Skip to main content

50 Foods that define the Philippines??????????

It has 50 question marks originally but it doesn't look good so I just trimmed it down to 10. I love reading these "articles of lists" at www.cnngo.com for it serve as my window to the places, things, food, etc. I never got the chance to visit, have and taste. And when the article entitled 50 Foods that define the Philippines showed itself today, I got excited on how it will portray/define/present the ones on the list especially those food close to the Ilonggos hearts.

But it turned out there wasn't any. Zero! Nada! Zilch!

So I ran through the list again maybe it escaped my sight. There's ofcourse adobo, lechon, sisig, crispy pata, chicken inasal, taba ng talangka, pancit palabok, bulao, arroz caldo and fish tinola rounding off the first 10 on the list. But the deeper into the list, the glimmer of hope dims and finally, its confirmed - there's REALLY none.

But there were two dishes that had frogs - a stuffed one and one made tinola. Then there's two tilapia dishes and both had coconut milk in the recipe. Also, there was ensaymada and tsokolate and also there's tablea tsokolate. I wouldn't be surprised if it also included tsokolate E and tsokolate A in their top 100.

Though I agree with most on the list, I can't seem to understand (bordering into bitterness) the non inclusion of Ilonggo dishes like Lapaz Batchoy or Pancit Molo. Are these two not popular enough? (As if everybody's heard of sinugno and sinanglay.) Are these two not good enough in taste? (We'll taste is subjective, 20% of the Philippine population is a safe estimate as to those who like batchoy and pancit molo - that's 18,802,640 based on the 2010 statistics). Are the two too much of an outside influenced (i.e Chinese) that are not native? (almost half of what's on the list are.) Are these two, too regionalistic dishes? (No comment).

I have really no idea about the two writers who came up with this list - it's the first time I've heard/read of them though. Googling, I find their credentials quite okay - but I have it with "great credentials but flop delivery" (NOT with these two, just somewhere out there-hahaha).

Anyway, I have to end this ranting reminding MYSELF, that if I write something that would represent a particular place, let's say - Iloilo, I would see to it that everything's represented. From the high end, the street food and everything in between. My own personal taste would probably take a back seat to accommodate the majority, after all taste is subjective.

And food is not only about the taste, it is an experience.

Popular posts from this blog

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home.  A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ".  Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region.  Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of  batwan  and the  malinamnam na sabaw .  One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces  1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit  (or tamarind powder) 1 piece por...

Easy Century Tuna Recipes

If you're looking for simple, easy  and delicious Century Tuna recipes online, congratulations, you've found it right here! How about spicy tuna sisig or tuna sinigang ? Maybe stir fried tuna with pickles or just yang chow fried rice .  I love Century Tuna from its flakes in oil variety, the spicier the better, but when I discovered the versatility of its solid variant, it became an obsession. At first I was just into the usual tested recipes; pasta and sandwich filling, but then it got simpler – I just eat it straight from the can! Usually with a piece of bread or an apple. I just add a few drops of vinegar to spice it up a bit. Then came the experiments. Yup I got tired of that habit that one day, I decided to test my skills in the kitchen. Serendipity, you might call it yet most of them turned into good recipes that I have shared now and then. Satisfying my Palabok cravings had me experiment on this recipe on the spot. With Century Tuna in lieu of the us...

Flavours of Iloilo 2012 Highlights: Lovin' February gastronomy

So how to start a month the month of Love in terms of gastronomy? I didn't have to try hard as they come on their own terms.After the revelry of Dinagyang, the next big celebrations in Iloilo are the Chinese new Year, Jaro Candelaria Feast and Paraw Regatta. And it was on the mid celebrations (Jaro Fiesta) that February gastronomy marked its start.  I went to two fiestas during Candelaria - the rainforest inspired set up at the Jamerlan residence and one at Afrique's Jaro, where the restaurant business all began. But in between I just got a call informing me of a photoshoot happening at Days Hotel Iloilo and when I got there it was cakes, cakes and cakes all over. Tinapayan was readying for Valentine and the Heart Cakes were at the center of it all. The next day I was out to lunch at the Central Market and got to discover the old way of having Coffee on the Go at De Leonian Cafe . The month also brought in more discovery as for the first time I got to taste a hambu...

Oyster Cake and more new items at Tarzan Magic La Mien Noodle House

Now there's more reason to go back at my favorite noodle house in town! Tarzan Magic La Mien Noodle noodle along JM Basa street may just look like your ordinary Calle Real eatery serving turo-turo and Chinese specialties but once you've tried what's on their menu, you'd surely be back, again and again. A few days ago, I found myself enjoying their latest dish, Oyster Cake. Our order took long that we thought it was forgotten but when the plate of the oyster cake came to the table, we knew then why. It was cooked with a labour of love, the oyster meat was seasoned with delectable spices (the kusay being the most evident) then sauteed and made omelet style then smothered with, at first I thought just plain catsup, but it was a Chinese dressing/sauce which really complemented the oyster specialty. It was one good and savoury find that day. And they also have new noodle varieties and I think I hit the jackpot with my order - Spare Ribs La Mien. The taste of the s...