Palawan State University

College of Community Resources Development

Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022

PHILIPPINE REGIONAL CUISINE

MODULE 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 History and Differences

 History and Differences
 Common Dishes
 Regional specialties

INTRODUCTION
Philippine cuisine consists of the food, preparation methods and eating customs found in the
Philippines.
The style of cooking and the food associated with it have evolved over many centuries from its
Austronesian origins to a mixed cuisine of Malay, Spanish, Chinese, and American, as well as other
Asian and Latin influences adapted to indigenous ingredients and the local palate.
Dishes range from the very simple, like a meal of fried salted fish and rice, to the elaborate paellas
and cocidos created for fiestas, of Spanish origin. Popular dishes include: lechón (whole roasted pig),
longganisa (Philippine sausage), tapa (cured beef), torta (omelette), adobo (chicken and/or pork
braised in garlic, vinegar, oil and soy sauce, or cooked until dry), kaldereta (meat in tomato sauce
stew), mechado (larded beef in soy and tomato sauce), puchero (beef in bananas and tomato sauce),
afritada (chicken and/or pork simmered in a peanut sauce with vegetables), kare-kare (oxtail and
vegetables cooked in peanut sauce), pinakbet (kabocha squash, eggplant, beans, okra, and tomato stew
flavored with shrimp paste) crispy pata (deep-fried pig's leg), hamonado (pork sweetened in pineapple
sauce), sinigang (meat or seafood in sour broth), pancit (noodles), and lumpia (fresh or fried spring
rolls).

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module students should be able to:

 Familiarized different cuisines in every region.

 Define what is the history and differences of every cuisine.
 Value the importance of Philippine cuisines
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022

DIFFERENT REGIONAL CUISINE OF THE PHILIPPINES

History and Differences

During the pre-Hispanic era in the Philippines, the preferred Austronesian methods for food
preparation were boiling, steaming and roasting. The ingredients for common dishes were obtained
from locally raised livestock. These ranged from kalabaw (water buffaloes), baka (cows), manok
(chickens) and baboy (pigs) to various kinds of fish and seafood. In 3200 BCE, Austronesians from
the southern China Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and Taiwan settled in the region that is now called the
Philippines. They brought with them knowledge of rice cultivation and other farming practices which
increased the number and variety of edible dish ingredients available for cooking.

Direct trade and cultural exchange with Hokkien China in the Philippines in the Song dynasty
(9601279 BC) with porcelain, ceramics, and silk being traded for spices and trepang in Luzon.[6] This
early cultural contact with China introduced a number of staple food into Philippine cuisine, most
notably toyo (soy sauce; Chinese: 豆油; Pe̍ h-ōe-jī: tāu-yu), tokwa; (tofu; Chinese: 豆干; Pe̍ h-ōe-jī:
tāu-koaⁿ), toge (bean sprout; Chinese: 豆芽; Pe̍ h-ōe-jī: tāu-koaⁿ), and patis (fish sauce), as well as the
method of stir frying and making savory soup bases. Many of these food items and dishes retained
their original Hokkien names, such as pancit (Chinese: 便 ê 食; Pe̍ h-ōe-jī: piān-ê-si̍ t)(Chinese: 扁食;
pinyin: biǎn shí), and lumpia (Chinese: 潤 餅 ; Pe̍ h-ōe-jī: jūn-piáⁿ, lūn-piáⁿ).[6] The Chinese food
introduced during this period were food of the workers and traders, which became a staple of the
noodle shops (panciterias), and can be seen in dishes like arroz caldo (congee), sinangag (fried rice),
chopsuey.

Trade with the various neighboring kingdoms of Malacca and Srivijaya in Malaya and Java brought
with it foods and cooking methods which are still commonly used in the Philippines today, such as
Bagoong (Malay: Belacan), Patis, Puso (Malay: Ketupat), Rendang, Kare-kare and the infusion of
coconut milk in condiments, such as Laing and Ginataang Manok (chicken stewed in coconut milk).
Through the trade with the Malay-Indonesian kingdoms, cuisine from as far away as India and Arabia
enriched the palettes of the local Austronesians (particularly in the areas of southern Luzon,
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022
Mindanao, Sulu, Palawan, the
Visayas and Bicol, where trade was strongest).

These foods include various dishes eaten in areas of the southern part of the archipelago today, such
as kurmah, satti and biryani.

Spanish settlers in the 16th century brought with them produce from the Americas like chili peppers,
tomatoes, corn, potatoes, and the method of sautéing with garlic and onions. Although chili peppers
are nowhere as widely used in Filipino cooking compared to much of Southeast Asia, chili leaves are
frequently used as a cooking green, again distinct from the cooking of neighbors. Spanish (and
Mexican) dishes were eventually incorporated into Philippine cuisine with the more complex dishes
usually being prepared for special occasions. Some dishes such as arroz a la valenciana remain largely
the same in the Philippine context. Some have been adapted or have come to take on a slightly or
significantly different meaning.

