda, puto is often served alongside savory dishes like dinuguan (a savory meat stew) and pancit(noodles). For dessert, puto and kutsinta are usually served together, with grated coconut or melted butter.

Ginatan ("gin-ah-tahn")

Celeste Noche/Food52

Ginatan is a pudding-like dessert that’s served warm. It’s typical base is made of coconut milk and rice flour, then customized with additional ingredients like mais(corn) and mungo (mung bean). The most popular version, however, is bilo bilo: Deriving from the word “bilog,” meaning, “round,” bilo bilo contains chewy rice balls mixed with cooking bananas (saba) or plantains, a root vegetable (such as ube, sweet potato, or taro), coconut milk, jackfruit, and tapioca pearls. It's among the heartier Filipino desserts and also happens to be vegan and gluten-free.

Leche Flan

Celeste Noche/Food52

Leche flan is one of many legacies of Spanish colonization in the Philippines from the sixteenth to late nineteenth centuries. It’s inspired by and very similar to the European crème caramel, but the Filipino version often uses sweetened condensed milk in place of regular milk. This creamy egg custard is often served with a light caramel syrup on top and prepared for special occasions.

Kalamay ("ka-lahm-eye")

Celeste Noche/Food52

Kalamay, meaning “sugar,” is a sticky dessert with a flavor similar to that of a coconut rice pudding. But because the sweet rice (or, more commonly, glutinous rice flour) is heated and then left to cool, the texture is chewy and dense rather than creamy and soft. Kalamayalways contains coconut milk, sugar, and ground rice as its base, but it varies throughout different regions of the country: There’s peanut butter kalamay in Mindoro and green rice kalamay in Tarlac in the north, for example.

Turon ("tu-rohn")

Celeste Noche/Food52

Turon is a common street food made of sliced saba bananas, jackfruit, and brown sugar wrapped in a spring roll wrapper and fried. When the roll is fried, the sugar melts and seeps out, coating the wrapper in a caramel syrup. Turon can be eaten at room temperature but are best hot off the pan and served with ice cream.

Buko Salad ("boo-koh")

Celeste Noche/Food52

Buko salad is the Philippines’ take on fruit salad. Buko (young coconut) is mixed with condensed milk, heavy cream, and canned fruit cocktail, then chilled before serving, and it’s also common to add for fresh fruit like apples and grapes for texture. Buko salad is often more about the temperature and texture (cold and creamy) than the flavors of the fruit, making it a rich and refreshing treat in the humid climate.

Maruya ("mah-roo-yah")

Celeste Noche/Food52

Maruya are the Philippines’ version of banana fritters. Saba bananas are sliced and dipped in a thin, pancake-like batter, then fried and sprinkled with sugar. Although this dessert can often be found as street food, it’s commonly made at home, too. Other less traditional versions use sweet potato, coconut, or corn in place of the bananas.

Gulaman ("goo-lah-mahn")

Celeste Noche/Food52

Gulaman, or agar, is a type of dried seaweed used to make jellos and gelatin. The seaweed is dehydrated and sold in bars, which are then broken up and boiled in water to create the jelly. And the word "gulaman" also refers to the actual dessert that the gulaman bars are turned into.

Traditional recipes call for fruit and extracts to sweeten the otherwise-flavorless gelatin, and the finished dessert often consists of different layers of gulaman, all flavored differently. It’s common to include a layer set around fruit cocktail, a “milky” layer composed of an evaporated milk or almond jello, and an additional fruity layer on top.

FOR MORE INFORMATION JUST CLICK THIS LINK BELOW:

http://www.businessinsider.com/12-filipino-desserts-you-should-know-about-2016-6?op=1/#gulaman-goo-lah-mahn-12

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Diet Filipino Food

"Everything starts with a tub of oil." That's how my friend puts it.
I want to share with you my take on the Filipino diet.
It's not to bash on the food we grew up in and love so much but to have a better understanding and make a plan on how to eat better and healthier.
I have had my share of the so-called yo-yo diet and I realized it's because of not having a plan going into dieting.
But before that, let's take a look if we could incorporate the food we are so used to having into making it some sort of diet Filipino food.

• First off the list : White Rice, and lots of it. For us, what's a meal without white rice, right? That's the staple of our diet.
  But studies have evolved about white rice causing weight gain. The starch in the rice turns to sugar which induces appetite.
  I believe moderation is the key. Have you heard about using your palm as basis for food portion?
  What's just enough rice for your body needs?
  If you make a fist, that's the right portion of rice, pasta or noodle for you to consume.
  
• Fried Foods Ask any Pinoy kid as to what his favorite dish is -- most will say "Fried Chicken".
  It's hard to turn away from a culture where TV commercials feature fried chicken as the ultimate treat, and Lechon feast signifying a celebration's grand standing.
  But if you want to reclaim your health and jump-start your diet Filipino food plan, you need to stay away from food that are pampabata or food that makes you stay young (because you will die young if you keep on a fried food diet).
Try roasting, baking or grilling instead of frying. And take off the skin!
For meat portion size : the Palm method says if you open your hand, the size of your palm (yes, the palm and just the palm) is your perfect portion.

