Food — Philippines

Filipino food is often described as the least known of the great Southeast Asian cuisines, and yet one of the most rewarding for travelers willing to dig in. It reflects the country's layered cultural history — Malay and Chinese foundations enriched by Spanish and American influences, all adapted to the abundance of the tropical seas. The watchword is umami, achieved through fermentation (bagoong, the fermented shrimp paste), caramelization and slow cooking.

The national dish is adobo — chicken or pork braised in a mix of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and bay leaves until the sauce concentrates into something between a glaze and a stew. Simple in principle, adobo varies dramatically by region: sharper in Manila, sweeter in the Visayas, enriched with coconut milk in Bicol. Sinigang, a sour tamarind-based broth with fish, shrimp or pork, is another reliable comfort dish. Lechon — spit-roasted suckling pig with glass-crisp golden skin — is the centerpiece of every celebration. Cebu claims the best version in the country, famously endorsed by Anthony Bourdain as the best pig in the world.

Seafood takes a central place in an archipelago of 7,641 islands: lapu-lapu (grouper) grilled or steamed, sinuglaw (a tuna-and-grilled-pork ceviche from Davao), kinilaw (raw fish cured in coconut vinegar and ginger), and platefuls of fresh seafood char-grilled at night markets. Street food is everywhere: fishball skewers, kwek-kwek (battered quail eggs), grilled pork or chicken barbecue, and the famously divisive balut (a fertilized duck egg, the ultimate dare for adventurous travelers).

The iconic dessert is halo-halo, a maximalist showcase of tropical generosity: a tall glass loaded with sweetened evaporated milk, shaved ice, candied red beans, colored jellies, ube (purple yam), leche flan and a scoop of ice cream on top. Refreshing and slightly bewildering, it sums up Filipino food culture's love of layering and abundance. To eat well, head to local carinderias (point-to-order canteens) where you choose your dish from steam trays, to the night markets of Mercado in Manila, or to the larsian seafood markets of Cebu.