Pares, also known as beef pares, is a term for a serving of Filipino braised beef stew with garlic fried rice, and a bowl of clear soup. It is a popular food particularly associated with specialty roadside diner-style establishments known as paresan. In recent years, it had also become a common dish served in small eateries called karinderyas or carinderias that serve economical meals for locals.
Filipino cuisine is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the Philippine archipelago. A majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that compose Filipino cuisine are from the food traditions of various ethnolinguistic groups and tribes of the archipelago, including the Ilocano, Pangasinan, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Bicolano, Visayan, Chavacano, and Maranao ethnolinguistic groups. The dishes associated with these groups evolved over the centuries from a largely indigenous base shared with maritime Southeast Asia with varied influences from Chinese, Spanish, and American cuisines, in line with the major waves of influence that had enriched the cultures of the archipelago, and adapted using indigenous ingredients to meet local preferences.
Bistek, also known as bistek tagalog or karne frita, is a Filipino dish consisting of thinly-sliced beefsteak braised in soy sauce, calamansi juice, garlic, ground black pepper, and onions cut into rings. It is a common staple in the Tagalog and Western Visayan regions of the Philippines. It is eaten over white rice.
Char siu is a Cantonese-style of barbecued pork. Originating in Guangdong, it is eaten with rice, used as an ingredient for noodle dishes or in stir fries, and as a filling for chasiu baau or pineapple buns. Five-spice powder is the primary spice, honey or other sweeteners are used as a glaze, and the characteristic red color comes from the red yeast rice when made traditionally.
Pancit, also spelled pansít, is a general term referring to various traditional noodle dishes in Filipino cuisine. There are numerous types of pancit, often named based on the noodles used, method of cooking, place of origin, equal and constant diameter or the ingredients. Most pancit dishes are characteristically served with calamansi, which adds a citrusy flavor profile.
Filipino Chinese cuisine is a style of Filipino cuisine influenced from Chinese cuisine, historically brought to the Philippines by Chinese Filipinos, starting with the Sangley Chinese and their Chinese mestizo descendants and modern descendants in the Chinese Filipino community of the Philippines. It is characterized as a fusion of Fujian/Hokkien cuisine and Cantonese cuisine adapted over the centuries to Filipino cuisine to suit the general Filipino palate/taste.
Cha siu bao is a Cantonese baozi (bun) filled with barbecue-flavored cha siu pork. They are served as a type of dim sum during yum cha and are sometimes sold in Chinese bakeries.
Siopao, is a Philippine steamed bun with various fillings. It is the indigenized version of the Fujianese baozi, introduced to the Philippines by Hokkien immigrants during the Spanish colonial period. It is a popular snack in the Philippines and is commonly sold by bakeries and restaurants.
Philippine adobo is a popular Filipino dish and cooking process in Philippine cuisine. In its base form, meat, seafood, or vegetables are first browned in oil, and then marinated and simmered in vinegar, salt and/or soy sauce, and garlic. It has occasionally been considered the unofficial national dish in the Philippines.
Inihaw, also known as sinugba or inasal, are various types of grilled or pit-roasted barbecue dishes from the Philippines. They are usually made from pork or chicken and are served on bamboo skewers or in small cubes with a soy sauce and vinegar-based dip. The term can also refer to any meat or seafood dish cooked and served in a similar way. Inihaw are commonly sold as street food and are eaten with white rice or rice cooked in coconut leaves (pusô). Inihaw is also commonly referred to as Filipino barbecue or (informally) Pinoy BBQ.
Menudo, also known as ginamay or ginagmay, is a traditional stew from the Philippines made with pork and sliced liver in tomato sauce with carrots and potatoes. Unlike the Mexican dish of the same name, it does not use tripe, hominy, or red chili sauce.
Hamonado, or hamonada, is a Filipino dish consisting of meat marinated and cooked in a sweet pineapple sauce. It is a popular dish during Christmas in Philippine regions where pineapples are commonly grown. Hamonado is also a general term for savory dishes marinated or cooked with pineapple in the Philippines.
Lechon kawali, also known as lechon de carajay or litsong kawali in Tagalog, is a Filipino recipe consisting of pork belly slabs deep-fried in a pan or wok (kawali). It is seasoned beforehand, cooked then served in cubes. It is usually accompanied with a dipping sauce such as sarsa ng litson made from vinegar and pork liver or toyomansi.
Humbà, also spelled hombà, is a Filipino braised pork dish from Visayas, Philippines. It traditionally uses pork belly slow-cooked until very tender in soy sauce, vinegar, black peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, and fermented black beans (tausi) sweetened with muscovado sugar. It also commonly includes hard-boiled eggs and banana blossoms.
Morcón or morconito, is a Philippine braised beef roulade made with beef flank steak stuffed with hard-boiled eggs, carrots, pickled cucumber, cheese, and various sausages. It is commonly served during Christmas and other festive occasions.
Paelya or paella (Spanish), is a Philippine rice dish adapted from the Valencian paella. However, it differs significantly in its use of native glutinous rice (malagkít), giving it a soft and sticky texture, unlike the al dente texture favoured in Spanish paella. It is also characteristically topped with sliced eggs. Filipino paelya does not use saffron, but is instead coloured with atsuete (anatto), luyang diláw (turmeric), or kasubhâ (safflower).
Pata tim, also spelled patatim, is a Filipino braised pork hock dish slow-cooked until very tender in soy sauce, black peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, and star anise sweetened with muscovado sugar. It also commonly includes péchay and mushrooms. The dish is commonly served in regions in the Philippines with large Chinese Filipino populations, especially in the Binondo district of Manila.
Lechon manok is a Filipino spit-roasted chicken dish made with chicken marinated in a mixture of garlic, bay leaf, onion, black pepper, soy sauce, and patis. The marinade may also be sweetened with muscovado or brown sugar. It is distinctively stuffed with tanglad (lemongrass) and roasted over charcoal. It is typically eaten dipped in a toyomansi or silimansi mixture of soy sauce, calamansi, and labuyo chilis. It is paired with white rice or puso and commonly served with atchara pickles as a side dish. It is a very popular dish in the Philippines and is readily available at roadside restaurants.
Lengua estofado, sometimes known as lengua estofada or simply lengua, is a Filipino dish consisting of braised beef tongue in a sweet sauce with saba bananas, potatoes, or mushrooms. It originates from the similar Spanish and Latin American dish estofado de lengua but differs significantly in the ingredients. The dish is prominent in the regional cuisines of the Kapampangan, Ilonggo, and Negrense people. It is usually prepared for Christmas dinner and other special occasions.
