Bicol's Dish Delights

We travel to a place and enjoy the things it offers with love and grace. Imagine traveling to the place where luxury ingredients are not a thing, but rather ingredients that can only be found in that place. The Philippines is one country that you will not skip visiting and trying their most interesting and unique dishes. But today are going to focus on certain parts of the Philippines. Let's visit Bicol and explore their vast culture in their dishes and experience on how to be an Oragon (A person of excellence).

BICOL EXPRESS

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The most popular Bicolano dish did not actually originate from Bicol. The rest of the Philippines thinks of Bicol express as a coconut-rich stew made of chunks of pork, large pieces of chili, and shrimp paste-a recipe based on the original Malate creation. Bicolanos, however, have come up with their own version of their namesake dish: Instead of pork, the preferred star is balaw or sautéed shrimp. The extra saltiness boosts the flavor and makes it perfect with rice

LAING

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Another Bicolano icon is laing or natong. While it may look like a humble vegetable dish, it's actually tricky to make. When prepared incorrectly, the dried gabi leaves can scratch your tongue. But when perfect, it's a satisfying medley of stewed greens, coconut milk, chilies, and, occasionally, fish, pork, or chicken.

PUTO BUKAYO

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In Bicol, puto is made with bukayo. The soft and squishy rice cake is shaped into a ball and filled with sweet and crunchy coconut that's been cooked in brown sugar. You can always find this kind of cake in the streets of Bicol near the city or municipality markets.

KANDINGGA

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Not every Bicolano dish has to bathe in a pool of coconut milk. Kandingga, for example, wears that characteristic heat without being drowned out by coconut flavor. The Bicolano's answer to bopis, the tangy kandingga is a delicacy with Spanish roots, made with chopped pork lungs and heart (or other types of offal), onions, garlic, vinegar, and peppers.