The 17 Most Popular Exotic Foods in the Philippines
by nobert soloria bermosa on 20/04/08 at 7:10 am
Here’s a list of exotic foods from the Philippines. Want to try some?
Bizarre it may seem but these long list of foods are eaten in the Philippines. Want to try some?
Adobong pusa or cat adobo
Do you know that even cats are eaten by people in the Philippines? They cook it in adobo style, sautéed with garlic, onion and laurel leaf seasoned with soy sauce and vinegar. This is a favorite appetizer during their drinking spree.
Adobo/ prito o litsong daga or adobo/ fried or roasted rat
Rats from the rice paddies are also eaten. They would skin them, cut the head, the tail, and the legs then all internal organs are removed. Actually these rodents are clean because they only feed on rice. Cooking is done the adobo way deep fried. It can also be roasted like chicken.
Kilawing bunog (raw young of a mudfish)
These are eaten raw spiced up with vinegar or citrus juice, pepper, and salt.
Kilawing bunog
Adobo o pritong palaka (adobo or fried frogs)
Frogs can be cooked in adobo style or deep fried. It’s tastier than chicken. There are also some people in the Philippines that eat legs of bullfrogs cooked in the same manner.
deep fried frogs adobo style
Adobong ahas (snake adobo)
This is cooked in adobo style. Snake is commonly eaten in Asia because of its medicinal value. It’s also a good aphrodisiac.
Snakes/ snake adobo
Adobong bayawak/itlog (monitor lizard meat/eggs)
It is sautéed in garlic and onion, ginger and laurel leaf with pepper, soy sauce, and vinegar or more popularly called adobo. This is perfect for “pulutan” (food appetizer while drinking wine or liquor). The eggs are usually cook by simply boiling it, it taste salty and delicious. Their eggs are considered exotic because it’s rare and hard to find.
Lizard adobo / a lizard/ lizard’s egg
Prito o sinangag na salagubang (fried beetle)
This is common among provinces where mango trees abound where beetles usually thrive. It’s crunchy like its grasshopper counterpart.
A beetle fried beetle
Adobong paniki (bat adobo)
Cooked in adobo style or cooked in coconut milk.
A bat
Kilawing aso o kambing (Raw meat of goat or dog)
Raw meat spiced up with chopped onions, pepper and salt. Others would grill it medium rare first. A kilawing kambing (raw goat meat) become more bizarre when added up with fresh liquid extracted and drained from the stomach or intestine of the goat.
kilawing kambing
Sinangag o adobong susuhong/camaro/ararawan (adobo or fried mole crickets)
This is a kind of edible insect usually found in the rice fields before planting season. It is sautéed in garlic, onion, and olive oil or cooked by simply frying it.
A mole cricket / fried camaro/ dried adobo/
Sinangag o adobong tipaklong o balang (fried or adobo grasshopper or locust)
They are cooked just like the way mole crickets are cooked.
A grasshopper / Fried grasshopper / Adobo
Ginataang kuhol (Snail cooked in coconut milk)
There are varieties of snails being cooked and eaten in the Philippines. Only two are being shown here. Ginataang kuhol or suso is sautéed with garlic, onion, ginger and pepper plus coconut milk. There are also other ways of cooking these snails.
A Golden snail (kuhol)/ Ginatang Kuhol
This kind of snail (suso) is sautéed w/ fresh tomato. I cooked and photographed this one myself.
Papaitan (came from the Filipino root word, “pait” which means “bitter”)
This is consists mostly of goat or cow innards. This is sautéed in garlic and onions (ginger is optional). The bitter taste is from the bile or stocked produced from the stomach of the goat or cow. This is also a delicacy for us but exotic for others.
A pinapaitan
Dinuguan (dog meat or pork blood stew)
It is a common delicacy here in the Philippines like the balut. Yes, vampires and mortals alike may find this viand so tempting. It is a combination of pork/dog meat and innards stewed to perfection with pork blood (“dinuguan” means “bloodied”). It is best eaten with a puto (steamed rice cake). When it is cooked dried it is called tinumis or pinaputok. A variant of dinuguan cooked by the Ibanags in the Northern part of the country is what I considered exotic, the cooked dinuguan is added up with fresh blood before serving it. Bizarre isn’t it?
Tinumis / Dinuguan w/ puto
Balut
This is a 2 to 3 week-old hatched duck egg (with embryo), which is hard- boiled. It can be spiced up with salt, vinegar w/ diced garlic and onion, and chili.
A balut
Jumping salad (Shrimps jumping salad)
It is called jumping salad because the shrimps are prepared alive and eaten alive. Spiced up with citrus juice or grated unripe mango, salt and msg. as easy as that.