• Salty or Sweet Meat Dishes, with a side dip of Patis (Fish Sauce) or Toyo (Soy Sauce) Let's face it, we love our rich, creamy sauces, or savory, fat-infused meat dishes to go on top of our white rice.
  And then serve that with a salty dipping sauce?
  Remember, the meat sauce in itself is laden with fat and calories (that's why it's so flavorful), then add to that the meat portion...that could be in itself your half-a-day calorie allowance.
• Vegetable Dish to go with a meal? A diet Filipino food must! The food pyramid suggests a serving of vegetable in every meal for optimum health.
  I don't think Fried eggplants or mushy Pinakbet fall on this category.
  Try sauteing your favorite vegetable in little oil, and leave it a little on the crunchy side.
  Overcooked vegetables are not only unappetizing, the fiber nutrient is gone and all the flavor is drained out to the sauce.
• Sauteing with a tub of oil Well, not really a tub, but you get the picture, right?
  Whatever oil you put into your saute goes into your dish. We use oil to bring out the flavor of garlic and onions. Using more of it doesn't add anything to the taste.
  Even using the healthy oil alternatives such as Olive Oil or Canola will not help the waistline if you are using too much.
  A tablespoon of oil is just enough to start your saute dish.

• Super Sweet Desserts vs. Fruits Who doesn't love Fruit Salad or Leche Flan after a hearty meal?
  But sugar is sugar! Anything processed or not in its natural form is not good for you.
  Try to fill up on fruits so you won't have room for the sweet desserts.
  
• Softdrinks (soda) instead of Tea or Plain H20 I know, I know... you want that satisfaction of a big burp to end a good meal that only Coca-cola can deliver!
  And you say, anyway -- it's Coca-cola Zero.
  Zero or not, it's still not a healthy alternative to water or tea -- and you wonder why you don't lose the bulging lower abdomen (puson)?
  I suggest to cut your soda consumption to, say, three times a week for the next 3 months, then down to twice or once every couple months... up until you just have it when you're dining out.
  Everyone has to start somewhere, right?
  Study shows it takes 21 days to break a bad habit -- likewise, it takes 21 days to create a good habit! There's always a choice.

We all want to eat and stay healthy if we can -- and it's always tough to change the ways we all got so used to doing.
Remember, it's hard doing it alone. You cannot prepare diet Filipino food for yourself while the rest of the family are pigging out.
It's a choice that everyone has to make.
And as always, moderation and balance are key.
Do you have any Diet Filipino Food Tips?

FOR MORE INFO JUST VISIT THIS LINK BELOW:
http://www.filipino-food-recipes.com/diet-filipino-food.html

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TOP 10 HEALTHIEST PINOY DISHES

A balanced and healthy diet is essential in maintaining good health and lowering the risk for various diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The common Filipino diet is disproportionate and is heavy with fatty meat and sweets which lacks essential vitamins and minerals that our body needs to properly function. People have a misconception that eating healthy is equivalent to eating tasteless and unappetizing dishes. To help you eat healthier, here are 10 healthy and delicious common Filipino dishes that you can include in your diet to provide your body with the nutrients that it needs.
1. Laing – Originating from the province of Bicol, this spicy dish is made from taro (gabi) leaves, which is rich in Vitamins A, C, and iron. The creamy spicy taste of the leaves and coconut milk makes laing a perfect match to a proper portion of hot rice.

Photo from bestpinoyfoods.info

2. Pinakbet/Pakbet – Usually prepared with fermented shrimp paste (bagoong), pinakbet offers several types of vegetables in a single delicious dish. Depending on the vegetables used, pinakbet can contain eggplant (talong), bitter melon (ampalaya), squash (kalabasa), okra, and string beans (sitaw). The dish is generally high in fiber and Vitamin A.

3. Tinolang Manok – The chayote (sayote) used in the dish is high in folate which cannot be synthesized by the human body and must therefore be supplied through our diets. Folate is essential in the production of red blood cells and can be found in green leafy vegetables. Chicken is a rich source of protein and contributes considerably less fat than the other meats.

(photo from wowtolife.blogspot)

4. Malunggay Dish– Dubbed the “miracle vegetable” and recently declared as the Philippines’ national vegetable, the leaves of the malunggay (moringa) tree can be prepared in a variety of ways and can be used as a substitute for spinach in soups and in various vegetable dishes. Malunggay leaves are rich in B vitamins, Vitamin C, iron, and magnesium.

5. Lumpiang Ubod – Fresh coconut shoot (ubod), carrot (kerot), spring onions, jicama (singkamas), and lettuce enclosed in egg wrapper with minimal cooking makes this one of the freshest Filipino vegetable dishes available. The accompanying thick sauce and peanuts make the lumpiang ubod a tasty meal in itself. The dish is high in Vitamin A, which strengthens the immune system and improves vision.

Photo from kawalingpinoy.com

6. Ginisang Munggo – Prepared using bitter melon (ampalaya) leaves and mung beans (munggo), this tasty dish is packed with folate, thiamine, iron, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus – all of which are needed for the human body to properly function. The bitter melon leaves can be substituted with malunggay leaves to give the dish a healthier kick.

