As we Filipinos love to gather, like even if when we don't have extra money to prepare food, we borrow money just to have something to be there in the table. Or even if it is just a beer and junk foods we always gather. Most specially, in occasions like birthdays, fiestas, graduation, wedding, baptism and other special occasions.
Here's my top 10 foods that are always present in Filipino Occassions
- Lechon
Photo credit: http://travelfoodanddrink.com/philippines-national-dish/
Lechon is a roasted whole pig in charcoal, very popular because of its crispy skin. Lechon is the star of all of whats in the table. You need to prepare it with love and patience, cooking time is very long but its worth the wait. Having cebu the best pig in the world, acknowledge by chef Anthony Bourdain, no wonder why it is our national dish.
- Pancit
Pancit has many variety in the Philippines, although we're just influenced by the chinese, pancit has become a go to food to us Filipinos. In the picture, it is the pancit bihon, in a less cost you can serve a lot of people.
Click link for recipe: https://panlasangpinoy.com/2009/03/10/pancit-guisado/
- Chicken Adobo
Chicken Adobo is an authentic Filipino dish and is one of the mostly recognized Filipino foods. This recipe is the simplest that you can get. Not to be mistaken with Mexican adobo, this dish is uniquely prepared by stewing chicken in vinegar and soy sauce. Several sources who are experts in Asian food history say that the Filipinos were already cooking adobo even before Spanish colonization. The cooking method is termed as “inadobo” which is the very same method in this recipe. It is also said that cooking with vinegar preserves the meat. This method is also considered as one of the earliest food preservation practice.
See source for recipe: https://panlasangpinoy.com/2009/03/09/filipino-food-chicken-adobo-recipe/
- Pork Humba
(from chinese hong ba that means "saucy meat") Preparation of pork humba is similar to chicken adobo, vinegar is the main ingredient to avoid the pork from spoiling. This food lasts for days, so if it is not consumed it will not be wasted.
Click Photo Source for recipe: https://panlasangpinoy.com/2010/01/27/filipino-food-pork-humba-recipe/
- Lumpia
Lumpia is the Filipino's version of egg rolls, with the combination of ground pork, carrots, garlic, onion and egg wrapped in a lumpia wrapper and then deep frying. This is is good with ketchup.
Click link photo credit to see recipe: https://panlasangpinoy.com/2016/05/09/how-to-cook-lumpia/
- Spaghetti
This dish is for the kids, we all know that kids really love spaghetti. This Filipino Spaghetti plays a big part to every tables of all Filipinos, it's been a go to food for parents that their kids don't like to eat rice.
Click photo source to see recipe: https://panlasangpinoy.com/2016/10/21/panlasang-pinoy-spaghetti/
- Menudo
Menudo is a traditional stew from the Philippines. Unlike the Mexican dish of the same name, it is not made with tripe and red chili sauce but rather with sliced pork and calf's liver in tomato sauce.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menudo_(stew)
Click photo source for recipe: https://panlasangpinoy.com/2017/12/09/filipino-pork-menudo-recipe/
- Dinuguan
Dinuguan comes from the word "Dugo" which means "Blood" so basically dinuguan is blood stew. From the drained blood of lechon and together with the innards of the pork , nothing will be wasted. This dish may also be together with puto. It is yummier when spicy.
Click photo credit link to see recipe: https://panlasangpinoy.com/2017/04/26/pork-dinuguan-sa-gata-recipe/
- Afritada
Afritadang Baboy is a Filipino pork stew with potato and carrots. The bell peppers are good additions because it makes the dish taste better. I also like adding dried bay leaves to provide a pleasant aroma to the dish.
Click source to see recipe: https://panlasangpinoy.com/2017/07/07/afritadang-baboy-recipe/
- Kare-kare
Kare-kare is a Philippine stew complemented with a thick savory peanut sauce. It is made from a variation base of stewed oxtail, pork hocks, calves feet, pig feet, beef stew meat, and occasionally offal or tripe. Kare-kare can also be made with seafood (prawns, squid, and mussels) or vegetables.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kare-kare
Click photo source for recipe:https://panlasangpinoy.com/2017/08/11/beef-short-rib-kare-kare/
Thank you for your time reading.
What Should be in the list and what should'nt be? Comment your thoughts below.
Hope you like it.
Until next time
