1) Pancit habhab is a noodle dish from Quezon province containing dried noodles, pork, shrimp, vegetables and seasonings that is eaten with the hands off a banana leaf.
2) Bulalo is a beef shank and bone marrow soup from Luzon that is consumed during cold weather and contains vegetables.
3) Pichi-pichi is a dessert from Quezon province made of steamed and coconut-rolled cassava, sugar and water.
3. Pancit habhab or pancit Lucban is a traditional Filipino
type of pancit originating from the Quezon province. The
dish is usually made with a combination of dried flour
noodles (miki Lucban), pork belly slices, beef stock,
shrimp, pig liver, bok choy, peas, carrots, onions, garlic,
soy sauce, oil, and black pepper.
The ingredients are sautéed and stir-fried until everything
is tender, and the dish is then served on a banana leaf
and topped with shrimp and vegetables. Lime wedges
are often served on the side. Pancit habhab is enjoyed
without utensils – you pick up the banana leaf and eat the
noodle dish like a sandwich, just don't eat the banana
leaf wrapper.
5. Bulalô is a traditional Filipino soup that is prepared by
cooking beef shanks and marrow bones until the fat and
collagen dissolve into the broth, resulting in a robust
flavor of the dish. The soup is a specialty of the Luzon
region, where it is traditionally consumed during cold
weather, when it is usually served for dinner.
Most versions of the soup include vegetables such as
cabbage, string beans, onions, and corn. It can be found
in most upscale restaurants in the Philippines, due to the
fact that beef shank and bone marrow are not among the
cheapest cuts of meat in the country.
7. Pichi-pichi is a Filipino dessert consisting of three key
ingredients: grated cassava, sugar, and water. The
concoction is steamed until it develops a firm, glutinous
texture, and it is then rolled in desiccated coconut. The
dessert is especially popular during merienda, parties,
and celebrations.
This delicate, sticky treat was originally invented in the
Quezon Province.
9. Espasol is a soft, chewy Filipino rice cake prepared with
a combination of toasted glutinous rice flour and grated
green coconut that is slowly cooked in coconut milk. The
mixture turns into soft, pliable dough that is shaped into
long cylinders or triangles before each cake is coated in
rice flour.
Espasol is associated with the Laguna region, where it is
a hailed as a local specialty that is usually bought at
various restaurants, stores, and street stalls.
11. Buko pie is a traditional Filipino dessert which consists of
a flaky pie crust combined with creamy coconut filling. It
is prepared with buko, the young coconut flesh which is
cooked alongside plain or condensed milk, cream, and
sugar until it transforms into a thick and creamy custard.
According to popular belief, it was invented by Soledad
Pahud, a native Filipino who spent some time working in
the United States. After she had returned, she wanted to
adapt the traditional American apple pie with locally
available ingredients. Together with her family, she
invented buko pie, a dessert which soon became a
favorite throughout the country.
13. Uraró are traditional Filipino cookies originating from the
Tagalog people of southern Luzon. The cookies are
traditionally made with arrowroot flour, duck egg yolks,
milk, rendered lard, and sugar. Once prepared, the
mixture is baked in a traditional Filipino clay oven called a
pugon, and the resulting cookies should have a melt-in-
the-mouth quality, as well as milky and buttery flavors.
However, the modern versions of uraró are made with a
combination of margarine or butter, arrowroot flour, milk,
sugar, and eggs. If desired, the cookies can be enriched
with the addition of maple syrup or coconut cream. They
are commonly stacked in cylinders and sold wrapped in
colored crepe paper.