Prito o ginisang tateg (fried/sautéed huge worms)
This one is what I consider the most bizarre of them all. These worms can be found on rotten trees or rotten stack of rice hays. They are usually cooked by deep frying it. It can also be sautéed with garlic, onion, tomato and pepper. I haven’t tasted this one yet.
For related articles see
12 Vitamin Rich Exotic Fruits from the Philippines And Other Tropical Areas
The Most Popular Dishes From Around the World
Famous Culinary Uses of Cassava in the Philippines
Popular Culinary Uses of the Banana in the Philippines
Filipino Foods Made From Camote
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44 Comments
salvatore
Apr 20th, 2008
very interesting dishes, i would try the Ginataang kuhol
nobert soloria bermosa
Apr 20th, 2008
sure, come to the Philippines so that you can have a taste of it…
Francie
Apr 20th, 2008
YUK! and probably a lot of other adjectives, lol Sorry nobert…. I have a weak stomach!!!! You put out a Great article however, lots of info and things I did not know (or is it, did not want to think about) Where have I been in all these years?? You really know much, me? not so much =)
nobert soloria bermosa
Apr 20th, 2008
thanks a lot to you Francie..
Ruby hawk
Apr 20th, 2008
I have to say “yuk” too. though I don’t know why eating cats and dogs seems worse than eating pigs and chickens. It’s all in our culture I know. Thanks for the interesting information. I always like to learn new things.
Lucy Lockett
Apr 22nd, 2008
I’m good, I’ll stick to vege’s thanks!
nobert soloria bermosa
Apr 22nd, 2008
well good for you you’re a vegetarian, my mom is also a vegetarian and admire the likes of you,even if i wanted to i can’t resist eating meat.thanks anyway
Shiela
Jul 15th, 2008
Where can I buy cooked turtle?
nobert soloria bermosa
Jul 15th, 2008
sorry i can’t answer your question Shiela,as far as i know,killing turtles is prohibited by law,besides it’s not included in the list,thanks for reading and asking though
gracie
Aug 16th, 2008
can you recommend restaurants in the philippines that offer these exotic foods? preferably in manila or somewhere in NCR or region 4? thanks a lot!
nobert soloria bermosa
Aug 16th, 2008
hi gracie,
check this out – Exotik restaurant – it’s located in Longos, Kalayaan Highway in Laguna. It is about 4 hours drive from Manila.
xiaolu
Aug 29th, 2008
wow…this is great…im checking these foodstuffs as a part of my study or thesis…can you recommend some information on how can i have those insects such as mole crickets, grasshoppers and locusts…i need a lot of them…this is a part of my undergrad thesis…tnx..
nobert soloria bermosa
Aug 29th, 2008
sometimes they’re available at wet markets in the provinces,try the above-mentioned restaurant,thanks
xiaolu
Aug 31st, 2008
tnx a lot…it helps me though it might be difficult…^_^
rowelle delos santos
Nov 20th, 2008
saan ako makakabile ng palaka d2 sa manila… im from Quezon City
nobert soloria bermosa
Nov 21st, 2008
hi rowell,to be honest with you di k alam,try m sa mga wet market jan,in the province they are abundant during the months of may,june and july.
anavash
Dec 8th, 2008
what are the health benefits of exotic foods?
anavash
Dec 8th, 2008
anu po ba ang health benefits ng mga exotic foods?
binoy
Dec 26th, 2008
mas gusto ko kilawing tilapia ung buhay na may buhok
pipzteteth
Jan 15th, 2009
i’ll eat them all,..
nadine de leon
Jan 24th, 2009
ooh!even i am Filipino but i didn’t eat cat and dog..i loved dog and cat..i can eat all of this except what i mentioned…grabi naman pati pusa yakks!!ito ang hindi ko masikmura.
nadina_zain
Jan 24th, 2009
wooow!! delicious but i dnt want to eat cat and dog.my favorites balut and frog its so yummy…. all of the above i can ate..ang sarap naman basta mga exotic foods exciting kainin..although sa una parang di mo kaya.but when u eat already then u liked the taste u want it more..at hahanap hanapin mo ito.basta ako ayoko ng pusa..
alvin
Feb 10th, 2009
kuya nobert anu poh b literatura ng pilipinas bout sa pagkain ng exotic food?
sadako
Feb 15th, 2009
gusto ko sana magtayo ng exotic restaurant. ask ko lng kung safe ba iserve yan and kung san market nakakabili ng mga yan..
anne
Feb 24th, 2009
come visit me hiR in the philippines i will sure you that i wiill enjoy you.,.im from pampanga anne balderama.,.
