Philippine Food

Filipino food or Philippine food is known as the best thing that a Filipino can truly savor during meal time. Some maybe salty, some maybe sour, some maybe spicy or some maybe bitter. Filipino food has a tang of different flavors – Chinese, Mexican, Spanish, American, Malay and Indian. It has a variety of food ranging from simple meals to wholesome rich cuisines. Filipinos consume three meals a day – Almusal or Breakfast, Tanghalian or Lunch and Hapunan or Dinner. Merienda or snack is sometimes done during in between meals.

The type and flavor of food eaten varies in different areas of the Philippines. The important food in some areas is rice but some are cassava. Although at every meal, rice is available.

Filipinos are very resourceful when it comes to cooking. They use a method that can inculcate flavor’s aroma. In the province, knowing the society today, they use clay pots and coal stoves to cook a meal. With this, they are also fond of ihaw or roasting on coal.

Sour and salty flavors overshadow Filipino cooking. Example of this is Sinigang dish. Pork, shrimp or fish is slightly boiled in sour stock of vegetables and fish sauce or patis as Filipinos call it. Fish is the best admired when it is raw and enjoyed most when it is in the form of kilawin (vinaigrette), inihaw (grilled) or just stuffed with onions and covered in a banana leaf.

Adobo in Filipino cuisine refers to a common cooking process natural to the Philippines. When the Spanish invaded the Philippines in the late 16th century through Mexico City, they found an natural cooking process that involved stewing with vinegar. They referred to this method as "adobo". Over time, dishes prepared in this manner came to be known by this name as well. This also had become famous world wide.

Coconut milk is the main ingredient among Philippine cooking. Bicol Express is one example that Filipinos can offer. When it is cooked, meat and vegetables are cooked in coconut milk. Added by finger like green peppers chopped in small pieces. By this, it gives a exclusive flavor to it.

Some of the famous ingredients that can be found in the Filipino cuisine are coconut, chilies, Chinese sausages, garlic, onion, mushrooms, ginger, tomatoes, pandan leaf (screw pine) and tanglad (lemon grass).

Filipinos are known to be festive people and their celebration would not be complete without drinking lambanog. Lambanog is a native alcohol beverage that is made from tuba or distilled sugar cane. But of course, beer is always their option. Drinking lambanog will not be complete without pulutan or finger food to compliment it. Best choices are chicharon (popped pork skin), adidas (sautéd or grilled chicken feet) and mani (roasted or boiled peanuts). But most of the time, pulutan are left over food.

Above all these, Filipinos use their hands to eat.