Foodie in the Philippines

I have been trying to read and learn about the Philippines, their people and culture. I have taken Filipino cookbooks out of the library and currently own a huge bottle of fish sauce for which the recipe I made only used a minute amount.

Some interesting facts, did you know: The Philippines is an archipelago (or island group) comprising 7,107 islands, and is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The capital city is Manila. With an estimated population of about 92 million people, the Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country. It is estimated that there are an additional 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands.

Its tropical climate sustains one of the richest areas in terms of biodiversity in the world. Aaron said quite a few of his fellow Army soldiers were from the Philippines.

Being the foodie that I am I also read: Filipino cuisine has evolved over several centuries from its Malayo-Polynesian origins to become a mixed cuisine with many Hispanic, Chinese, American, and other Asian influences that have been adapted to local ingredients and the Filipino palate to create distinctively Filipino dishes. Dishes range from the very simple, like a meal of fried salted fish and rice, to the elaborate, such as the paellas and cocidos created for fiestas. Popular dishes include lechón, adobo, sinigang, kare-kare, tapa, crispy pata, pancit, lumpia, and halo-halo. Some common local ingredients used in cooking are calamondins, coconuts, saba (a kind of short wide plantain), mangoes, milkfish, and fish sauce. Filipino taste buds tend to favor robust flavors but the cuisine is not as spicy as those of its neighbors.

Furthermore, unlike many of their Asian counterparts, Filipinos do not eat with chopsticks. They use western cutlery. However, possibly due to rice being the primary staple food and the popularity of a large number of stews or broth based main dishes in Filipino cuisine, the main pairing of utensils seen at the Filipino dining table is that of spoon and fork, not knife and fork. Trying new and interesting dishes is something I’m very interested in experiencing on our trip.

I’m most looking forward to seeing the Philippines through Sebio’s eyes. I can’t wait to ask him questions and have him show me around and teach me all about his culture. And I have learned I will be able to visit an internet café and show him my blog, or our blog as it should be called since he is the star of it. I also hope to be able to post myself or how cool, let Sebio actually post on the blog himself.