YUMMY CRAVINGZ: SOME FAMOUS FILIPINO FOODS III

Dinuguan

Dinuguan is a savoury stew of offal (snout, heart, ears, lungs, intestines and kidney) and meat. It has various names in the Philippines; It is called champayna sampayna in Northern Mindanao, rugodugo in Waray, dugo-dugo in Cebuano, tid-tad in Pampanga sinugaok in Batangas and dinardaraan in Ilocano. The dish is simmered in spicy and rich black gravy of pig blood, ninegar, chilli (siling mahaba), onion, oregano and garlic. Dinuguan is derived from the Filipino term "dugo" which refers to blood. Some probable Engish translations are blood pudding stew or pork blood stew. Dinuguan is commonly served with puto (steamed muffin or steamed rice cake) , which is made from galapong rice.

Sinugno

Dishes containing coconut milk is well-known in the province of Quezon., located on the South of Manila. Freshwater tilapia (St. Peter’s fish) is grilled then simmered in chilli and coconut milk.

Kamaru

The Kamaru dish is an appetizer containing mole crickets or Kamaru, which are tough to catch. This delicacy is special since the way of preparation is also tough. Wings and legs are removed, and then the body is boiled in garlic and vinegar. Next, it's sautéed in oil, chopped tomatoes and onion until chocolate brown in color. The outer layer of this is crunchy while the inside is moist.

Fish tinola

Cebu’s abundant marine life is reflected in its fish tinola, a plain sour broth made flavourful with sambag (tamarind), tomatoes and onions and cooked using coco-lumber firewood for long hours.

Pancit habhab

Filipino is much clever to adapt their noodle recipes to their lifestyle. In Lucban, Quezon, pancit habhab is prepared on using a square-shaped banana leaf and slurped. It is garnished with a few pieces of meat, chayote and carrots and often bought and eaten by jeepney drivers and students while travelling.

Ilocos empanada

Empanada is a Spanish word for stuffed pastry or bread fried or baked in Southern Asian, Latin American or Southern European countries. The name is derived from the Portuguese, Spanish and Galician verb empanar, which means to coat or wrap in bread.

Though empanada is a Spanish term, every ingredient of Ilocos empanada are local. Longaniiza (pork sausage), egg, bean sprouts or papaya are stuffed in the empanada then deep fried. It is served with spicy vinegar sauce

Pinakbet

Pinakbet or pakbet is a native dish of the Philippines’ northern regions. Pinakbet is done by mixing vegetables steamed in shrimp or fish sauce. The word is from an Ilocano term pinakebbet which means “shrivelled” or “shrunk.” The Ilocano pinakbet makes use of bagoong of fermented fish (monamon or any other fish) for seasoning while in further south, the one used is bagoong alamang. Usually the dish contains bitter melon. Some other vegetables used are winged beans, parda, string beans, chilli peppers, okra, eggplant and tomato. Optionally, some beans and root crops like kadios, patani and camote are also added. Usually, the dish is made spicy using ginger, garlic or onions. The tagalong version comprises of calabaza. These vegetables are mainly grown in gardens of mostly all Ilokano households. As the name suggests, pinakbet is frequently cooked until a shrivelled and dried texture is achieved. The vegetables’ flavours is brought out with the use of shrimp paste. Sometimes, chicharon, lechon or other meats are added. Pinakbet is comparable with the French vegetable stew called ratatouille but with a different sauce.