Travel in the Philippines
The need for food is as basic and as necessary as the need for oxygen. Everyday our bodies remind us of the need to eat. Moreover, when you neglect to feed your body, hunger pangs tell you that you need to eat. Food serves as the fuel that gives us the energy and provides our body with the nutrients to function properly.
In the Filipino language, food is called "pagkain." There are a lot of native delicacies that can be found in the different regions in the country. If you go to Pampanga, there you will find "longganisa," which the Filipino version of sausage. Cebu City is popular for its dried fish called "danggit." The Bicol region offers a specialty called "laing," a kind of food cooked in coconut milk with lots of chili. When you visit Quezon, you will discover "pansit hab-hab," the Philippine's fried noodles which are placed on a leaf. Nueva Ecija is popular for its "pinakbet" which is a mixture of various vegetables cooked with fish sauce. Going to Ilocos, you will discover "bagnet," the region's cured meat.
Aside from native delicacies, street food, point-point, and pika-pika are quite popular. We will say what point-point and pika-pika are further on in the article.
On the streets of the Philippines, you will find vendors selling boiled duck egg known as "balut," and you'll also find boiled eggs with an orange coating called "kwe-kwek." Other street food sold include grilled dishes known as "ihaw-ihaw." Grilled chicken intestine is also available and it is called "isaw." To quench your thirst you can also find a juice known as "palamig." These juices come in a variety of flavors.
In the Philippines one will find "point-point" as mentioned earlier; which are also known as "turo-turo." Point-point / turo-turo are small cafeterias where the customers have to point to the precooked meals of the day and then they are served the meal that they have chosen.
If you visit the Philippines, you might hear the term "pika-pika" which is used when speaking about finger foods;the type of food that are light snacks. For instance, there is a food known as "chicharon." Chicharon is a crunchy snack made from fried chicken or the skin of an animal and it is usually dipped in vinegar before being eaten.
The primary meals in the country are "umagahan" which is the word for "breakfast." The second meal of the day is "tanghalian" which is the word for "lunch." Lunch often consists of cooked rice, fried vegetables, fish or other types of meat. Dinner is served later in the day and in Tagalog the word for "dinner" is "hapunan." At dinner-time steamed rice, vegetables, and fried fish or meat are usually prepared.
Rice is a staple food so you will find that a typical Filipino breakfast consists of fried eggs, along with some rice which is frequently fried. You can also find that this is served with fish or meat which can be translated in Filipino as "pritong itlog," "sinangag," "isda," and "karne," respectively. The karne (meat) served can include "manok" (chicken), or "karne ng baka" (beef meat).
There are many types of food and fruits found in the Philippines. If you are visiting the country for the first time, you should consider experiencing the unique Filipino cuisine. A trip to the Philippines can be made more interesting by trying out what is available and exploring some of the new and great food.
