Food and Drink

The high esteem in which Filipinos hold their food is encapsulated by the common greeting "Let's Eat!" Filipino cuisine has not been accepted worldwide in the way Indian or Thai has, but those willing to experiment will discover it has more going for it than its detractors suggest. In fact, Filipino food is undergoing something of a nationalist revival, with intellectuals and cookery writers espousing the virtues of traditional home-and-hearth dishes such as Bicol Express and sinigang. Coconut, soy, vinegar and fish sauce are widely used to add flavour. The national dish , if there is one, is adobo, which is either chicken or pork, or both, cooked in soy and vinegar. At special celebrations Filipinos are passionate about their lechon, roasted pig stuffed with pandan leaves and cooked so the skin turns to crackling. Lechon de leche is roasted suckling pig. Fish dishes are also good, although fish is fresher in the provinces than it is in Manila. The king of Filipino aphrodisiacs is the balut, a half-formed duck embryo eaten with beak, feathers and all. You can buy balut from street vendors who advertise their proximity with a distinctive baying cry.

The beer of choice in the Philippines is San Miguel, but with meals many Filipinos tend to stick to soft drinks such as iced tea. Fresh buko (coconut) juice is a refreshing alternative on a hot day. If you fancy something stronger there are plenty of cheap Philippine-made spirits such as Tanduay rum and San Miguel Ginebra (gin). For something authentically native, try the strong and pungent Tapuy (rice wine).