Filipino Cuisine Quotes

“FOOD

Adobo (uh-doh-boh)---Considered the Philippines's national dish, it's any food cooked with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and black peppercorns (though there are many regional and personal variations)
Almondigas (ahl-mohn-dee-gahs)---Filipino soup with meatballs and thin rice noodles
Baon (bah-ohn)---Food, snacks and other provisions brought on to work, school, or on a trip; food brought from home; money or allowance brought to school or work; lunch money (definition from Tagalog.com)
Embutido (ehm-puh-tee-doh)---Filipino meatloaf
Ginataang (gih-nih-tahng)---Any dish cooked with coconut milk, sweet or savory
Kakanin (kah-kah-nin)---Sweet sticky cakes made from glutinous rice or root crops like cassava (There's a huge variety, many of them regional)
Kesong puti (keh-sohng poo-tih)---A kind of salty cheese
Lengua de gato (lehng-gwah deh gah-toh)---Filipino butter cookies
Lumpia (loom-pyah)---Filipino spring rolls (many variations)
Lumpiang sariwa (loom-pyahng sah-ree-wah)---Fresh Filipino spring rolls (not fried)
Mamón (mah-MOHN)---Filipino sponge/chiffon cake
Matamis na bao (mah-tah-mees nah bah-oh)---Coconut jam
Meryenda (mehr-yehn-dah)---Snack/snack time
Pandesal (pahn deh sahl)---Lightly sweetened Filipino rolls topped with breadcrumbs (also written pan de sal)
Patis (pah-tees)---Fish sauce
Salabat (sah-lah-baht)---Filipino ginger tea
Suman (soo-mahn)---Glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed (though there are regional variations)
Ube (oo-beh)---Purple yam”
― Mia P. Manansala, Arsenic and Adobo

“FOOD

Adobo (uh-doh-boh)--- Considered the Philippines' national dish, it's any food cooked with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and black peppercorns (though there are many regional and personal variations)
Bibingka (bih-bing-kah)--- Lightly sweetened rice cake, commonly consumed around Christmas. There are many varieties, but the most common is baked or grilled in a banana leaf-lined mold and topped with sliced duck eggs, butter, sugar, and/or coconut.
Buko (boo-koh)--- Young coconut
Champorado (chahm-puh-rah-doh)--- Sweet chocolate rice porridge
Lambanog (lahm-bah-nohg)--- Filipino coconut liquor
Lumpia (loom-pyah)--- Filipino spring rolls (many variations)
Matamis na bao (mah-tah-mees nah bah-oh)--- Coconut jam (also known as minatamis na bao)
Pandan (pahn-dahn)--- Tropical plant whose fragrant leaves are commonly used as a flavoring in Southeast Asia. Often described as a grassy vanilla flavor with a hint of coconut.
Pandesal (pahn deh sahl)--- Lightly sweetened Filipino rolls topped with breadcrumbs (also written pan de sal)
Patis (pah-tees)--- Fish sauce
Pinipig (pih-nee-pig)--- Young glutinous rice that's been pounded flat, then toasted. Looks similar to Rice Krispies.
Salabat (sah-lah-baht)--- Filipino ginger tea
Tuyo (too-yoh)--- Dried, salted fish (usually herring)
Ube (oo-beh)--- Purple yam”
― Mia P. Manansala, Blackmail and Bibingka

“Bibingka had a soft and spongy texture, like a chiffon cake, but with a flavor all its own. Modern bibingka was simply baked in an oven, but it's traditionally grilled using charcoal. Lola Flor had a grill behind the restaurant that she used for occasions like this, and her bibingka was miles ahead of any other version I'd tried. My sweet tooth preferred the simplicity of the sugar-topped ones, but the complexity of the salted duck eggs against the other ingredients made me keep reaching for another piece.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Blackmail and Bibingka

“Lola Flor pointed to the suman, saying, "Sweet sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and steamed in banana leaves. The banana leaves give the rice its distinctive flavor. They're garnished with latik. Caramelized coconut curds," she added at Derek's confused look. "In the bowl is ginataang bilo-bilo. Chewy rice balls, tapioca pearls, jackfruit, purple yam, and saba banana cooked in sweet coconut milk. The best thing to eat on a cold day like this.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Arsenic and Adobo

“When I grabbed the untouched bowl of ginataang bilo-bilo, Derek stopped me.
"I haven't tried this yet. I can't write a full review if I don't taste everything on offer."
I shrugged and slid it in front of him. "Knock yourself out. It's one of my favorite cold-weather treats, so I hope you enjoy it."
Usually consumed for breakfast or at snack time for meryenda, it had all the comfort of a warm bowl of oatmeal but enough sweetness to qualify as dessert. While it wasn't the most Instagram-worthy dish, the various textures of soft and chewy with a bit of bite, combined with the sweet creaminess of the thickened coconut milk and my lola's deft touch made it the Filipino culinary equivalent of hygge. Pure coziness and warmth in a bowl.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Arsenic and Adobo

