Filipino Cuisine

The Philippines has the world's most delicious and alluring cuisines. The food has its own special tastes and flavors. People are not surprised to find great variety in the cooking styles of the Filipinos. The food served here is a unique blend of western and eastern cuisines. The cuisines of the Philippines include delicacies of Malay, Spanish, and also the Chinese because of the influence of these cultures that began approximately 400 years ago.

The Filipinos consider food to be the most important aspect of their culture since it is an integral part of their communal existence. The food of the Philippines was originally bland and mild before it was influenced by the other cuisines. People, who have sensitive taste buds and are ready to experiment with different cuisines, can try the dishes cooked by the Philippines.

Filipino food is very much influenced by the American culture as well. The increasing rate of fast food chains here is incredible. The American culture has brought with it major fast food giants, such as KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Burger King. Since, the Filipinos are so fond of food, they have widely accepted this trend. The Chinese noodles, called Mami, are the most savored dish. Rice is served with almost all meals, as it is their staple food. To the Filipinos, simple cooking basically means fish and its varieties, fetched directly from the sea. Apart from fish, the Filipinos also like other seafood such as crabs, shellfish, and shrimps. At times fresh seafood is served with exotic sauces and spices. The Filipinos also eat uncooked seafood that is stuffed with onions and wrapped in a banana leaf.

Filipino dishes very frequently include coconut, and, hence, meat, and other vegetables are cooked using coconut milk. Coconut is also used to make desserts such as pudding, which is made of ground rice, sugar, and coconut milk and baked in the oven.