Filipino cuisine – 20 Filipino foods you must try!
Kumusta my dear reader! Are you a food lover like me? Do you want information about Filipino cuisine? You arrived at the right place! Typical dishes in Filipino cuisine, you will read about them!
Like a food lover I am, I´m too much interested in Filipino cuisine and I´m eating it every week. (Yes… I have a Filipina wife).
I´ll share with you some typical street foods, desserts, and meals of the Philippines. Maybe, you will think some of them are strange, but…you will love them if you try. Seafood is typical of Filipino cuisine!
If you are planning to visit the Philippines, I recommend you use the travel insurance of World Nomads
The BEST dishes of Filipino Cuisine to eat are…
You will love Filipino cuisine like me.
1- Halo Halo – A typical dessert of the Filipino cuisine
According to the Filipino people, this dessert is one of the most favorite and delicious for them. “Halo-Halo” means “mixing all together”. Filipino cuisine
Halo Halo is a shaved ice with evaporated milk, sugar, caramelized banana, coconut strips, jack fruit, and toppings like gulaman, sago (tapioca), ube ice cream, corn flakes, and Leche Flan.
BLUEHOST – BEST HOSTING PROVIDER – SIGN UP HERE!
Halo-Halo has different versions from different restaurants, fast food, or stores on the street. The flavorful dessert and colorful dessert that you can try. Filipino cuisine!
To make it, you need to add a teaspoon or two of the ingredients and fill the glass with shaved ice. Secondly, add the toppings of your choice and mix them all. Perfect!
2- Taho – typical street food of the Filipino cuisine
Taho is a classic breakfast or a snack that Filipino loves to eat. You can easily buy taho in the street every morning because there will be a man walking in the street and shouting (TAHO!). He had two metal-covered buckets balancing on a wooden pole on his shoulders.
Taho is made of silken tofu with caramelized sugar syrup(arnibal) and sago or little tapioca pearls. It’s sweet, and very soft when you eat just like pudding. Is a Typical dessert in Filipino cuisine!
A lot of kids and even adults love to wait every morning just to eat taho. Remember it’s better to eat when is still hot.
To make it you only need to have a silken tofu, you need to make caramelized sugar syrup(arnibal) with brown sugar with water and a little vanilla and cook some tapioca. After that, put in a glass the warm silken tofu, caramelized sugar syrup (arnibal), sago, and mix all. I love Filipino Cuisine!
3- Puto Cheese – A typical dessert in the Filipino cuisine
Definitely, this is one of the most popular Filipino snacks. You can easily buy a Puto anywhere in the Philippines. It is usually cooked in a steamer. Filipino Cuisine.
Puto has different versions because you can find Puto that is made with rice and Puto that is made of flour. The usual color of Puto is white but they make it more colorful so people will easily catch the attention of the Puto.
Puto is not that sweet but you will love the rare taste of it. Filipinos prepare Putos for every birthday and party. So if someone invites you to some of their parties, don´t forget to try it. Enjoy Filipino Cuisine! Cuisine in The Philippines!
It’s so easy to make Puto, you can easily find the ingredients in your kitchen but you will need a steamer. All you need to have are all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, egg, milk, water, and vanilla. You just need to mix all the ingredients and rest it for about 30 mins while you´re boiling the water. After that, pour about 3/4 of the mixture into a silicone cupcake molder and steam it on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes.
4- Puto Flan – the combination of two desserts of the Filipino cuisine
Firstly, Puto Flan is the combination of the simple Puto and Leche flan. Before you will only find normally in the street the ¨puto cheese¨but someone invented to combine the Puto and Leche flan. Why not? It’s a really good combination.
In addition, it is the two desserts that Filipino loves to eat. Filipino usually cook the Puto flan in a steamer. The two combos are just so good to be true, with the Puto not too sweet and the sweetness of the flan.
You can easily make this Puto flan at home. You only need to have a steamer (of course), all-purpose flour, baking powder, melted butter, water, eggs, sugar, and condensed milk. Firstly, separate the egg whites and egg yolks in a bowl. Secondly, for the flan mix the yolks with condensed milk and add a little lemon. Thirdly, let’s mix first for the Puto all-purpose flour, baking powder, and sugar. Enjoy Filipino cuisine!
Then mix the wet ingredients water and egg whites and melted butter. After that mix the dry and wet ingredients for the Puto. Take the flan mixture put it in a silicon cupcake molder for about 1/4 of the mixture. Steam it first in low heat in the steamer with boiling water for 5-7mins and lastly pour the Puto mixture above the flan and steam it again for about 20 mins.
5- Cassava Cake – A common dessert in the Filipino cuisine
Cassava (mandioca) cake is a common dessert of Filipino cuisine, typically used as a snack or dessert. It is well known as ¨balanghoy¨ or ¨kamoteng-kahoy¨ in Filipino. It’s a combination of sweet and coconut milk taste. Filipino Cuisine!
Cassava cake is one of the Filipino sweet delicacies. It’s usually topped with cheese or macapuno (coconut sport).
