What the Filipino: Pinoy food
Quick preface: Several weeks ago, I spent about 8 days in the Philippines, getting a Thai visa and experiencing quite a change of scenery. Personally, I believe that the most efficient introduction to a culture is the food. Therefore, I went crazy trying any Filipino (Pinoy) cuisine my friend Jill and I could get our hands on. Today I realized that I hadn’t posted about the Filipino food yet!
One handy thing about Filipino menus is the relatively common presence of english. Since the Philippines have been occupied by several countries, including the U.S.A., the people all have atleast a solid base of English under their belts.
That being said, the Pinoy food we sampled was quite delicious! It seemed to fall into two categories: super salty, or super sweet. In the salty dishes, Jill and I also noticed a strong presence of citrus – adding a welcome dimension to the plate.
Something to note: bakeries everywhere, as well as produce markets. Unlike Thailand, however, merchants don’t cut up fruit ready to eat. Mess ensues, especially if you attempt to bring said un-prepared fruit onto a bus.
Here’s a taste of the many Pinoy classics we sampled (almost all of which I could find in a vegetarian, non-dairy form – holla!):
-
- Tofu stir-fry dishes at the Java Jazz B&B in Tagatay
-
- Arroz ala Cubana – Bananas, olives, egg, java rice, and more at a fantastic place called the Corner Tree Cafe in Manila.
-
- Sampling the local coffee – Benguet Coffee – in Banaue
-
- Calamansi – a lime-juice drink with honey so you can sweeten to your own preferences.
-
- Another treat from the Java Jazz B&B in Tagatay
-
- A papaya/onion empanada from a street vendor in Quezon City, a ‘burb of Manila
-
- Fresh carrot juice at Java Jazz B&B.
-
- Gulamon at Sago – the sugariest thing ever with tiny donut-like balls, jelly, and shaved ice to top it off.
-
- Homemade orange marmalade and Mountain Tea at the Rocky Inn & Cafe orchard in Sagada.
-
- Ginger Tea and Hot Chocolate (literally just cocoa & a bit of water – delicious) from Gaia in Sagada.
-
- Vegetarian Pinakbet at Sanafe Inn located in Banaue.