“I handed her one of the little chiffon cakes, the top slathered in butter and sugar, and helped myself to one of the cheese-topped mamón. I tore it in half and a faint curl of steam rose up, as well as the smell of sweet butter and the sharp tinge of cheddar.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Arsenic and Adobo

“My lola had made a few jars of her specialty, matamis na bao, or coconut jam, to spread on our pandesal and kakanin. The fragrant smell of coconut cream, caramelized sugar, and pandan leaves wafted through the room, the intoxicating aroma of the dark, sticky jam making my mouth water.
I scanned the contents of the fridge, waiting for inspiration to strike. Whatever I made had to be small and snack-y, so as to complement but not draw attention from my grandmother's sweet, sticky rice cakes.
Maybe some kind of cookie to go with our after-dinner tea and coffee? Coco jam sandwiched between shortbread would be great, but sandwich cookies were a little heavier and more fiddly than what I was looking for. Maybe if they were open-faced?
As I thought of a way to make that work, my eyes fell on the pandan extract in the cabinet and everything clicked into place. Pandan thumbprint cookies with a dollop of coconut jam! Pandan and coconut were commonly used together, plus the buttery and lightly floral flavor of the cookies would balance well against the rich, intense sweetness of the jam.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Arsenic and Adobo

“The egg rolls were time-consuming to make, but the bean sprout filling was cheap and tasty. Besides, a party just isn't a party without lumpia. Fried tofu braised with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and peppercorns wouldn't exactly break the bank, and neither would the bitter melon and vegetable stir-fry. The mung bean stew was traditionally made with pork and topped with chicharon, but knowing Tita Rosie, she'd use some kind of pork substitute and leave the pork rinds on the side.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Arsenic and Adobo

“A pyramid of lumpia rests on the counter of our condo's kitchen, right next to the stove. Carefully, I maneuver one from the bottom of the pile and take a bite. It's a burst of all my favorite flavors: the rich, well-seasoned ground pork, the tender rice noodles, the crispy shredded cabbage and carrots, the even crispier fried flour wrapper holding everything together, and the tangy sweet chili dipping sauce.”
― Sarah Smith, Simmer Down

“Mom, I think you've done enough experimenting. All of these batches have been delicious."
I dip the other, unbitten end into a small dish of sweet chili sauce.
"You never know what people will want," she says. "Some like it with pork, some like it with chicken, some like it with shrimp."
Our post-work evening has been spent testing out different batches of lumpia for the upcoming Maui Food Festival. Ever since I told her we'd be competing to keep our spot on Makena Road, she's been in a food-prepping frenzy. Every night after work for the past week she's spent hours testing out new dishes, tweaking ingredients to get the flavors just right. Yesterday it was adjusting the level of fish sauce in the pansit, then attempting to perfect the ratio of rice noodle to meat and vegetables.”
― Sarah Smith, Simmer Down

“Matteo holds up a forkful of fish. "Just take this exquisite bite of fish. The way it plays on your tongue-- the salt, the richness, the luscious texture."
Matteo takes his butter knife in his left hand and brushes a mound of pineapple fried rice on his fork. He holds it up in front of him, catching the light of the nearby overhead chandelier. It's like he's an appraiser scrutinizing a gemstone in the light.
"And this rice. My oh my, this rice. The perfect complement to the delicately fried fish with its sweet chunks of succulent pineapple and salty bacon." He slaps his free hand on his knee and lets out a throaty chuckle that booms against the dining room walls. "Who would have thought to add bacon as a twist in fried rice?”
― Sarah Smith, Simmer Down

“FOOD


Adobo (uh-doh-boh)---Considered the Philippines's national dish, it's any food cooked with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and black peppercorns (though there are many regional and personal variations)
Arroz caldo (ah-rohs cahl-doh)---A soothing rice porridge containing chicken, ginger, and green onions
Halo-halo (hah-loh hah-loh)---Probably the Philippines's national dessert, this dish consists of shaved ice layered with sweet beans and preserved fruits, topped with evaporated milk and often a slice of leche flan (crème caramel) and ube halaya or ube ice cream. The name means "mix-mix" because it's a mix of many different things and you usually mix it all together to eat it.
Lumpia (loom-pyah)---Filipino spring rolls (many variations)
Matamis na bao (mah-tah-mees nah bah-oh)---Coconut jam (also known as "minatamis na bao")
Pandesal (pahn deh sahl)---Lightly sweetened Filipino rolls topped with breadcrumbs (also written as "pan de sal")
Patis (pah-tees)---Fish sauce
Salabat (sah-lah-baht)---Filipino ginger tea
Sinigang (sih-ni-gahng)---A light, tangy soup filled with vegetables such as long beans, tomatoes, onions, leafy greens, and taro, plus a protein such as pork or seafood
Turon (tuh-rohn)---Sweet banana and jackfruit spring rolls, fried and rolled in caramelized sugar
Ube (oo-beh)---Purple yam”
― Mia P. Manansala, Homicide and Halo-Halo

