Popular Filipino Food

Staple Foods and Flavors

The best way to familiarize yourself with popular Filipino food is to learn what ingredients and flavors you'll find in many dishes. Like other Asian countries, rice is a staple item of most dishes, at any time of the day. Rice is typically flavored with the broth or sauce of its accompanying dish, and you can also find it flavored with the island nation's most popular spices, which include garlic, ginger, and vinegar. Many restaurants serve numerous types and styles of rice, so get creative and order a few different varieties.

Popular Filipino food features many different kinds of meat, including pork and beef, but seafood is the most prominent protein source on many restaurant menus. Fishermen scour the local waters for the day's catch, and the most popular types of seafood are tilapia, catfish, and prawns. Farm-raised milkfish are also commonly offered. Seafood is typically pan-fried, and often accompanied with various dipping sauces.

Adobo

Adobo is probably the single most popular Filipino food. It consists of chicken or pork that is cooked in a broth of vinegar, soy sauce, broth, and various spices. Adobo is commonly prepared using onions, garlic, pepper, and pineapple, and it can be served either with its sauce, or as a "dry" dish, in which the sauce has been cooked off. This is a staple dish, and you'll find it offered at just about any restaurant that offers local foods.

Dinuguan

Dinuguan is a dish that visitors often order at the recommendation of experienced visitors or locals, often to be somewhat startled when it arrives at their table. It is a stew of meat and offal, simmered in a combination of pig's blood, vinegar, garlic, and chilies. It is spicy and dark, and its deep red hue can be off-putting to those who aren't sure of what to expect. But make no mistake; dinuguan is undeniably delicious. Dinuguan can also be made using only choice cuts of pork or chicken, excluding the offal. Chefs are typically quite accommodating to unaccustomed palates, but you're missing out on a true local favorite.

Lechon

Travelers arriving in Manila during a holiday or time of celebration will probably get a chance to try lechon, or whole roasted suckling pig. Preparation of the pig is a time-consuming and laborious affair, and this delicacy is treasured in the local culture as one of the most popular Filipino foods. It is generally served as part of a feast, along with paella, rice dishes, and other meat dishes. If you get the chance to try this popular Filipino food, do not turn it down.

Now that you've learned about the most popular Filipino foods, check out this guide to the 5 best restaurants in Manila.