nobert soloria bermosa
Feb 24th, 2009
yeah safe kainin mga ito,depende kung ano gusto m iserve,kung lahat2 mahirap hanapin,yung iba seasonal lang,they’re available at wet markey especially in the province,kuhol is available anywhere,frogs are available during rainy season,goat they are available everywhere,camaro is available before planting season.
oyeah
Mar 2nd, 2009
amp pokpok poster #26 oh eewie mas kadirdir pa sa kuhol
m3wt
Apr 16th, 2009
tatlo palang nakakain ko dyan. papaitan tops my list. I heard fried frogs are delicious. Can anyone recommend a restaurant in Manila that serves fried frogs???
gaga
Apr 30th, 2009
Yuk, kakadiri yung paniki. Syet, kakain na ako ng pusa wag lang paniki noh. Yak.
pupy
May 11th, 2009
gusto ko kilawing ahas! hehehe!
pau
May 19th, 2009
where can i find these things?
Kali
Jun 8th, 2009
You will not hungry in the jungle if you have a filipino friends
balasubas
Jun 29th, 2009
hahahaha anung yuck!!!
yuckie talaga
wag na kaung mag english tae
nasa pilipinas lang kau
mag tatagalog nlng ako
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
joar
Jul 1st, 2009
I’ve tried eating fried mole cricket, since i’m an ilocano, and it’s one of their favorite food there.
laarne
Jul 6th, 2009
oww!!! my god……………nakakadiri ewwwwwwwwwww,,,,,,,,,,yuk
SAM ANTHONY
Jul 6th, 2009
natikman ko na ang lahat nang iyan,,totoo..sa una at sa isip nakadiri pero wala namang mawawala kung kakain or titikim tayo,alam din nating kinakain na ito ng mga ninuno natin,
*adobong paniki..ok \’to,,sa Bicol ang tawag namin ay Kabog..at masarap dahil prutas kinakain \’non or mga insekto.
*adobong ahas..sa Bicol ung iba ang kinakain nila is KULAPIHON .masarap at malinamnam…lalo na pag maanghang or pulutan
adobong pusa…sa Bicol ang tawag namin ay TING-GARONG..
…yap,wild cat yun at sobrang sarap
*adobong IK-IK…o yung sea cucumber na parang malaking itim na uod ..masarap sa ginataan..
*adobong bayawak,,,ang tawag namin ay HALU…mas masarap pa sa karneng baboy…at maganda sa mga mi skin disorder or skin disease
I\’M A BARISTA FOR COFFEE BEAN and i work as a bartender before at gerry\’s grill,,,i am an HRM undergrad and my eye is on cooking…
i\’ll be having my vacation this 23rd of the month in Bicol then i will prepare some of this..i\’m glad if some of our kababayan visit our place and experience all the exotic food,,..I\’M inviting you all to visit Rizal Beach Resort in GUBAT,SORSOGON.thanks,,
email me @ drewbright2004@yahoo.com if you want to share your word,,thank you
(i work as a tour guide too and practice mixed martial arts in PI and in Saudi Arabia)
SAM ANTHONY
akira
Jul 6th, 2009
hindi lang sa adobo masarap ang mga ‘yan..pwede rin sa caldereta,inihaw,ginataan..or inin-in…or kilawin..
pawikan,page,pating,….unggoy,baboy damo.usa…yap endangered nga pero talagang masarap..buwaya too..
sa bicol mi masarap na food,,ung tinatawag naming amumusok…
tryx
Jul 19th, 2009
Lahat tayo naghahanap ng adventure, life and profession. Cheers to those na naghahanap ng adventure sa pagkain.. am one of em!!! and if you have not tried em.. i strongly suggest you do.. not bcoz we’re filipinos and these are pinoy dishes.. but merely bcoz they accentuate the adventure for dining and redefine the word “food”
nicole
Aug 8th, 2009
!!!!Lotgpesteg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
maya martinez
Aug 18th, 2009
gusto i try ung adobong bayawak nakakatakam
phat
Sep 1st, 2009
i already did..bayawak then ginataan and maanghang..the best yun…
rj
Sep 11th, 2009
im filipino and i definitely dont eat cats and dogs…gross,it aint even smart to eat those they tend to carry parasites(they eat the strays)
anthony
Sep 24th, 2009
i tried dog before..back in 80’s…and cat.coz i thought my friend offer an appetizer,,our PULUTAN to go with a bottle of vodka…
he told it is a musang.”ting-garong” in bicol the coffee rat…damn..the taste was good but..the good thing is i feel like Tito Ortiz when they told me that i had cat…………
Irene E
Oct 18th, 2009
I HATE adobong pusa and aso it should not be included there!!! have pity with those animals Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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