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FOOD AND DRINK |
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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).
Food and drink glossary
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