Filipinos have always been known for having a rich palette.
We have been known to produce amazing cuisine that has slowly making a name in
the international scene. I guess it’s probably because of our rich heritage that
was enriched with our interaction with the Spaniards, Americans, Chinese and
other nationalities throughout history.
One of the flavours that Filipinos have been known for are
spicy food. But unlike other cultures, our spicy cuisine is incredibly balanced
with other flavours which make them a hit not only as the entrée for most
dining tables but also as finger food for informal celebrations such as “inuman”.
Today we’ll be featuring some of the best spicy Filipino foods that have been
the favourite choice for special occasions and drinking sessions all over the
country.
Laing – laing is a Filipino dish whose main ingredients are gabi (taro) leaves mixed with pork or shrimp and drenched in coconut cream and coconut milk. It’s best paired with rice and although can be used as a complimentary dish to an entrée, it can already act as the main dish for a meal. There’s usually a bit of chilli involved which gives the coconut milk some kick which enhances the flavour.
Sisig – Sisig is a favourite dish not only as a proper meal but as a “pulutan” for drinking sessions. It is usually made from parts of a pig’s head and liver and usually seasoned with lime and chilli peppers. In most restaurants, sisig is commonly served in a sizzling plate with a half-cooked egg on top.
Gising-gising – Another well-known snack in drinking sessions is the gising-gising. The literal translation of the dish means wake-up and this is because the main ingredients for this recipe are chillies with minced pork. It’s also cooked pretty much similar to laing less the green foliages. And just like the laing, it can be eaten as the main dish of a meal or as a snack in drinking sessions.
Kaldereta – Kaldereta is a classic Filipino dish with Spanish origins. It is originally made as a stew and uses tomato sauce, potatoes, spices, liver spread, bell peppers and hot peppers as ingredients. In recent times, Filipinos have learned to substitute various kinds of meat to goat meat thereby giving the dish different interpretations. Nowadays, popular types of meat used in this dish include beef, pork, chicken and even uncommon types of meat such as carabeef and horse meat.
Bicol Express – of course the list of spicy Pinoy food wouldn’t be complete without the Bicol express. Again, the main ingredients of this dish are very similar to that of the gising-gising and the laing, in the sense that it uses ground meat, chillies and coconut milk. The dish was named after the passenger train service that travels from Manila to the Bicol region. It is probably one of the most famous spicy Pinoy foods in the country, so popular that it’s the first thing that comes in to mind whenever one craves for something spicy.
And there you have it everyone. Which spicy Filipino food is
your favourite? Tell us by leaving a comment below. You can also add TFL on Facebook,
Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus. Or you can subscribe to their RSS Feeds for
other stories related to Filipino living. J
