Hello and welcome to this thing we’re doing where we help you figure out what you’re gonna put in your mouth this week. Some of these are recipes we’ve tried, some of these are recipes we’re looking forward to trying, all of them are f*cking delicious. Tell us what you want to put in your piehole or suggest your own recipes, and we’ll talk about which things we made, which things we loved, and which things have changed us irreversibly as people. Last week, we chilled out with summer soup.
The Philippines is a chain of islands located geographicallynear Malaysia, but emotionally nearthe center of my heart. I have complicated feelings about a lot of things, but my love of Filipino food is not one of those things. Like, 3/4of the words I know in Filipino arefood-related. If I were the lead characteron Inside Out, “Filipino food island” would probably be one of my core personality centers. Filipino food is just so good.
Anyway. I’ve personally eaten every dish on this list (albeit not with these exact recipes), and I will personally attest to the deliciousness of each and every one. Enjoy.
1. Kare-Kare(Peanut Butter Stew)
2. Sinigang(Tamarind Soup)
This recipe uses pork, but you can substitute different proteins like chicken or seafood. That’s true of many (most?) Filipino recipes.
3. Lechon(Roasted Pig)
Okay, not this one. Lechon has to be made of pork.
4. Turon(Banana Roll)
Via Ang Sarap.
When my Ate Rose taught me how to make this, she told me Icould skip the jackfruit if Icouldn’t find it. Butjust so you know, it’s way better with jackfruit.
5. Pancit Palabok(Rice Noodle With Hardboiled Eggs)
Via The Pinoy Cookbook.
6. Pancit Bihon (Rice Noodles With Meat And Vegetables)
Via Kitchen Confidante.
This pancit variation is the one my family usually has. It tastes like hugs and laughter.
7. Tocino(Grilled Cured Pork)
ViaJinkzz’s Kitchen.
8. Longganisa(Sweet Sausage)
Via Kawaling Pinoy.
Both longganisa and tocino arefor breakfast. If you have leftovers, you can chop themup and put themin fried rice.
9. Chicken Adobo
Via Autostraddle.
10. Leche Flan(Custard)
Via Autostraddle.
It tastes better than the photo I took of it here, I promise.
11.Sinangag (Garlic Fried Rice)
Via Filipino Food Store.
If you add itlog (fried egg), the combination is referred to as“silog” (sinangag + itlog). Or if you add other things, those dishes getother cute shortened names. For example:Spamsilog.
Also, you should all read Phoenix’s delightfulode to Spam. The Philippines has a complicatedpolitical-economic dependency on the United States. I’m not going to get into it here, but that Spam article would be an okay place to start if you wanted to read about theimpact of colonialism on Filipino food.
12. Beef Caldereta (Stewed Beef)
Via Peach Kitchen.
13. Puto (Steamed Rice Cake)
14. Kutsinta (Rice Cake Dessert)
Via Mely’s Kitchen.
15. Ensaymada (Sweet Bun)
Via Sweet Samsations.
The most important thing about this is that there’s cheese and sugar on top.
16. Pastillas De Leche (Milk Candy)
Via Pinay Cooking Corner.
Do you want a history lesson on decorative candy wrappers?Yes, you do.
17. Pork Menudo
Via Pinoy Recipe.
18. Arroz Caldo (Congee)
Via Salu-Salo.
19. Pandesal (Sweet Dinner Rolls)
Via Pig Parts And Beer.
Man cannot live on bread alone, but this bitch could probably live on nothing but pandesal.
20. Mechado (Braised Beef)
Via My Filipino Kitchen.
21. Ginataang Manok (Coconut Chicken)
22. Lumpia (Egg Roll)
Via Foodie McBooty.
Eat lumpia, and Chinese takeout spring rolls will forever be asoggy, one-note disappointment in comparison. You’ve been warned.
23. Bistek Tagalog (Braised Beef With Citrus)
Via Asian In America.
24. Tinola (Chicken Soup)
Via Burnt Lumpia Blog.
25. Pork BBQ
26. Biko (Sweet Sticky Rice)
Via Ivory Hut.
This was my favorite Filipino dessert as a kid. I always went back for second, third, and fourth helpings at Filipino parties.
27. Bicol Express(Coconut and Chile Stew)
Via PhoodJournal.
FYI, Bicol is a region in the Philippines. There’s also a small fast food chain called Bicol Express.
28. Sitaw Guisado (Stir Fried Long Beans)
Via Crispy Waffle.
One of the few vegan friendly dishes in traditional Filipino cooking.
If you’re interested in the topic, there are some interesting discussions to be had about food justice and decolonization!
29. Chicharon (Pork Crisps)
Via Sweet Cherrie Pie.
30. Mamon(Sponge Cake)
Via Ping Desserts.
31. Crispy Pata(Deep Fried Pork)
Via Ang Sarap.
32. Sisig (Sizzling Pork)
Via The Hungry Excavator.
This dish is traditionally (and best) made with pig face skin and assorted bits. I believe this dishwas borne out ofa colonialist period in whichFilipinoshad restricted access to “good” pork products. But like, joke’s on you, Spain. Sisig is awesome.
33. Inihaw Na Liempo (Grilled Pork Belly)
Via Kawaling Pinoy.
34. Siopao (Steamed Bun With Filling)
Via Kawaling Pinoy.
This recipe has apork asado filling, which is my favorite. But you can put leftover adobo inside, or any number of other fillings.
35. Paella
Via Panpasang Pinoy.
Similar to the Spanish version, but the Filipino kind usesa tomato base.
36. Banana Que (Deep Fried Banana Skewers)
Via Filipino Chow.
37. Suman (Sweet Rice Wrapped In Banana Leaves)
38. Chicken Inasal
Via Centrale Bacolod.
39. Braso De Mercedes (Custard Roll)
Via Kawaling Pinoy.
40. Hopia(Pastry With Bean Filling)
My (white) mother once made a passing mentionto my dad’s (Filipino) relatives that she liked hopia. They sent her four gigantic boxes full of it when they got home, and the love-and-hopia-filled shipmentscontinued coming at regularintervals afterwards. We’ve learned thathopia freezes really well. So stock up!
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