So my grandma just arrived in Philippines 2 weeks ago, she usually tries to visit us every year and stays for about a month. So whenever she does have that chance she always grabs the opportunity to make her vacation as productive as she can. My grandma makes it a tradition to visit her favorite church at Periluz Carcar. Carcar is a famous place here in Cebu where you can have a good bargain for some interesting products and it is also known for its delicious food delicacies, so luckily she is always thoughtful enough and brought me these yummy goodies <3
Chicharrón
So this one is called Chicharrón. It is made from pig skin. It is commonly sold in plastic bags as a snack food item and may be referred to as "pork rinds" . It is made in a two-step process: the pork skin is first rendered and dried, and then fried and puffed. You may even add some sauce to your Chicharrón, the most common one is adding vinegar and a little chilli pepper just to balance out that greasy porky flavor if you know what I mean :). Be careful though! Chicharrón is infamous for it's bad health benefits. I recommend eating this stuff once in a blue moon and when that time comes. ENJOY EVERY SINGLE BITE OF IT! :P
Lechon Baboy/Roasted Pig
This one is quite similar from the previous one and what I mean about similar is they both are made from pig. I know! talk about obsessing with pork! When you ask the locals in Cebu for recommendations on what cuisine they should try I'll bet you "Lechon Baboy" is what comes to mind of my fellow Cebuanos when asked about traditional food delicacies. It is traditionally cooked slowly over charcoal allowing those amazing flavors to combine then rotated by hand on a bamboo spit. They are then wrapped in delaminated banana trunk for delivery. Dipping it in a sauce is also crucial atleast for me! A simple soy sauce, vinegar and chilli pepper would make a great sauce. Lechon Baboy + Puso or rice = Heavenly Combo! Again indulge in moderation as it can be very unhealthy for you. :D
The thing that you see on the bottom is called Tamarind, this is a fruit made into a candy. The tree grows well in tropical climates, so while it is originally from Africa, today the tamarind tree can be found growing in tropical regions across the globe. A lot of countries has their own candy version of this. The taste is quite exotic a little tarty,sour and sweet. I think it is the perfect dessert after eating all those porky goodness to cleanse those greasy substance stuck in your mouth.
To give you a better view of a Tamarind let me show you a better picture.
Tamarind
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