We Filipinos just love to eat.

It just made me smile when I heard this commercial on an FM Pinoy radio station being aired in Dubai where it says a tag line “Pinoy nga talaga”; There were ladies talking about their plan on going to the beach but then instead of swimwear, ski or beach volleyball, they were discussing about what foods to bring. One  of them says she will bring the rice and the other one to bring “ulam” (viand) and also the rest to bring other foods to eat when suddenly one interrupted saying “Are we going to the beach to swim or to eat?”. Yeah, that is a really common scenario for Filipinos who gather and meet with friends and family. They gather to have fun, have some sing-along (videoke), enjoy the company and eat A LOT! We consider eating as a pleasure. The delight of eating has always been there to make family, friendship and community bonds together. If you haven’t tried any Pinoy dish but is planning to, here are the top picks that should be on your list.

Tuyo

Dried fish or “tuyo” from the word itself is a small dried & salted fish. Fried or grilled, this is usually eaten by Filipinos along with either fried/garlic rice or with a newly cooked steamed white rice. This is best when served with chopped tomatoes or with vinegar and garlic usually as a breakfast. The smell of this fish is strong and a true Pinoy would describe it as “delicious” because you can tell from smelling it how salty and how tasty it is.

ADOBO

Considered as an unofficial national dish of the Philippines, this dish is one of the most loved by Pinoys. It’s a meat mostly chicken or pork marinated and cooked in soy sauce, vinegar with black pepper and garlic. Adobo is originally from Spain and Portugal referred to as “marinate” or sauce. This was transformed by Filipinos into an indigenous cooking method with the same sauce – cooked slowly until almost dry – mouth watering!

SINIGANG

One of my personal favorite. This can be beef, pork or seafood (fish or prawns). This dish is cooked by boiling the meat in the water with salt, onion, and tomato added with vegetables like string beans, taro or gabi, kang-kong or pechay and spiced up with a tamarind extract to sour the broth – nowadays, almost everyone is using the powdered tamarind. In some natives, they use the rice wash (it is a used water when washing rice, the second wash) to boil the meat. This dish is mostly a family’s favorite meal especially for lunch or dinner  because it is a soup-based recipe which kids can easily eat, and mostly loved.

Bulalo

One of the top favorites of Filipinos. This beef shank soup with marrow bone is cooked by boiling until tender along with onion, salt,  pepper, corn & potato. Some are also topping it with half cooked beans and bokchoy or Chinese cabbage. In my version, I’d like to boil this along with sibut-sibut (a Chinese herbs & spices) that adds more aroma and flavor. The same as with all other dishes, serve this alone or along with a newly cooked steamed rice and you’ll definitely ask for more.

Lechon

This popular mouth watering, irresistible and deliciously crunchy dish originally came from Spain just like most of the Filipino dishes. This is a slow-roasted suckling pig being cooked on an open charcoal grill for long hours until flesh is fully cooked but not dry. The tastiness comes from its spices; stuffed with either lemongrass, onion, garlic or tamarind then rubbed all over with salt & pepper and all those secret ingredients according to the cook. This is perfectly cooked if the skin is crunchy, meat is tender and juicy and of course, the sauce should be deliciously spiced. Typically, it’s sauce is made from the pig’s liver mixed with spices and herbs. Lechon is usually served during special occasions such as fiestas, birthdays, weddings and special occasions. Lechon’s leftovers can be transformed into another absolute favorite which is called “Lechon Paksiw” wherein the leftovers are mixed with vinegar, bay leaf, and its remaining sauce boiled until sauce are fully absorbed by the meat. Nowadays, there are more ways invented of serving lechon other than the traditional way of serving it on top of the counter to be cut or pinched by everyone craving for it.

Sisig

This hot & spicy dish is either an appetizer, a main menu or “pulutan” – a bar food item consumed along with alcoholic drinks. The most popular version is pork’s mask or face including the tongue and ears, grilled and cut into tiny cubes mixed with calamansi or lemon extract, a generous amount of diced onion, ginger, and chilis – red and green. Some version is also mixed with finely chopped or minced grilled chicken liver and pig’s brain or alternatively, mayonnaise. Other versions are chicken and bangus (milk fish) and other seafood.

Beef Kare- Kare

This is a beef stew recipe savored with thick and creamy peanut sauce and simmered with string beans, eggplant, banana’s heart, bokchoy and colored with annatto seeds extract. The meat is an oxtail and tripe but there is also a version of pork knuckles and seafood such as prawns and crabs. Kare-kare is bland and is not well seasoned with salt or other spices other than the peanut sauce, so this dish can only be enjoyed along with its partner – “bagoong” or shrimp paste. This dish is commonly on the list of specialty menus of most Filipino restaurants all over the world.

Tinolang Manok – (Chicken Tinola)

A chicken soup sauteed in garlic, onion, ginger and fish sauce and boiled until meat is tender. In some recipe, this may include a lemongrass which adds more spice and aroma, also mixed with papaya and simmered with chili leaves. One of favorite ulam by Pinoys including The Filipino Champ – Manny “Pac-man” Pacquiao! Perfect for rainy and cold weather, this dish should be served while hot.

Pinakbet

Pinakbet is simply a sauteed combination of mixed vegetables – string beans, squash, ampalaya or bitter gourd, okra with a little bit of water enough to cook all the vegetables without over-cooking them. In my version, I add shrimp paste(bagoong) and I love to simmer it with kang-kong. Perfect match with grilled milk fish or any fish — such a delicious veggie meal!

Balut

This is one of the food I am really proud of, one of the pride of my hometown  –Pateros. Balut is a boiled duck embryo also considered as one of the street food, this is eaten along with salt or vinegar with chili. Traditionally, balut is eaten as a midnight snack or served with beer. You will normally see places in the Philippines selling this on the street called “balut vendor”. Some people are too curious to try it as they’ve seen people enjoying it and coming back for more but they find themselves a bit anxious of eating it as they see the embryo — the trick is not to look at it and let your taste buds tell you how tasty it is.

These are just few of the Filipino dishes you would really love to try. I would say that the story behind the love of eating is the spirit of joy when gatherings and special occasions come because eating together brings everybody in one table where everyone shares their stories and no matter how sad or worst it is, there’s just a reason to always laugh out loud and… just EAT!