INTRODUCTION TO FILIPINO CUISINE

The Filipino cuisine begins with the Malayo-Polynesians, who were responsible
for its most common ingredient which is rice. Around 3200 BC, they settled in the
Philippines and brought farming and cooking methods that included steaming,
boiling, and roasting over a fire. The common protein often included livestock,
seafood, and the occasional reptile. Filipino cuisine has developed from the
different cultures that shaped its history; it is somehow became a combinations of
different Asian cuisines with heavy Spanish and American influence. Mexican
cuisine’s ingredients such as corn, tomato and chili have also found their way to the
Philippines. Filipino cuisine is not as renowned as many of its neighboring country
such as that of Thailand and Vietnam, Filipino cooking is nonetheless distinct and
possibly have the least spicy delicacies of all South East Asian cuisines. Despite this
circumstances don’t make the mistake of thinking that Filipino food is bland. It is just
that instead of spices, Filipino food depends more on garlic, onions and ginger to add
flavor to dishes. Painstaking preparation and prolonged cooking time is also a
characteristic of most Filipino dishes, and when done properly it is often what brings
out the natural and savoury flavor of the food, as opposed to a healthy dose of
spices. With over 7,500 islands, the cuisine of the Philippines is rather a mesh-mash
of hundreds of local, regional, and ethnic cuisines, and without any qualifiers, you
would often think of ubiquitous dishes such as adobo, sinigang, lechon, and the
Filipino-Chinese dishes.

HISTORY OF THE FILIPINO CUISINE 

More than 300 years ago, long before Spanish conquistador staggered down their
ships to kiss the shores of the islands, Filipinos were rowing out to sea in their little
bancas, wading knee-deep in rice paddies, planting in their backyards and hunting in
the woods. Whatever they gathered and caught they simply roasted, boiled or
broiled over an open fire. The forests were abundant and the surrounding waters
teeming with life; the Filipinos' idea of food included everything nature had to offer.
Preferably seafood. Preferably fresh. Squirming, leaping, crawling-out-of-the-
cooking-pot fresh.

Foreign trade during those times was healthy and a good deal less complicated than
today. The Malaysians, Indonesians, Arabians, Indians, and Chinese brought all sorts
of spices and food plants to the islands. Some of them stayed and raised families
here, and handed down cooking methods which the natives used to improve their
own methods.

Filipino cuisine is much like the Filipino himself: a mixture of different cultures,
Eastern and Western, that forms one unique culture that is like yet unlike those that
preceded it. Throughout the centuries foreigners came, as traders or conquerors,
and brought with them their tastes and cooking styles, which the Filipinos adapted
to their own essentially Malayan cuisine. 

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The Chinese Influence

From the Chinese we have the whole noodle business: pancit miki, pancit bihon,
pancit Canton, pancit sotanghon. But the Filipinos have completely imbued the
dishes with their own flair, and now there is a different kind of pancit for almost
every region on the Philippines. Other Chinese-inspired dishes, such as lumpia,
kikiam, siopao, and siomai, have been absorbed into the Filipino way of life. They are
part of Filipino diet, even today.

The Spanish Influence

Three hundred years of preparing dinner for Mother Spain gave us a flair for rich
food, the way Europeans 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 American influence

Sure, they brought us kitchen conveniences like the refrigerator, the pressure
cooker, the oven toaster and the microwave. They also gave us burgers, salads, and
pies which we baked with native fruits. But though we absorbed so much of their
culture in their 50-year colonization, American cooking is only now becoming part of
Philippine cuisine. Through their fastfood joints, we indirectly tasted spaghetti and
pizza. But somehow we wanted these to taste sweet, not sour as the Italians
intended them to be.

ESSENTIAL FILIPINO INGREDIENTS 

While this isn’t an exhaustive list, these are some key ingrdients in Filipino cuisine.
Stock your pantry with these staples so you can make delicious Filipino dishes
whenever the craving strikes.

