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Taste of the Philippines
What to Eat in the Philippines – Top 30 Foods
Filipino cuisine mixes indigenous, Spanish, Chinese, and American influences. It is known for sour, salty, and sweet flavors, with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and tamarind appearing often. Rice is the foundation of most meals, and pork is widely used.
Classics & Everyday
Bulalo – Beef shank and bone marrow soup, a comfort food from Batangas.
Bulalo Adobo – Pork or chicken braised in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and bay leaves. The unofficial national dish, with many household variations.
Sinigang – Sour soup (usually pork or shrimp) made with tamarind or other souring agents and vegetables.
Lechon – Whole spit-roasted pig with crispy skin, a centerpiece of celebrations.
Kare-kare – Oxtail or tripe stew in a thick peanut sauce, served with shrimp paste.
Sisig – Chopped grilled pork (face, ears, belly) sizzled with onions, chili, and calamansi. A popular bar food from Pampanga.
Sizzling pork sisig with egg Pancit – Stir-fried noodles with meat and vegetables. Many regional styles exist (Canton, bihon, Malabon, etc.).
Pancit Lumpia – Crispy fried spring rolls (especially lumpiang Shanghai).
Chicken Inasal – Grilled marinated chicken from the Western Visayas, often served with garlic rice and vinegar.
Chicken Inasal Crispy Pata – Deep-fried pork knuckle with crackling skin.
More Mains & Regional
Lechon Kawali – Crispy fried pork belly.
Kaldereta – Rich meat stew (beef or goat) in tomato sauce.
Beef kaldereta Menudo – Pork stew with liver, potatoes, and vegetables.
Tinola – Ginger chicken soup with green papaya or chayote.
Arroz caldo – ginger chicken rice porridge Pinakbet – Vegetable stew with shrimp paste (Ilocano).
Laing – Taro leaves cooked in coconut milk and chili (Bicol).
Bagnet – Extra-crispy deep-fried pork belly (Ilocos).
Longganisa – Filipino sausage, with sweet and garlicky regional versions.
Longganisa with garlic fried rice (sinangag) and egg Bistek – Beef steak marinated in soy sauce and calamansi.
Dinuguan – Pork blood stew.
Snacks, Sides & Desserts
Pandesal – Soft bread rolls.
Balut – Fertilized duck egg (a polarizing street snack).
Ensaladang Talong – Grilled eggplant salad.
Tortang talong – eggplant omelet Street snacks and market foods – Including various grilled items, fried snacks, and regional specialties.
Halo-halo – Shaved ice dessert with sweetened fruits, beans, jellies, leche flan, and ube.
Leche Flan – Creamy caramel custard.
Leche Flan Turon – Fried banana spring roll with jackfruit.
Bibingka – Rice cake baked in banana leaves, often topped with salted egg and cheese.
Puto – Steamed rice cakes.
Ube desserts – Purple yam ice cream, jam (halaya), or cakes.
Ube tart with streusel crumble
Notes: Adobo and sinigang are the most defining everyday dishes. Lechon is central to celebrations. Filipino food is strongly regional, with distinct styles from Ilocos, Bicol, Cebu, and Pampanga.
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