afritadang manok

Filipino cuisine (or the cuisine of islands of the Philippines) has evolved from its Malay roots to a predominant Hispanic-based cuisine because of the dishes brought during Spanish rule. American, Arab and Chinese cultures have also influenced it. Filipinos have their own unique way of adapting to these environmental influences. Surprisingly, despite such influences traditional Filipino food recipes have still survived.

Filipino food recipes are distinguished by their bold combination of sour, sweet and salty flavors. Generally most authentic Filipino food recipes are not heavily spiced. Filipino dishes showcase a sudden influx of flavor and are usually delivered in a single presentation. This gives the eater a simultaneous visual feast, a gustatory glee and an aromatic bouquet. An important feature of Filipino food is contrastic. For instance, pairing sweet with salty; like salted sun dried fish being paired with sweet cocoa rice porridge. Delicious and inventive!

A staple Filipino food is rice that is served in all meals with different ingredients and seasonings; like it is served with fried eggs at breakfast. Fruits like coconuts, tomatoes, bananas and vegetables like potatoes, purple yam, and carrots are popular ingredients. Filipino food recipes are rich in seafood because of its geographical location – the Philippines is made up of all islands after all! Catfish, shrimp, mackerel, crabs prawns, oysters and other seafood and fish are very popular in the Filipino food dishes.

Filipino Food recipes range from a simple meal of fried fish and rice to rich paellas and cocidos. Popular Filipino food recipes include Philippine sausage-longganisa, beef jerky, omelette, goat in tomato stew-kaldereta, mechado (meat in tomato sauce), banana and tomato sauced beef- pochero, kare-kare (vegetables and oxtail made in peanut sauce), pancit or stir-fried noodles, crispy pata or deep-fried pig’s leg, hamonado (pineapple sauced sweetened pork), sinigang (fish, pork or shrimp in tamarind) and lumpia (fresh or fried spring rolls). The most well liked desserts include leche flan and buko pandan (slivers of young coconut with cream and pandan flavor).