1. Vinegar

Traditionally, many dishes are created with rice and cider vinegars to add the
tartness Filipino food is known for, but sugarcane, palm, and coconut vinegars are
also used often. The great thing about vinegar is each comes with a unique flavor
profile making it a key place in a recipe to add your own spin.

2. Soy Sauce

Food needs salt, and soy sauce is one place to get it. But if you’re looking for
something especially traditional, turn to patis.

3. Patis (Filipino Fish Sauce)

Just as not all hot sauces are created equal, not all fish sauces are either. Vietnamese
and Thai fish sauce have a different flavor profile and generally are a little more

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balanced thanks to added sugar. True Filipino patis can be pretty in-your-face when
it comes to saltiness.

4. Bagoong (Fermented Fish Paste)

This fermented fish paste is an essential for the Filipino chef. It can be made with a
variety of small fish, though shrimp is common and lends a signature pink hue to the
condiment.

5. Calamansi

This Filipino lime is a cross between a kumquat and a Key lime. This small citrusy fruit
is very aromatic and adds quite a bit of (surprise!) acidity to any dish. It brightens up
everything from drinks to pan fried noodles and fish.

6. Bitter Melon

Also known as bitter gourd and bitter squash, this fruit looks a bit like a lumpy
cucumber. Once sliced open and cored (imagine if the inside of a cucumber was a
bell pepper—bitter melon has a very similar texture), most often you’ll see it
prepared simply with scrambled eggs. A word to the wise: A little bit goes a long
way. So unless you’re ready for the bitterness, consider pre-prepping the fruit by
letting the slices rest in sugar or salt water and squeezing out the excess juice before
cooking.

7. Garlic

Garlic is featured prominently in dishes ranging from basic adobo to sisig (sizzling
pork) and pancit (fried noodles). Keep a bunch of fresh cloves on hand.

8. Ginger

Fresh ginger adds zest and spice to many of the sour dishes of the Philippines. Having
a root handy is always important.

9. Squash Tops and Leafy Greens

From stews to soups (especially the sour seafood soup sinigang) to noodles and
adobo, dark leafy greens are an important component of many Filipino recipes.
Squash tops and leaves might not be the most readily available stateside, but
dinosaur kale, collard greens, and spinach are great stand-ins.

10. Rice or Potatoes

With all those acidic and sour sauces, there needs to be a bit of starch to balance the
dish. Jasmine rice, simply steamed, is the foundation (or accompanying side) to many
important meals, as are simple potatoes.

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11. Ube

The striking purple yam that’s made its way into the Trader Joe’s freezer case is a
common ingredient in Filipino desserts, frequently cooked into a jam called halaya.
See our guide to ube for more about this ingredient (with recipes, of course).

MOST COMMON DISHES IN THE PHILIPPINES 

Kinilaw

Kinilaw is a delicious seafood dish served up all over the Philippines. It consists of
slices of raw fish marinated in vinegar along with other ingredients like calamansi
juice, salt, pepper, and chili peppers. The name kinilaw literally means “eaten raw”. 
Very similar to ceviche, the main difference is that Kinilaw relies on vinegar rather
than lime juice to “cook” the fish.

Sinigang

Sinigang is a sour soup that is typically made with pork and tamarind though
sometimes other sour fruits like guava, green mango, or calamansi are used instead.
Tomatoes, garlic, onion, and various other vegetables complete the stew.

Kare-Kare

Kare-kare is a thick stew made from oxtail, vegetables, and a peanut sauce. It
reminded us a bit of massaman curry from Thailand which makes sense as the word
‘kare’ is derived from the Filipino word for curry.  Supposedly the best kare-kare
comes from Pampanga which is just north of Manila, but you’ll find this dish served
all over the Philippines.

Sisig

Pork sisig is most common and it consists of chopped up pig ears, jowls and liver,
onion, and chili peppers delivered on a sizzling hot skillet with a raw egg on top.
You’ll need to mix in the egg to cook it before the skillet cools down. It usually comes
with a couple calamansi halves so you can squeeze the juice over the top.

Adobo

Adobo is often called the national dish of the Philippines and it’s certainly the most
famous Filipino dish. The flavor is created using vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves,
and black pepper. Also chili peppers are sometimes added to give it a little spice.