This cake is made of grated cassava, coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, butter, eggs, and sugar.
6- Sisig – A typical meal in the Filipino cuisine
Sisig dish is a typical Filipino food originating in Pampanga´s province. Moreover, it is usually like a ¨pulutan¨or an appetizer to Filipinos pairing it with a cold beer. You will feel the flavor of saltiness, sourness, and spiciness.
This dish is a combination of different parts of the pig-like head, liver, ear, and more. Its commonly seasoned with onions, peppers, soy sauce, and calamansi. Some people use chicken liver instead of pork liver if it’s not available.
It is usually top with egg and chicharron (fried skin of the pig). And now there are a lot of versions of sisig like pork, chicken, and fish. Generally, people accompany this meal with rice. Enjoy Filipino Cuisine!
7- Pork Adobo – A typical meal in the Filipino cuisine
The famous pork adobo that Filipino loves to prepare. Adobo is also known from the Spanish word ¨adobar¨ means to marinate. You will love this in Filipino cuisine.
It has a flavorful mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, corn, laurel leaves, onion, and garlic. As the years and decades pass by people enhance the flavor of adobo using different seasonings like putting pineapple juice, sugar, and others to have a taste of saltiness and sweetness.
Filipinos don´t only use pork to make adobo they use chicken and fish also. Adobo is a national dish in the Philippines and they always pair it with rice. Filipino cuisine is so tasty!
8- Longganisa – A typical food of the Filipino Cuisine
Longganisa is very well known all in the Philippines. It is likely like a sausage with a kick of sweetness, spiciness, saltiness, and garlicky. I like this in Filipino cuisine.
Filipinos love to eat longganissa every breakfast or lunch and sometimes they pair it with a sauce of vinegar and garlic.
Longganisa has two types of flavor that you can choose, either sweet and spicy or salty. And I love the sweet and spicy though. You can easily buy it anywhere, cooked or not cook from the markets or groceries.
9- Camote Cue – A favorite snack of the Filipino cuisine
Camote cue is the favorite snack of Filipinos. It is made of sweet potato and caramelized brown sugar. You can find this anywhere in the street, hot and freshly cooked.
While I was in the street I saw the woman preparing the camote cue. She just cut into pieces the sweet potato and deep-fried it in very hot oil. After that, she takes it out and pours the brown sugar into the oil and waits for it to melt she pours the fried sweet potato and mixes it with the melted sugar.
It was amazing to see because you can easily prepare it in your home. Try it and you will love the taste of the sweet potato and caramelized sugar.
10- Banana Cue
Banana cue is the typical snack of Filipinos. It is the same preparation of camote cue but you will love to try it also.
It is made of banana but not the banana that we simply find in the grocery. The Philippines have different types of bananas and with this banana cue, you will need to use the one they called ¨saba¨.
The flavourful banana on a stick with caramelized brown sugar. And you can easily buy it for 10php only.
11- Kwek Kwek – A typical street food of the Filipino cuisine
One of the street foods that you can find in any part of the Philippines. It is made of quail eggs and coated with the orange battered mixture. Love Filipino Cuisine!
Kwek-Kwek is usually paired with a special sauce(vinegar, ketchup, chili, salt and etc.) and some slices of Pepino. Actually, Kwek-Kwek has a brother and they called it ¨tokneneng¨ that made of chicken eggs.
However, the only difference between the two is their sizes but both tasted good, especially with their sauce. And I bought it easily in the street for like 3 for 10php.
12- Mango Float – A typical dessert of the Filipino cuisine
The most popular dessert among Filipinos. It is made of graham crackers, whip cream or all-purpose cream, condensed milk, and especially the sweet mango of the Philippines. The best in Filipino Cuisine!
I´ve noticed a lot of people sell this from the mall or online. And mango float is so easy to prepare at home but you will need their sweet mangoes or you can use the ripe apple mango if it’s not available in your country.
I love how Filipinos make their desserts.
13- Tapsilog
Tapsilog is a short term from the word ¨tapa and itlog¨ means beef that is cured of calamansi, soy sauce, garlic and a bit of sugar and ¨itlog¨ means egg. Try this in Filipino cuisine.
It´s the favorite breakfast of Filipinos that you can easily find in malls, restaurants, or the streets. And it is always paired with their favorite garlic rice or a common one. I´m not a fan of eating rice but when I tried it, I actually liked it. I know I will try it again.
You´re going to find different varieties of ¨silog¨like long silog (longganissa and itlog), tocilog (tocino and itlog), hot silog (hotdog and itlog), and many more. Therefore, it’s best if you try one of their ¨silog meals¨.
14- Pancit
The famous Pancit of the Philippines. I really love eating this because it has vegetables, shrimp, pork or chicken meat. It tasted so good that I can even eat it every day. What makes Filipino cuisine so tasty?
Pancit is a dish that Filipinos prepared almost every day. My wife even said every birthday or party that if you have Pancit ¨you will have a long life¨ because of the long string of noodles. That’s why Filipinos love eating it too.
