8 Signs You've Never Eaten Real Filipino Food

2. You’re thinking that pancit palabok is just an ordinary noodle dish.

Pancit palabok in the Philippines is one of the tastiest noodle dishes you’ll ever taste. It’s made with rice noodles layered with thick orange sauce combined with a wide variety of toppings such as pork, egg, shrimp, oyster, or squid. Because of its rich flavor, pancit palabok is commonly served at parties.

3. You consider all crabs to be the same.

Crabs are a common dish in some countries. You can simply eat the meat and you are good to go. But in the Philippines, there’s this ‘Taba ng Talangka’ which is one of a kind. The fats from crabs are sautéed with garlic and other seasoning. ‘Taba ng Talangka’ can also be used as a dipping for prawns and fried foods.

4. You believe chicken inasal is burned chicken.

Chicken inasal is marinated for several hours using lemongrass, calamansi, and salt. Before being grilled, it is brushed with achuete oil. You can pick which part ofchicken you want to have, either drumstick, breast, gizzard, liver, wings, or heart. The rice isn’t just ordinary rice, but garlic rice with orange oil used in marinating the chicken.

5. You dismiss crispy pata as plainly fried pork knuckle.

Crispy pata is basically everyone’s favorite, aside from lechon. Crunchy on the outside, yet tender on the inside, you can dip it in soy sauce with chili, vinegar, or any other sauce you want. It’s an exceptional partner for plain rice.

6. You throw away the cheek, head, and liver of a pig.

Some might think these parts aren’t necessary, but in the Philippines these parts are cooked and turned into a delicious and sizzling sisig. This dish has a very unique texture; it’s chewy and crunchy at the same time.

7. You can resist lechon.

Almost every party, celebration, and even small gathering has lechon. To think that you can resist lechon is just crazy! Just the smell of it will make you want more rice and more lechon. Its aroma is just so inviting — pork stuffed with pepper, spring onions, and lemongrass. To enhance the flavor of lechon even further, add star anise and laurel.

8. You think adobo is a common and ordinary Filipino dish.

Last but certainly not the least, we have adobo. Who can forget this delicious Filipino dish? From Mexico via Spain, Filipinos have made it unique through adding a variety of local spices. Cooking adobo is basically a more practical way of preserving meat without the need of a refrigerator.