Humba

Humba is very similar to adobo, but also includes banana blossoms and tausi
(fermented black bean paste). This gives humba a sweeter taste than adobo and
results in an amazing spicy/salty/sweet flavor. Whereas you can find the adobo
flavor applied to all types of meat and vegetable dishes, humba is almost always
made with pork.

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Lechon

Lechon is a broad term that refers to a suckling pig that has been seasoned,
skewered on a bamboo pole, and roasted whole over charcoal. It is particularly
famous on the island of Cebu and you’ll see lots of shops along the roads with whole
roast pigs in the window. On his trip to the Philippines Anthony Boudain asserted
that the lechon on Cebu Island was “the best pig ever!

Pancit Guisado

Another famous Filipino food, Pancit guisado is basically just fried noodles and you’ll
see this dish offered at almost every restaurant you visit. They typically come in
three varieties: pancit canton, pancit bihon, and bam-i.

Pancit canton has thick noodles

Pancit guisado is a delicious side dish to add to your meal but be aware that the
portions are often huge so it’s best to plan on eating family style with several other
people when ordering.

Sinangag (Garlic Fried Rice)

Sinangag is pretty simple and straightforward – it’s just garlic fried rice. It’s made by
frying white rice in a wok or pan with lots of garlic. Other ingredients like egg or
vegetables can be added in a similar way to Chinese-style fried rice.

COMMON TOOLS

Horizontal spit

A style of roasting where the meat is skewered on a long solid rod, to be cooked over
hot coals. Often used for festive occasions to prepare lechon (spit roasted pig), spits
are also used to roast beef and chicken.

Palayok (clay pot)

A palayok is a clay pot used for cooking Filipino soups and stews. The clay pot is
saturated with water before cooking and the porous material allows a slow
evaporation of steam. As wet clay does not reach the same temperatures as metal,
dishes cooked in a palayok require higher temperatures and longer cooking times.

Wok

A wok is used in a variety of Filipino dishes, commonly when frying ingredients in oil.
Even today, woks are often preferred over deep fryers, as they require less oil. Frying
with woks requires enough oil to cover the food, but it shouldn’t exceed half the
depth of the wok, as to prevent spillage.

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Bamboo strainer

Flat and wide strainer made of bamboo, used to strain noodles.

Mortar and pestle

Typically made from stone, a mortar and pestle is used to crush and grind spices and
pastes. Used in a sinigang, a mortar and pestle is used to pound tamarind with salt to
form a paste-like consistency.

Ladle

Large spoons or ladles are often used in Filipino kitchens due to the soupy base of
many native dishes.

POPULAR DISHES IN THE PHILIPINES

Main course in the Philipines

Adobong Puti

Ingredients:

 2 tablespoons canola oil
 1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
 1 head garlic, peeled and minced
 3 pounds pork belly
 1 cup vinegar
 1 1/2 cups water
 1 tablespoon salt
 3 bay leaves
 1 teaspoon peppercorns, cracked
 1 teaspoon sugar
 fried garlic bits, optional

Procedure:
1. In a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, heat oil.
2. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until softened.
3. Add pork and cook until lightly browned.
4. Add vinegar and bring to a boil, uncovered and without stirring, for about 3 to 5
minutes.
5. Add water, salt, bay leaves, and pepper corns and stir to combine. Continue to
boil for about 3 to 5 minutes.

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6. Lower heat, cover, and continue to cook for about 40 to 50 minutes or until
meat is fork-tender and liquid is reduced.
7. Add sugar and stir. Continue to cook, uncovered, until mixture begins to render
fat.
8. Sprinkle with fried garlic bits as desired and serve hot.

