It occurred to me that I haven't done a post on the Filipino food I have been eating. It seems strange that I didn't the last time I was here... food is such a big part of our lives, and sometimes when we cannot connect with people in any other way, a table of food can bring us all together like nothing else.
The Filipino diet, at least here in Borongan, is pretty light. It has both Spanish and Asian influences, and tries to resemble the American diet as well...at least at the fast food joints. (ouch!!) So, here is a breakdown of meals we have in Borongan:
Breakfast... rice, fish, eggs, pork, chicken, vegetables, sometimes bread (sometimes hot dogs), fruit*
Lunch... rice, fish, pork chicken, vegetables, pancet, lumpia, fruit*
Dinner...rice, fish, pork, chicken, vegetables, pancet, lumpia, fruit*
*these are most of the possible items served, usually it is 2 proteins and 1 veg, with rice of course, at each meal.
It sounds pretty boring, but it's not! Here they use an array of flavorings such as garlic, ginger, soy sauce and lemon grass, to name a few, plus many things are cooked in coconut milk, which is delicious.
The rice is just served plain, but most of the dishes have a sauce, or sabaw, that they drizzle over it.
There are as many ways to use rice here as there are people in the Philippines, it seems. I don't want to get too "Bubba Gump" on you, so I'll spare you the long list of rice dishes I have had. I'll just tell you my favorite... it is a sticky sweet rice that is cooked in banana leaves and served with a toasted coconut sauce. It is just about my favorite thing to eat here!!
The fish here in the Philippines are plentiful and delicious. I have had fish sautéed, grilled, stir fried, deep fried, baked, steamed, served with a sweet and sour sauce, and served in raw in a lemon and vinegar marinade. They do serve the fish whole... like including the heads, eyeballs, teeth and tails. That took some getting used to!! And they are not deboned so you have to watch out for the teeny bones, but they are delicious!! (the fish, not the bones!) On special occasions when they serve shrimp, it is again served whole with head, eyeballs, legs....
Pork is also a big deal here. For parties, they will cook a whole pig on a spit and serve it whole. But there are many ways to cook it... adobo style (slow cooked with soy sauce, vinegar and brown sugar), fried, stir fried, etc. They use the whole pig, so sometimes what is served doesn't look totally appetizing!! (ie intestines, liver, heart...) For the feast of St. Francis this year, I was in the kitchen making meatballs when I noticed Sister Michelle stirring up something very strange looking in a bowl. It looked like a bowl of skin...and it was!! It was the skin of the pig's head, including the ears, cheeks, etc. Sister Michelle was marinating it with salt and oil. It was then grilled to a crisp then chopped into a small dice. Next, the pig's blood was boiled and mixed with the grilled skin and tossed with the pig's brain (which is about the size of a silver dollar!) Yeah... I didn't try it. Sorry, I'm not THAT adventurous!
Chicken is served at almost every meal. It is cooked in many ways, as you can imagine. They have a delicious way of cooking fried chicken, but my favorite chicken dish here is when it is cooked in a sticky, soy barbecue sauce...yummy!!
Pancet is a traditional Filipino dish. It is made with rice noodles and vegetables cut julienne style and is cooked in a broth with soy sauce and lots of onion and garlic. It is served at every party and is a great "safe" dish to have when you don't know what anything else is!! And, by the way, even though you have pancet on your plate, you still pile on the rice!!
Lumpia is awesome! It is similar to eggrolls, but it is made with a super, super thin flour tortilla and usually filled with an array of vegetables, although I have also had it filled with pork, cheese, or, my favorite, bananas with a little brown sugar. Then it is deep fried and crispy and delicious!! This is a rarity at our meals, but it's so, so good!!
There are all kinds of leafy greens here that are usually cooked with ginger and garlic, with a little soy sauce and sometimes peppers or carrots. These are usually served at every meal.
Desserts are uncommon here, except for birthday parties. Usually fruit is served at the end of a meal. On special occasions, sometimes they make a dessert called Mango Float. It is a layering of graham crackers, cream and mangoes...served chilled...very, very good!! Gelatin in also a popular dessert, usually mixed with fruit, nuts and coconut. If you read a previous post of mine with a description of my experience with Halo Halo, you probably know already that I tend to stay away from the gelatin!!
One of the biggest things I had to get used to here, in regard to the meals, was the absence of knives at the table. They use spoons and forks only. Instead of being cut, the meat is torn using the spoon and the fork. Now, I am an old pro at it, but in the beginning, it was quite different trying to tear my meat, especially when it is well cooked, which most of their meats are. When I started cooking for them and served chicken and pork that was juicy, they thought it wasn't done cooking!! :)
When we cook for the people in the barrios, these are the foods we make for them. But a local favorite among the people is Filipino spaghetti. The spaghetti is served with a very, very sweet sauce and tossed with cheese and hot dogs!
I really haven't had any food I don't like here... Well, I won't be eating balut any time soon...it is...I can't even write it...it you're interested, look it up! I think I've been colorful enough with my description of the pig face dish!!!! Anyways, aside from a few exceptions, I do like trying new things and I have enjoyed the food served here. It is not fancy food, and it is not gourmet, but it is made with love by a people who love their culture!!!
