Traditional Food in Baguio

Pinikpikan - When it comes to Cordilleran cuisine, this is without a doubt the recipe that is
most well-known. If you are an advocate of animal rights, you might find the preparation
shocking. The butchering process is basically beating a chicken to death with a stick. Why? To
preserve the blood in the chicken's body. To allow the blood to coagulate within the parts of the
chicken that are beaten with a stick - mostly the neck and wings. It's surprising that PETA
(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is yet to stick its nose into the matter.

Cooking genuine pinikpikan is a breeze. All you need is a live chicken, sayote, etag (pork that's
been dried or smoked the Igorot way), and any leafy vegetables like pechay or wombok. Use
barn chickens or what we call "native" chickens. What does pinikpikan taste like? It's like tinola
with a smoky taste courtesy of the etag added into it. If you are in Baguio City, you can have a
taste of it either at Cafe Yagam or at the Cafe by the Ruins.

Ube Jam, Strawberry Jam & Peanut Brittle

If you're bringing home a taste of Baguio, Good Shepherd is your one-stop shop for all your
pasalubong treats. Ube Jam, Strawberry Jam, and Peanut Brittle never fail to put a smile on any
receiver’s face. It’s sweet and
just outright fun to snack on. Eat
the jams with bread or on its
own. From personal experience,
it's best to get an extra jar or
two!

Strawberry in Baguio City

One of the main attractions of Baguio City is the Strawberry Farm located in La Trinidad Valley
three kilometers from Baguio City proper. In fact, this place is known to be the strawberry
capital of the Philippines. The municipality of La Trinidad has a total land area of almost 8,300
hectares consisting mostly of mountains, rivers, and springs. Its floor elevation is 1,300 meters
above sea level which explains the cool temperature in the valley, perfect for growing
strawberries all year long.

Every tourist who wishes to enter the strawberry farm needs to register first in the logbook for
tracking purposes. If you are planning to pick strawberries, please expect double price
compared to public markets. This is also to compensate for the potential damages that amateur
pickers can do to the crops. You can bring home strawberries at P350 per box. With these you
can surely experience wandering along the farm with little strawberries around you and it is
priceless. You can enjoy the feeling of picking fresh crops and tasting them right away.
Furthermore, it gives one a new perspective on how farming life is and how simple yet happy
the local farmers are. All in all, strawberry picking “Baguio style” is an experience well worth
your summer experience with your families and friends.
Strawberry Taho

Taho is a Filipino snack in a cup composed of slices of soft soya bean curd or tofu and tapioca
pearls, topped with sweet brown syrup. In Baguio, they made a variation of the ordinary taho
and used strawberry syrup and called it strawberry taho.

I encountered two kinds of

strawberry taho being sold in
Baguio. The more common
one is simply made with
strawberry syrup instead of
brown syrup. We found it being
sold at Mines View Park and
Pink Sisters Convent.
Strawberry Ice-cream

”dirty’ ice cream

vendors ubiquitously
peddling this singular flavor
around the tourist traps of
Baguio City and La
Trinidad near the
strawberry fields. Just like the
taho vendors, they’re cashing in on anything with strawberry in it, ice cream included.