Appetizer in the Philippines

Green Papaya Pickles

Ingredients:

 1 large unripe green papaya, shredded

 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon salt
 1-1/2 cups white vinegar
 1 cup sugar
 1 thumb-size ginger peeled and julienned
 1 small onion peeled and sliced thinly
 3 to 4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
 1 tablespoon peppercorns
 1/2 small red bell pepper seeded and julienned
 1/2 small green pepper seeded and julienned
 1 large carrot peeled and shredded
 1/4 cup raisins

Procedure:
1. In a bowl, combine shredded papaya and 2 tablespoons of the salt. Allow to sit
for about 1 hour or until papaya begins to release liquid. Place papaya in a
cheesecloth and squeeze firmly to dispel juices.
2. In a sauce pot over medium heat, combine vinegar, sugar and the remaining 1
teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 to
5 minutes or until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add ginger, onions, garlic and
peppercorns. Continue to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. In a bowl, combine papaya, bell peppers, carrots and raisins. Add pickling
solution and toss gently to combine. In a sterilized jar, transfer atchara and close
with tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 days to allow flavors to develop before
serving.

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 Soup in the Philippines

Milkfish Stew “ Paksiw na Bangus”

Ingredients:

2 pcs Bangus; scaled and cleaned

1 knob ginger; peeled and sliced
6 cloves garlic; peeled
1 pc eggplant
½ cup vinegar
1 cup water
1 pc onion, sliced
3 pcs finger chili
2 t salt
1 t peppercorn

Procedure:

4. Arrange ginger, garlic, chili, onion, peppercorn, and eggplant on the pot.
5. Top with bangus slices.
6. Pour water and vinegar. Apply heat and let boil. Cover and continue to cook in
low to medium heat for 15 minutes.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve.
9. Share and enjoy!

Salad in the Philippines

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Eggplant Salad “Ensaladang Talong”

Ingredients:

 2 pieces Chinese eggplant
 2 pieces tomato
 1 piece onion
 ¾ cup vinegar white
 ½ teaspoon salt
 ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
 2 tablespoons shrimp paste bagoong

Procedure:

1. Grill the eggplant (or cook directly on stove top)

2. Peel the skin, cut the stem, and mash lightly using a fork.
3. Cube the tomatoes and onion.
4. Combine the chopped tomatoes, onion, mashed eggplant, salt, ground black
pepper, and vinegar then toss to mix the ingredients.
5. Top with shrimp paste.
6. Serve. Share and Enjoy

Filipino Food Glossary

Adobo: a rich, dark, well-marinated stew of chicken or pork, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic
and peppercorns, bay leaf. A good adobo is said to last a week without
refrigeration.In Spanish cuisine, adobo refers to a pickling sauce made with olive oil,
vinegar, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, paprika and salt.

Ampalaya (Tagalog) or Amargozo (Aklanon): Chinese bitter melon or bitter gourd,

rich in iron.

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Apritada: a tart tomato sauce

Atsara: a chutney-like vegetable preserve

Atsuwete: Annatto oil

Baalut: take a fertilized duck or chicken egg, bury it in the ground for a few weeks

Baboy: pork

Bagnet: fried pork belly, a delicacy in The mountainous Cordillera region.

Bagoong: a fish paste

Baka: beef: beef ribs

Balayan: anchovy sauce

Bangus: the bony but prized milkfish

Batchoy: pork organ stew

Biko: a sweet and sticky rice

Bulalo: a Bisayan soup with veg's and pork liver, intestines, etc], spices, topped with
crushed pork skin crackles

Callos: Ox tripe

Chicharong bulaklak: it means pork intestines fried very crisp, goes well with dip of
vinegar, salt, diced/crushed garlic

Daing Na Bangus: Milk fish in garlic a fine textured fish

Dinakdakan: Pig's Ears and Tounge in Pig's Brain

Dinuguan: a stew made with pork blood and flavored with whole hot peppers, livery
tasting

Embutido: Pork Roll

Filipino Breakfast: traditionally fried rice, longaniza (native sausage) and dried and
salted fish. Together with the tomatoes and patis (fish sauce)

Ginataan: a method of cooking with coconut milk, common in Southeast Asia. Filipino
way is much simpler because coconut flavor is not overwhelmed by spices. Seafoods,

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poutlry, other meat/vegs cooked with cocnut milk and garlic, onions, ginger, chilis
and lemongrass.