It is made of vermicelli noodles or rice noodles, vegetables of your choice like (spring beans, carrots, cabbage, green beans, scallions, and many more), slices of pork or chicken, shrimp, chicken liver, soy sauce, salt, pepper, onion, and garlic.
15- Lechon – Typical food of Filipino cuisine
Lechon all-time favorite of Filipinos. It is a roasted pig that is cooked over charcoal and turned around for a lot of hours. They said you will find the best Lechon in ¨Cebu¨ and I so was lucky because my wife is from Cebu.
Its usually served during different kinds of parties like birthdays, fiestas, weddings, anniversaries, Christmas or new year and more. And you can easily buy it in malls and in the street every time you want. You can also choose spicy if you like it to be spicy. Love the Filipino Cuisine!
In the picture, I was lucky that I had a chance to see how they prepared it because the family of my wife had a birthday party and prepared the Lechon. I really love the crispiness of the skin, the tenderness of the meat and it makes me drool imagining it again. Filipino Cuisine rules!
16- Lumpia
Lumpia (spring rolls) is a mixture of ground pork meat, onion, garlic, egg, and carrots. Filipino loves preparing it occasionally because it’s so easy to make in the house. Eating it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
I remember the first time I tried it when the mom of my wife prepared it. It was so good and flavourful and a lot of times they paired it with vinegar sauce with onions or ketchup but even without it still tasted so good. Filipino Cuisine!
In addition, if you´re not a meat lover you can try the vegetable one with bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots, string beans, potato, and more. Filipino Cuisine!
17- Barbeque – A typical meal in the Filipino cuisine
Barbeque(BBQ) is very common street food in the Philippines that Filipinos love to eat every lunch, dinner, and even for a snack. It has a lot of choices from pork meat, chicken(feet, head, intestine, liver, breast, and leg), chorizo, longganissa, hotdog, fish, and pig blood.
They marinated the bbq with their special sauce before cooking it over charcoal. Have you noticed the reddishness of the meat? it is simply because they put a natural color called ¨atsuete¨ or ¨annatto¨. You should try eating bbq with their puso (hanging rice) to make it more special.
I super love the bbq in the Philippines it’s so tasty and not too expensive and so easy to find anywhere on the street.
18- Champorado
Champorado (chocolate porridge) is the favorite snack or breakfast of Filipino kids. They love to prepare this raining or sunny. It is made of glutinous rice and a part of normal rice, sugar, water, and the very special ¨tablea¨ is defined as roasted, ground, and molded of fermented pure cacao.
I really thought before that when you´re going to prepare this you will just need to put a chocolate bar but I was wrong because the taste of tablea is very bitter that the normal chocolate.
They also love pairing it with milk and dried fish. I was like really? but I was shocked because of its really good combination of sweetness and the saltiness of dried fish. I love champorado already.
19- Balut
Balut is actually not other than duck egg the very famous and unique food in the Philippines. Its fertilized duck eggs that the embryo permitted to develop in the shell from 16 to 21 days. I hate this in Filipino Cuisine.
You can only buy this only every night until dawn and it always serves hot. A lot of people say that if you´re going to visit the Philippines ¨never forget to try the balut¨ so I got curious. I was so nervous to try it because I never tried it before but my wife liked it. And decided to try it with my wife even she already know the taste of it.
She told me to crack carefully the shell so I can slurp the sauce inside and put a little salt and vinegar after that, I tried the whole thing and it wasn’t that bad. Moreover, if you don´t like to try with a baby duck you can choose instead the ¨penoy¨ without the baby duck and the other choices from 16 to 21 days. Filipino Cuisine.
20- Bibingka
Bibingka is the type of rice cake in the Philippines. It is made of freshly milled rice (galapong), sugar, coconut milk and put in banana leaves. I love this in Filipino Cuisine!
It is one of their favorite snacks but it’s also famous at Christmas, especially people selling every dawn after their simbang gabi before Christmas. There’s a common and special bibing with a top of salted egg, cheese, and shredded coconut.
The one that you´ll buy in the street will have a taste smoky and sweetness of Bibingka because traditionally they cooked it in clay pots lined with banana leaves over the charcoal. I can´t imagine that I love more the Philippines because of the specialty of their food. Is it tasty Filipino cuisine?
Thank you very much for reading our post! So, which of these foods would you like to eat? Let us know, down below!
If you want to read more about stunning places in The Philippines, check this out:
Best Places To Visit In Cebu – My Favorite 11! Filipino Cuisine rules!
What to do in Boracay – Our best 4 days in Boracay
SOUTH CEBU TOURIST SPOTS. The Best 12!!
Coron Island in Palawan – Is This Paradise?
You will love Filipino Cuisine!
If you are interested in the Philippines and want more information about the country, you can click here to find out. Love Filipino cuisine!
Filipino cuisine, you will like Typical dishes in the Filipino cuisine
Filipino cuisine – 20 Filipino foods you must try! Read More »