ABOUT FILIPINO FOOD

Photo of Binatog by Mildred Cruz.

Binatog is simply boiled corn kernels! It’s a popular Filipino snack that you can also buy at many roadside stalls in the Philippines.

In the Philippines, polvoron refers to a soft crumbly treat whose ingredients are mainly powdered milk, butter and toasted flour. They are molded into oval or round shapes.

Goldilocks is a Philippine bakeshop chain that manufactures and packages different flavors of pulburon. The Filipino word comes from the Spanish polvoron. Goldilocks calls it “shortbread cookies.” Goldilocks Canada has referred to polvoron as “Manila shortbread,” describing it as a “sweet mixture of toasted flour, milk, butter and sugar, that is then molded.”

Photo by Toyang Noresa of Barquillos, Butter Scotch, Napoleones, Bañadas, Barquiron and Piaya from Bongbong’s of Bacolod City.

Photo by MeNi C.

Chichacorn is a semi-popped style of cornick that uses glutinous corn, which is treated with lime before frying. The name is a combination of the words chicharon (crispy pork rinds) and corn.

Photo by Eva Argenos of Pakaskas from Isla Verde, Batangas.

Pakaskas is a sweet treat consisting of palm sugar that’s liquified, then put into a mold of palm leaves until the liquid solidifies.

Note to Filipino Americans: Martin Purefoods is NOT the San Miguel Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdog you know from the Philippines.

Egg Cracklets. Photo by Mildred Cruz.

Biko, Nilupak & Kalamay na Mais by Toyang Noresa.

Kakanin is a whole genre of Filipino delicacies whose main ingredient is usually rice, sometimes corn or a root crop like cassava.

Ube Halaya by Aizel_77.

Also called halayang ube, this is a jam made from the Philippines’ favorite root crop, the purple yam locally called ube.

Also known as Zambo Rolls — from the Zamboanga peninsula of the large island of Mindanao in southern Philippines!

Lokot-lokot is a crunchy, golden brown delicacy produced and served during special occasions.

Colorful Pichi Pichi by Aizel_77.

Pitsi-Pitsi is a native Filipino snack made from cassava and sugar. It often is naturally light golden-brown, but you can add food coloring to liven it up, as you can see in the photo.

Balls of glutinous-rice flour deep-fried and then covered with sesame seeds.

Bibingka is a flat but thick yellow rice cake that was once a mainstay only during the “cold” months of the Christmas season in the Philippines. It is traditionally cooked (“baked”) in a mold lined with banana leaves and then served with a topping of grated coconut.

Featured photo courtesy of Mayette Garcia.

A popular kakanin (rice delicacy) during the Christmas holidays, puto bumbong is purple-colored rice steamed in bamboo tubes and served with grated coconut and brown sugar.

Binanging Saging is “Inihaw na Saging” (grilled banana). The banana used is often the fat saba variety.

Spaghetcharon by Jeric Travis

Yes… it’s spaghetti with chicharon. 😛

Cookies from the Philippines!