Ginisang monggo: Mung Beans with pork, contains ampalaya tops

Halo-halo: literally, mix-mix. cubed sweet potato, cut up bananas and jackfruit, some
red beans, some ube jam (a gluitnous yam), ice cream, whatever else you want to put
in, shaved ice, milk, and sugar, and there you have it.

Humba: soy and sugar flavoured braised pork belly served with hard boiled eggs . The
Visayas region

Inihaw na Talong: broiled eggplant with chopped tomato, onions and bagoong

Inihaw: broiled

Kalamansi: the local lemon

Kaldereta: casserole (often a goat stew)

Kare-kare: meaty oxtail stew with pieces of tender tripe and vegetables in peanut
sauce served with bagoong, eat with rice

Kinilaw: raw fish marinated in a spicy vinegar dressing from Visayas region.

Labuyo: the fiery native pepper

Laing: Shrimp in Coconut Milk

Leche flan to the brazos: custard wrapped in meringue.

Lechon Kawali: pan-fried Roast Pork

Lechon: roasted whole pig

Lomi: pig's Stomach

Lumpia: fresh (lumpiang sariwa) are like crepes (rice/egg pastry) filled with Chinese
vegetables and topped with peanut sauce. fried (lumpiang Shanghai ) are small
spring rolls, rice pastry filled with ground beef or pork. Fried lumpias are basically the
fresh variety, deep fried. a Chinese-inspired vegetable snack much like the poh-pia of
Singapore and Malaysia, and the khan-pyan of Burma. Generally, a mixture of
vegetables or meat wrapped in delicate egg wrapper. There are four kinds: lumpiang
Shanghai (mixture of pork and spices, served as appetizer), lumpiang labong (made
of tender bamboo shoots), lumpia with peanuts, and lumpiang sariwa (made mostly
of vegetables). They're dipped in a sauce that consists simply of crushed garlic and
vinegar.

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Maliputo: sweet fish found in deep-water lakes.

Minatamis Na Saging: Sweetened bananas,

Monok: chicken

Palabok: rice vermicelli

Palitaw: dainty poached rice cakes rolled with grated coconut, sugar and sesame
seeds. Palitaw means "float and sink," The ground glutinous rice dough for Palitaw
sinks in boiling water and floats when cooked. Its fried version is Pilipit Bulacan
(Sweetened ground rice).

Pancit: sauteed noodles with bits of fresh vegetables, thinly sliced savory sausage
and tiny shrimps laced throughout. Different types of noodles can be used: bihon (rice
noodles), Canton (flour noodles),sotanghon (soybean noodle) and mike (pronounced
as mee-kee, fresh egg noodles). incomplete without a squirt or two of fresh
kalamansi. pancit miki.

Pata : pig knuckles

Patis: fish sauce

Pili nut brittle: a crunchy sweet made with the luscious pili nuts found only in the Bicol
region

Pinakbet: similar to ratatouille: vegetables sauteed with pork and bagoong, or a

sautŽed mixture of fresh vegetables (squash, eggplant, string beans and amplaya) in
bagoong. mainstay in the Ilocos region.
Pinapaitan: Beef Tripe, Beef Sirloin in Beef Bile

Pusit: dried squid

Relleno: boned and stuffed chicken or fish Central Luzon region

Rellenong Manok: a whole chicken, deboned and stuffed with a mixture of ground
chicken, pork and ham, plus whole sausages and hard-boiled eggs.

Sago: tapioca, served like halo-halo or in water with molasses as a special drink,

Siapao: steamed bread.

Sinigang: lightly boiled fish

REFERENCES:

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https://www.google.com/search?
q=filipino+cuisine+origin&oq=filipino+cuisine+origin&aqs
https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/adobong-puti/
https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/atchara/
https://panlasangpinoy.com/healthy-ensaladang-talong-eggplant-salad-recipe/
https://www.panlasangpinoy.com/
https://www.gadventures.com/blog/origins-food-we-love-cuisine-philipines/
https://panlasangpinoy.com/paksiw-na-bangus-recipe/

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