Filipino Cuisine

Food may not be the first thing to pop up in one's mind when considering all things Filipino, but there are some gems and hidden surprises to uncover, as evidenced by Wikipedia's entry on 'Filipino cuisine'.

I'd like to take a moment to reflect on three Filipino traditions or dishes that particularly struck me during my summer in PH. The following helped make my summer memorable and more adventurous, in some cases:

1) MERIENDA is a light meal or afternoon snack (derived from Spanish) that seems to be adhered to religiously (at least in my office, it was). It is comparable to an afternoon tea, but can often be heavier than a light pastry. Traditional kape (coffee) accompanies foods like breads, pastries, and sticky rice cakes. Dishes often eaten during merienda include a variety of noodles, soups, and dumplings.

Meriendas are not just for food consumption - they are a time and place for social gathering and catching up with co-workers or family and friends. Meriendas can be an integral component of the social life in PH.

2) HALO-HALO is a cold dessert made of shaved ice, milk, sugar, and an assortment of additional ingredients - including coconut, halaya (mashed purple yam), caramel custard, plantains, jackfruit, red beans, tapioca - and just about anything else sweet and sugary that you can think of. The great thing about a halo-halo is that you can modify the contents as you wish and experiment creatively. And on a hot, humid, summer afternoon, nothing beats a halo-halo to refresh you (and also get a sugar high!).

3) BALUT is a fertilized duck or chicken egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. It is commonly sold as street food. The courageous can see photos here.

I had the privilege of trying balut during a merienda, and it was quite something. The best way I can describe it is that it tastes like a normal egg but intensified in flavor by 100x, and with some bones and feathers along the way. It is probably a good idea to have a balut-lover nearby when trying this delicacy - I was lucky to have a co-worker who taught me the best way to eat a balut, i.e. drink the juices first, add some salt on the embryo, and enjoy!

The list above is in no way a fair representation of Filipino cuisine, but I hope that it sparks interest in researching and trying some Filipino foods.