Arroz a la cubana served in the Philippines usually includes ground beef picadillo. Philippine
longganisa despite its name is more akin to chorizo than Spanish longaniza (in Visayan regions, it is
still known as chorizo). Morcon is likely to refer to a beef roulade dish not the bulbous specialty
Spanish sausage.

Today, Philippine cuisine continues to evolve as new techniques, styles of cooking, and ingredients
find their way into the country.

Traditional dishes both simple and elaborate, indigenous and foreign-influenced, are seen as are more
current popular international viands and fast food fare. However, the Filipino diet is higher in total fat,
saturated fat, and cholesterol than other Asian cuisines.
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022

Characteristics:
Filipino cuisine is distinguished by its bold combination of sweet (tamis), sour (asim), and salty (alat)
flavors. While other Asian cuisines may be known for a more subtle delivery and presentation,
Filipino cuisine is often delivered all at once in a single presentation.Counterpoint is a feature in
Philippine cuisine which normally comes in a pairing of something sweet with something salty, and
results in surprisingly pleasing combinations.

Examples include: champorado (a sweet cocoa

rice porridge), being paired with tuyo (salted,
sun-dried fish); dinuguan (a savory stew made of
pig's blood and innards), paired with puto (sweet,
steamed rice cakes); unripe fruits such as
mangoes (which are only slightly sweet but very
sour), are eaten dipped in salt or bagoong; the use
of cheese (which is salty) in sweetcakes (such as
bibingka and puto), as well as an ice cream
flavoring.

Vinegar is a common ingredient. Adobo is popular

not solely for its simplicity and ease of preparation,
but also for its ability to be stored for days without
spoiling, and even improve in flavor with a day or
two of storage. Tinapa is a smoke-cured fish while
tuyo, daing, and dangit are corned, sun-dried fish
popular because they can last for weeks without
spoiling, even without refrigeration.

Cooking and eating in the Philippines has

traditionally been an informal and communal
affair centered around the family kitchen.
Filipinos traditionally eat three main meals a day:
agahan or almusal (breakfast), tanghalían (lunch),
and hapunan (dinner) plus an afternoon snack
called meriénda (also called minandál or
minindál). Snacking is normal. Dinner, while still
the main meal, is smaller than other countries.
Usually, either breakfast or lunch is the largest
meal. Food tends to be served all at once and not
in courses. Unlike many of their Asian
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022
counterparts Filipinos do not eat with
chopsticks.

Due to Western influence, food is often eaten using

flatware forks, knives, spoons but the primary pairing of
utensils used at a Filipino dining table is that of spoon
and fork not knife and fork. The traditional way of
eating is with the hands, especially dry dishes such as
inihaw or prito. The diner will take a bite of the main
dish, then eat rice pressed together with his fingers. This
practice, known as kamayan, is rarely seen in urbanized
areas. However, Filipinos tend to feel the spirit of
kamayan when eating amidst nature during out-of-town
trips, beach vacations, and town fiestas.

Common Dishes:
* Rice

As with most Asian countries, the staple food in the

Philippines is rice.[9] It is most often steamed and served
during meals. Leftover rice is often fried with garlic to
make sinangag, which is usually served at breakfast
together with a fried egg and cured meat or sausages.
Rice is often enjoyed with the sauce or broth from the
main dishes. In some regions, rice is mixed with salt,
condensed milk, cocoa, or coffee. Rice flour is used in
making sweets, cakes and other pastries. While rice is the
main staple food, bread is also a common staple.

A variety of fruits and vegetables are often used in cooking.

Bananas (the saba variety in particular), kalamansi, guavas
(bayabas), mangoes, papayas, and pineapples lend a distinctly
tropical flair in many dishes, but mainstay green leafy
vegetables like water spinach (kangkong), Chinese cabbage
(petsay), Napa cabbage (petsay wombok), cabbage (repolyo)
and other vegetables like eggplants (talong) and yard-long
beans (sitaw) are just as commonly used. Coconuts are
ubiquitous. Coconut meat is often used in desserts, coconut
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022
milk (kakang gata) in sauces, and
coconut oil for frying. Abundant harvests of root crops like potatoes, carrots, taro (gabi), cassava
(kamoteng

kahoy), purple yam (ube), and sweet potato (kamote) make them readily available. The combination
of tomatoes (kamatis), garlic (bawang), and onions (sibuyas) is found in many dishes.

Meat staples include chicken, pork, beef, and fish. Seafood

is popular as a result of the bodies of water surrounding the
archipelago. Popular catches include tilapia, catfish (hito),
milkfish (bangus), grouper (lapu-lapu), shrimp (hipon),
prawns (sugpo), mackerel (galunggong, hasa-hasa),
swordfish, oysters (talaba), mussels (tahong), clams (halaan
and tulya), large and small crabs (alimango and alimasag
respectively), game fish, sablefish, tuna, cod, blue marlin,
and squid/cuttlefish (both called pusit). Also popular are
seaweeds, abalone, and eel.

