food

7 uniquely Filipino food in Manila

December 07, 2015

Adobo is probably the closest thing the Philippines has to a national dish. – AirAsia pic, December 7, 2015.From beautiful beaches to bustling cities, Philippines has a unique culture that combines Spanish influences with a distinctly local identity.

Take advantage of AirAsia's twice daily flights to Manila and explore Philippines through their food with these seven must-try uniquely Filipino dishes!

Adobo

Like Malaysia's nasi lemak, adobo is probably the closest thing the Philippines has to a national dish. A kind of stew, adobo also refers to the process of marinating meat (typically beef, pork or chicken) or vegetables in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic. The basic ingredient for any Filipino adobo is vinegar, but the same dish can have different flavours depending on the proportions of each component. Whatever the case, adobo is best had with a mountain of white rice! 

Isaw

Isaw, the Filipino word for intestines, is a popular street food in the country. Made with chicken or pig intestines, the innards are cleaned thoroughly a few times before being boiled. They are thengrilled on skewers and eaten with a vinegar dip. If you see isaw being sold in streetside stalls, give it a try!

Silog

Silog refers to the hearty combination of sinangang (garlic rice) and itlog (fried egg). The name itself is the portmanteau of the two words. The dish is often served with cured meats and called tapsilog. However, there are variants and when combined with different things, can produce new dishes like the porksilog (pork), chicksilog (chicken) and hotsilog (hot dog).

Crispy pata

Deep fried pig trotters or knuckles, the crispy pata can be compared to the siew yoke (roast pork). Made using the whole pig's leg, it is boiled and rubbed with spices before being deep fried to a golden crisp. It is eaten with a soy sauce and vinegar dip.

Kare-kare

A Filipino version of an oxtail stew, kare kare is a rich and creamy dish made with peanut butter. – AirAsia pic, December 7, 2015.A Filipino version of an oxtail stew, this rich and creamy dish is made with peanut butter. Yes, that's right – peanut butter! The hearty stew is often cooked vegetables like eggplant, long beans and bok choy. Traditionally cooked and served in a palayok (a clay pot), kare-kare is best had with a side of shrimp paste.

Halo-halo

Literally meaning “mix-mix”, halo-halo is akin to the Malaysian ais kacang as it's also made with shaved ice and evaporated milk. Fruit, beans and jellies are thrown into the mix, melting together into a sweet tooth's dream.Literally meaning 'mix-mix', halo-halo is akin to the Malaysian ais kacang as it's also made with shaved ice and evaporated milk. – AirAsia pic, December 7, 2015.

Balut

An exotic dish Philippines is particularly famous for is the balut, boiled duck embryo eaten whole. It doesn't require any dipping sauce and you're supposed to drink the broth in the shell first.

The trick is to not think about the embryo as a whole and pop it in your mouth in one go – bones, organs and all!

Some say it tastes like sweet chicken, but you're gonna have to try it to find out!

Feeling hungry already? Go try out all these delicacies for yourself with a trip to Manila today.

Book your flights at airasia.com now. For those on the go, be sure to download AirAsia’s new mobile app (Android or iOS) that let’s you plan, book and pay for your dream holiday with ease and convenience. – December 7, 2015.

* This is a sponsored article.