favorite filipino food!

this morning i’m thinking about my favorite filipino food! most people who have had it know about these common favorites: pansit (regular not “fresh”), lumpia (shanghi version), lechon (the skin!), and halo-halo (with ube ice cream). yummy stuff!! but i’m thinking about other food too. if ya don’t recognize the following, google them– consider it part of your ongoing filipino education– and i would bow to you if you took a few minutes to see what i am writing about.

dinuguan is probably my favorite all time filipino food. my father used to make it and i would get so excited every time i knew it was on the stove. when i was little, he used to tell me it was “chocolate meat”. i think a lot of our parents tried to fool us like that. i like all dinuguan, but the ilocano region’s version is heartier (like the rice there). i consider it pure grace whenever i happen upon dad’s hometown version by accident.

chicken adobo is high on my list too. there are all sorts of ways to cook it. thighs and legs are my fav. i can make a pretty decent slow cooker version.

ox-tail and tripe kare kare is also a longtime fav. a lot of people make it with pork or beef. but whenever i get a bowl with ox-tail and tripe, i get SO happy! shrimp bagoong is a must for me with oxtail-tripe kare kare

ginataan is probably my favorite dessert (cassava bibingka is a close second though). dad used to put more corn in it! rarely do i ever see a version with sweet corn like his ginataan. a scoop of ube ice cream on top sends me to the edge of heaven

ahhhh, if nothing else good happens today that’ll be ok. these food thoughts brought me great joy just now!