“I dished up a big plate of longsilog---longganisa (the delicious sausages I loved so much I'd named my adorable dachshund after them), sinangag (garlic fried rice), and itlog (fried egg). Traditional Filipino breakfasts typically included sinangag and itlog, as well as some form of protein you chose---tocilog, tapsilog, spamsilog, bangsilog, etc. It sounded intense, but this hearty meal was the only real way to start the day. No bowls of cereal or skipping meals in the Macapagal household. We worked long, hard hours and needed the delicious fuel to get us through the day.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Homicide and Halo-Halo

“Rob ordered my aunt's signature mixed adobo lunch platter, while Sana echoed my order for shrimp sinigang, a delicious, tangy soup that managed to be both comforting and refreshing. Valerie went with one of our breakfast platters, available all day due to their popularity. She couldn't decide which meat to choose---I kept pushing her toward longganisa, the most delicious sausage ever---so Joy told her she could get a sampler platter with small portions of the sweet, garlicky longganisa, sweet, cured tocino, and salty, lightly dried tapa.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Homicide and Halo-Halo

“I eyed the spread, wondering where I should start. Skewers of pork barbecue, the slightest hint of char releasing a delicious, smoky aroma, beckoned me, as did the platter of grilled adobo chicken wings next to it. As I loaded up my plate with meat, my aunt reached over to put a tofu-and-mushroom skewer on my mountain of rice.
"Can you tell me what you think of this, anak? I'm testing the recipes for our Founder's Day booth and this will be our main vegetarian offering. I used a similar marinade as our barbecue, but it's not quite right."
Looking at the array of food on the table, I noticed it was all pica-pica, or finger food. Things that could easily be prepared at the booth and eaten while wandering the festival. The barbecue skewers were obviously the mains, but she also had fish balls (so much better than it sounded) and my favorite, kwek-kwek. The hard-boiled quail eggs were skewered, dipped in a bright orange batter colored with annatto seeds, and deep-fried. So simple and delicious, especially if you dipped it in my aunt's sweet and spicy vinegar sauces.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Homicide and Halo-Halo

“Food for the Gods was a rich, buttery date and walnut bar, which doesn't sound all that special, but there was something absolutely addictive about it. Bernadette claimed to hate dates, yet she could eat an entire tray of these bars all by herself, they were that good.
Between the five of us, we demolished Lola Flor's desserts, despite how full we were before they arrived. There truly was a separate stomach for sweets.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Blackmail and Bibingka

“My aunt said a quick grace, then everyone helped themselves to the myriad dishes on the table: chicken afritada, bangus a la pobre, adobong pusit, beef nilaga, lumpiang togue, kang-kong in oyster sauce, and a vegan dish she was experimenting with, as well as mounds of steamed white rice.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Blackmail and Bibingka

“Adobo (uh-doh-boh)---Considered the Philippines's national dish, it's any food cooked with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and black peppercorns (though there are many regional and personal variations)
Arroz caldo (ah-rohz cahl-doh)---A savory rice porridge made with chicken, ginger, and other aromatics
Champorado (chahm-puh-rah-doh)---Sweet chocolate rice porridge
Lumpia (loom-pyah)---Filipino spring rolls (many variations)
Malunggay (mah-loong-gahy)---An edible plant, also known as moringa, with many health benefits
Mamon (mah-mohn)---A Filipino chiffon cake, made in individual molds as opposed to a large, shared cake
Matamis na bao (mah-tah-mee nah bah-oh)---Coconut jam (also known as minatamis na bao)
Pandan (pahn-dahn)---Tropical plant whose fragrant leaves are commonly used as a flavoring in Southeast Asia. Often described as a grassy vanilla flavor with a hint of coconut.
Patis (pah-tees)---Fish sauce
Salabat (sah-lah-baht)---Filipino ginger tea
Ube (oo-beh)--- Purple yam”
― Mia P. Manansala, Murder and Mamon

“My halo-halo chia seed parfait and ube scones with coconut jam were specifically requested, as well as some sort of cake. Instead of my usual calamansi chia seed muffins, I could try a calamansi lavender loaf, to advertise our spring menu. Though if it's for breakfast, maybe coffee cake would be more appropriate. Coffee cakes usually had streusel and cinnamon, so a salabat streusel would be quick and easy to whip up.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Murder and Mamon

“Shrimp sinigang, nilaga, and lomi were among the soup offerings, along with two pancit dishes, fried rice, and a huge steaming bowl of lugaw with tokwa't baboy on the side. I was particularly happy to see the last offering since there are few things more comforting than savory rice porridge topped with the salty, spicy tofu and pork side dish.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Murder and Mamon

“Tita Rosie had taken care to prepare their favorite dishes, so we got to enjoy pork and chicken adobo with hard-boiled eggs, seafood ginataan, Bicol Express (Ninang April's favorite, a spicy, coconut milk-based stew from her region), and other delicacies that my aunt hadn't cooked in a while. Even Lola Flor had gone all out and prepared silvanas, the frozen cashew meringue and buttercream sandwich cookies. They were a deliciously decadent and time-consuming dessert”
― Mia P. Manansala, Murder and Mamon

“Philippines is the only country so far, where I have not faced any hate and bigotry.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Bulletproof Backbone: Injustice Not Allowed on My Watch