The history of Filipino food dates back to the pre-Spanish era, the Malay introduction of boiling, roasting and steaming of the livestock and seafood they have. The Spanish settlers during the Spanish era also introduced many spices that are now common in Filipino food. Of course, there are still the original Filipino dishes which can only be found here in the Philippines. These are the ones invented over the years by Filipinos from different regions. Then of course what you should really try is the exotic street foods like taho, kwek-kwek, betamax and balut.

Experience rich culture in Filipino delicacies!

If you are like me and love to “eat your way” through places you travel, then I highly suggest you taking a look at these food and drink recommendations for the Philippines!

Foods To Try

Adobo: the famous Filipino dish
Lechon: Fully roasted pig
Dinuguan: Dark-tinted Filipino stew
Tapsilog: Filipino comfort dish
Balut: duck embryo street food snack
Kare Kare: oxtail stew
Kinilaw: raw fish salad
Sinigang: sour meat stew
Lomi: noodle dish
Sotanghon: Noodle dish
Mami: Noodle soup
Halo halo: a cheeky desert
Champorado: chocolate rice pudding

Chicken Adobo

This is hands down the national dish! A great tasting simple Ilocano cuisine that includes pepper, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and vinegar. You can swap the chicken out for seafood, beef, or pork. It is simply delightful.

Balut

Known as a boiled fertilized duck egg, is an interesting dish that is popular in the Philippines. The embryo is typical street food and is considered to be an aphrodisiac.

Here are some of the noodle dish in the Philippines you need to try:

Lomi

Lomi is best eaten while steaming hot. It is a challenge to be able to finish eating before the bowl gets cold. To spice up the taste, depending on one's preference, a mixture of soy sauce, calamansi juice and crushed fresh red chili peppers can be added to the dish as a condiment. The same soy sauce mixture can also be used as a dipping sauce for the meatballs, kikiam and pieces of meat.

Sotanghon

The noodles are called a similar name: sotanghon because of the popular dish of the same name made from them using chicken and wood ears.

Beef Mami

A noodle soup similar to the Chinese variety, with beef, pork, chicken, or wanton garnish and topped with chives. Usually thin egg noodles are used, but there are versions using flat rice noodles.

For a TASTY TREAT, you need to try Champorado

Champorado is a Filipino chocolate rice porridge that is traditionally served for breakfast. Chocolate for breakfast may sound like a dream, but there’s a caveat. It’s typically served with tuyo (dried salted fish). Champorado may perhaps be the original chocolate cereal as it is quite literally a "chocolate cereal". it can be likened to a warm bowl of oatmeal crossed with a chocolate bar. While chocolate is the main ingredient of this dish, it’s not very sweet. Rather, this porridge highlights the complexities of dark chocolate. Much of the sweetness and creaminess comes from the milk drizzled on top. I’m sure you want to start packing and have a taste of this Filipino dish right?