“It’s more fun in the Philippines”
Do you know why ?
Well , one of the reasons is because of the food.
Being adventurous doesn’t only mean being to place after place. Being adventurous can also be a description of your tongue. Like “ oh you haven’t tried it yet ? Well, you should! or your life will not be completed if you do not try this at least once in your life”.
Philippines , because of its archipelagic structure, various foods differ from place to place. And trying one of these mild exotic foods won’t hurt your budget when you visit here.
- Pig intestines
In the Philippines , we call it Chicharon bulaklak. Chicharron originated from Mexico and it means “generally consisting of fried pork belly or pork rinds”. Bulaklak is a filipino word for flower.Pig Intestines when cleaned and deep fried is called Chicharon bulaklak because it kind of looks like a flower.
This is usually served as an appetizer and a perfect partner for any alcoholic beverages.
A term for a snack referring to the one you eat with beer is called pulutan in filipino.
This is also best to be dipped in spicy suka , a filipino term for vinegar.
This cost around 200-300 pesos
2. Sea Urchins
Some of the sea urchins are poisonous.
This exotic food is common in places near the sea like La Union and Bohol .
This food is circular in shape and has spikes all over its outside part ( also called “ porcupines of the sea” ) and color yellow to orange inside which is the part you can eat. It’s inside is kind of like a star or a flower in shape.
Sea Urchins, according to those who have eaten it raw, are sweet and salty and have amino acids.
Sea Urchins are sold at 60 to 70 pesos per kilogram if it’s alive , if you’re going to taste it in a famous restaurant in the Philippines , that would cost you more.
3. Mole Cricket
It is called Kamaru in Pampanga. It is a bit of a pest in rice fields.
To get rid of them , farmers gather the insects and find ways on how to cook and eat them. Which is mostly adobo style.
This can be a pulutan too. If you are curious about the texture , well it is a bit crunchy at a bite and a bit gooey inside.
Do you know that according to a study , five ounces of a mole crickets have 28 % of the daily protein you need and 74% of the calories.
This costs around 100 to 200 pesos per plate. It depends on where you will buy it.
4. Ant Eggs
Ants bite us , here in the Philippines some of the people eat them before they are even born!
This is a bit off but yes , it is edible. Actually there are also countries that cook red ant eggs like Mexico and Thailand . It’s a bit satisfying to know that red ant eggs are edible and we can actually get revenge by eating them. You know , the bad ants are the red ants (bites us) and those good ants are the black ones.
Kidding aside, this delicacy is most popular in Ilocos Sur . Ilocos Sur and Norte is a recommendation for having a vacation , if you plan to visit it you might want to try this Ant Eggs yourself and get revenge on the entire race of red ants.
5. Balot
If you’ve been here in the Philippines there’s a big chance that you heard this at least once .
“Baloooooot!” If you’re wondering , it is a duck egg. Yep , the animal that quacks.
Actually balot is a duck egg that is a bit developed. You can buy it every night , almost everywhere. Some vendors are biking while others just walk.
The taste is like a bit of a broth and a hardened egg yolk . To enjoy it , some put vinegar on it while others just drizzle a pinch of salt.
This costs 15 pesos.
6. Isaw
This is chicken intestine, cleaned and grilled. This is one of the famous street foods here in the Philippines, you can buy it almost anywhere .
This is best paired with spicy Suka .
This costs around 5 to 10 pesos per stick, depending on where you buy it.
To have a memorable trip , you also have to try other people’s food. Some of them would be weird but it’s the second reason why we travel, right ? to be involved in their culture in some ways, eating for instance.
There you go! a short list of mild exotic foods to try here in the Philippines. Have a Filipino friend and you will surely have a taste of at least one of them , and mind you it’ll be free. It’s on them just for you to try it !
