The Philippines is a beautiful country made up of more than 7,000 islands. Because of its extensive territory, combined with past rulers from abroad make its cuisine amazingly diverse.
Before the Spaniards conquered it in the 16th century, the Filipinos cooked very similar to their neighbors in Asia like Malaysia and Indonesia, using steaming, boiling, and roasted methods. They also took influence from China and had deep knowledge of rice production.
The influence on Filipino cuisine was felt, adding new dishes like paella and Iberico ham to the cannon. A big influence on the cuisine was the introduction of adobo, which is a marinade usually for meats made with paprika, other spices, and vinegar.
Here are some of the most famous Filipino foods you can find nowadays:
Chicken Adobo
Although you can usually find it in a pork variety, this chicken dish is one of the most famous in the Philippines.
Kare Kare
This dish is actually an oxtail stew but usually is flavored with seafood, peanuts, and more.
Kinilaw
Kinilaw is the Filipino version of the Peruvian ceviche, made with raw fish in a salad form. It is very delicious, fresh, and bright, served with lots of acid and aromatics.