The most common way of having fish is to have it salted,

pan-fried or deep-fried, and then eaten as a simple meal with
rice and vegetables. It may also be cooked in a sour broth of
tomatoes or tamarind as in pangat, prepared with vegetables
and a souring agent to make sinigang, simmered in vinegar
and peppers to make paksiw, or roasted over hot charcoal or
wood (inihaw). Other preparations include escabeche (sweet
and sour), relleno (deboned and stuffed), or "kinilaw" (similar
to ceviche; marinated in vinegar or kalamansi). Fish can be
preserved by being smoked (tinapa) or sun-dried (tuyo or
daing).

Food is often served with various dipping sauces. Fried

food is often dipped in vinegar, soy sauce, juice squeezed
from Kalamansi (Philippine lime or calamansi), or a
combination of two or all. Patis (fish sauce) may be
mixed with kalamansi as dipping sauce for most seafood.
Fish sauce, fish paste (bagoong), shrimp paste (bagoong
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022
alamang) and crushed ginger root (luya)
are condiments that are often added to dishes during the cooking process or when served.

 Breakfast
 Breads and pastries
 Pulutan

Pulutan (from the

Filipino word pulutin
which literally means "something that is picked up") is a term
roughly analogous to the English term "finger food". Originally, it
was a snack accompanied with liquor or beer but has found its
way into Philippine cuisine as appetizers or, in some cases, main
dishes, as in the case of sisig.

Regional specialties

The Philippine islands are home to various

ethnic groups resulting in varied regional
cuisines.

Northern Philippine cuisine:

1. Ilocanos, from the rugged Ilocos region,

boast of a diet heavy in boiled or steamed vegetables and freshwater fish, but they are
particularly fond of dishes flavored with bagoong, fermented fish that is often used instead of
salt.
2. The Igorots prefer roasted meats, particularly carabao meat, goat meat, and venison.
3. Due to its mild, sub-tropical climate, Baguio, along with the outlying mountainous regions, is
renowned for its produce. Temperate-zone fruits and vegetables (strawberries being a notable
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022
example) which would otherwise
wilt in lower regions are grown there.
4. It is also known for a snack called sundot-kulangot which literally means "poke the booger."

5. The town of Calasiao in Pangasinan is known for its

puto, a type of steamed rice cake.
6. Bulacan is popular for chicharon (pork rinds) and
steamed rice and tuber cakes like puto. It is a center for
panghimagas or desserts, like brown rice cake or
kutsinta, sapin-sapin, suman, cassava cake, halaya ube
and the king of sweets, in San Miguel, Bulacan, the
famous carabao milk candy pastillas de leche, with its pabalat wrapper.
7. Cagayan is known for Pancit Cabagan(Cabagan, Isabela) and Carabao Milk Candy and
Tuguegarao for Pancit Batil Patung and Buko Roll.
8. Cainta, in Rizal province east of Manila, is known for its
Filipino rice cakes and puddings. These are usually
topped with latik, a mixture of coconut milk and brown
sugar, reduced to a dry crumbly texture.
9. Antipolo, straddled mid-level in the mountainous
regions of the Philippine Sierra Madre, is a town known
for its suman and cashew products.
10. Laguna is known for buko pie (coconut pie) and panutsa
(peanut brittle).
11. Batangas is home to Taal Lake, a body of water that
surrounds Taal Volcano. The lake is home to 75 species
of freshwater fish. Among these, the maliputo and
tawilis are two not commonly found elsewhere. These
fish are delicious native delicacies. Batangas is also
known for its special coffee, kapeng barako.

paksiw
grilled
pork meat
chicken meat
milkfish
 Rice is staple food in Philippine cuisine
beef meat
crab
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022
pangat
Merienda
Eel

Philippine Cuisine
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022
Merienda is taken from the Spanish, and is
a light meal or snack especially in the afternoon, similar to the concept of afternoon tea. If the meal is
taken close to dinner, it is called merienda cena, and may be served instead of dinner.

Learning
Activities/Exercises

Answer the following

questions in a separate sheet of paper. Once done, you can submit it thru messenger. Don’t
forget to write your name.
 Palawan State University
College of Community Resources Development
Quezon, Campus
Quezon, Palawan
S.Y. 2021-2022

Direction: Answer the following brief but concise. Use separate sheet for answering each
question given in this module.

1. What makes Philippine regional cuisine unique?

2. Why do foreigners love Filipino cuisine?
3. What can you say about the food culture in the Philippines?
4. What are the characteristics of Philippine cuisine?
5. What are the famous Filipino cuisine?

CRITERIA POINTS
Content (Relevance of Topic) 5pts
Organization (Unity of thought, flow of discussion) 5pts
TOTAL: 10 Points

REFERENCE:
WWW.GOOGLE.COM