Photo from Century Park Hotel

7. Sinigang na Isda – A variety of fish such as milkfish (bangus), red snapper (maya-maya), salmon, and grouper (lapu-lapu) can be used to create this savory sour dish perfect for cold and rainy days. The fish is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids while the water spinach (kangkong) provides decent amounts of Vitamins A and C.

8. Ginisang Sitaw – String beans (sitaw) and squash (kalabasa) are the primary ingredients of this dish which provide good amounts of fiber and Vitamin C. The dish usually incorporates small pieces of meat and can also be prepared adobo style.

Photo from lutonilola.net

9. Gising Gising – This dish will surely wake you up with its chili content. More importantly, the green beans used in the dish is an excellent source of Vitamins B6, C, K, manganese, zinc, and fiber. The coconut milk makes the dish creamy and complete and is rich in iron.

Photo from visitpinas.com

10. Ensaladang Talong – A great sidekick to any grilled meat dish, the ensaladang talong only requires minimal cooking with the eggplant while the rest is mixed in raw. Eggplant (talong) provides our body with B vitamins and manganese while the fresh tomato is rich in Vitamin C and lycopene.

Photo from mymomfriday.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION JUST VISIT THIS LINK BELOW

http://www.healthpromo.doh.gov.ph/top-10-healthiest-pinoy-dishes/ 

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6 interesting facts you didn’t know about Filipino food | by Karmela Tordecilla

Filipinos love to eat. Filipinos also love taking photos of what they eat. Nowadays, we spare a couple of minutes capturing the perfect shot of our meal before we dig into our plates.

Photographer Neal Oshima’s exhibit “Pagkaing Filipino” puts food porn to a higher level. More than just a feast for the eyes, his photographs pay attention to how food is cooked, the history behind local ingredients, the cooking traditions that Filipinos still practice, among others.

Here are some things we learned from his mouthwatering exhibit.

1| We are a rice-eating nation but we do love our bread.

Filipinos enjoy a wide variety of breads, the most famous of which is the breakfast staple pan de sal.  Pan de sal literally translates to “bread of salt.” A traditional panaderia makes use of a pugonor wood-burning oven to bake bread and biscuits such as rosquillos, biscocho, broas, galletas, and bañadas. We also have bread with interesting names, such as kababayan, pan Amerikano, and pan de regla.

2| Making lechon is a meticulous process.

Most of the time, the lechon served in fiestas disappears within an hour of serving, but cooking it isn’t a piece of cake (because it’s pork…get it?). First, the slaughtered pig is hanged to make sure all the blood has been removed. Air-drying also ensures crunchier skin, and we all know that is the best part of lechon. Next, the pig is roasted in an open fire for four hours or so. The roasted pig is left to cool for a couple of minutes, to keep the meat moist and the skin crackling. To keep flies and wayward hands from touching the lechon while it cools, it’s recommended to shroud it in a kulambo like a sleeping infant.

3| Fancy dinner parties used to be thrown in a comedor.

The dinner party scene in Noli Me Tangere, in which a nail-biting power struggle involving chicken tinola took place, was held in Capitan Tiago’s comedor. During the Spanish era, rich families had spacious dining areas with long hardwood tables that could seat up to 20 guests. Heirloom tableware and fine bone china were laid out on the la mesa during extravagant dinner parties.

4| A chef created an entire menu inspired by Jose Rizal.

Chef Rob Pengson of The Goose Station created dishes inspired by the life and writings of Jose Rizal. Each item in the menu, such as kesong puti, foie gras taho, and dinuguan black pudding, is accompanied by a Rizalian quote. Take tres leches, a sponge cake  served with sampaguita, coconut, and a burst of red raspberry: it’s the edible interpretation of the line “I die without seeing the dawn brighten over my native land” from Mi Ultimo Adios.

5| The sweetest mangoes are in Western Luzon.

Mango is the national fruit of the Philippines—unofficially. While this has yet to be authorized by the National Historical Comission, there is no denying that Philippine mangoes are among the best of their kind. The sweetest variety can be found in Pangasinan, Zambales, and the Ilocos region. But of course, Guimaras island in Western Visayas has world-famous mangoes, too.

6| If you’re raring to sample the best Vietnamese cuisine in the country, go to Palawan.

In Barangay Sta. Lourdes, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, fans of Vietnamese pho can get their fill of chao long in Viet Ville, the 70’s resettlement camp of Vietnam War refugees in the Philippines. Chao long is a dish of flat rice noodles cooked in a savory pork or beef broth, topped with sprigs of fresh mint, basil, and raw bean sprouts. Banh mi, a French-inspired roast pork-cheese-and-baguette sandwich, is also available in Vietnamese eateries in Palawan.

FOR MORE INFORMATION JUST CLICK THIS LINK BELOW:

http://www.pacifiqa.com/culture/six-interesting-facts-filipino-food-neal-oshima-exhibit-national-museum-philippines/

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