Filipino Foods Part 1: Lechon, Chicharon, Adobo and More

By rlobrigo on September 14, 2011

Lechon. Image by whologwhy via Flickr

I was going to tell you about where you could find the best lechon in Cebu. But before I do that, let me list a few Filipino foods that you should never fail to try when you are here in the Philippines.

1. Lechon

Lechon is a whole pig seasoned and charcoal roasted. The skin is the best portion of Lechon. It is crunchy and very tasty. Another best part of the lechon is the “belly” part. It is the tastiest part, specially the meat clinging to the bones, skin aside of course. Here in Cebu is where you could find the best tasting Lechon. CNT lechon is one of the most famous lechon vendor. On the next post I will tell you about where you could find CNT lechon here in Cebu.

2. Crispy Pata

Crispy Pata is a pig’s leg tenderized and deep fried to make it crispy. The best part of it is the skin and the knuckles and it is best dipped in a sauce which is a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and calamansi with hot chili peppers and onions.

3. Lechon Kawali

Lechon Kawali is somewhat similar to the Crispy pata in the sense that it is also tenderized and fried crispy. However, Lechon Kawali is the belly part of the pig, called spare ribs or Liempo. As with Crispy Pata, it is also best dipped in a sauce which is a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and calamansi with hot chili peppers and onions.

4. Chicharon

Chicharon is pork rind(skin) seasoned and tenderized, then fried until it becomes crispy. Sometimes chicharon is all skin, but special ones include the fat and meat of the pork. It is best taken as an appetizer or as a “Pulutan” (food taken with alcohol beverage), dipped in vinegar and garlic.

5. Chicken Pork Adobo (CPA)

CPA is chicken and pork cooked in soy sauce, garlic and other seasonings. It is the most native food of the Philippines and there is more than one way of preparing this dish. Some put coconut milk to make it creamy and some put sugar to make it sweeter. Cooking it depends on the taste buds of the cook, basically.

This is just five dishes you should try. Next post I will add more to the list.