Food to Eat and Things to Do on the Other Side in the Philippines

Posted by Hosanna on February 24th, 2021

The Philippines as an archipelagic country offers various ways to make your vacation here more exciting, especially for the uninitiated. Each island region has its unique recommendations for eating, relaxing and site-seeing experiences. Plus, the prices are so cheap, your dollar will definitely go a long, long way. You will have enough change for second helpings.

There were already numerous suggestions for tourists on where to go and what to do while in the Philippines. Boracay and beaching always top the tourist destination list. Well, this time, why don't you pass up on the A-lists? Put down that tourist's guide pamphlet your travel agent gave you. Try these suggestions here and, maybe, you'll regard vacationing on a different light. By the way, allow me to present this piece in three parts. Let me introduce the food offerings first.

For eats, forget the high-end part of the streets. Go down the most trodden ways. Literally the most walked on paths and avenues. High foot traffic areas are where you can find the most bizarre yet exciting rations on earth - the street food. Don't  worry; taste is only a matter of perception. Don't judge the chow by the way it is being prepared or ladled up to your plate. Take a bite, a sip or a suck and you'll realize that it is not bad after all.

The top five foodstuff you must, at least, sample are:

1. Balut. This is the Philippines most popular bizarre food. It is only duck egg that is not allowed to hatch. Really, you eat it with the duck embryo still intact inside. Cooked. And it is available anywhere in the country for only 15-20 pesos. It comes with salt and vinegar on the side. Many Filipino males believe that Balut is an aphrodisiac and energizer.

2. Day-old. Like the name says, it is newly hatched chick. It is fried whole and put on skewers three at a time and dipped in a special concoction of spices and condiments. They go for 20 pesos per stick. (Why am I having this guilt feeling while writing this piece? It seems like we are becoming fowl life deprivers now. No wonder we are having this chicken meat crisis here.)  Anyway, this delicacy is not yet popular in regions outside Luzon.

3. Dugo. This is animal blood cooked on a spit, again. It is first frozen and cut in cubes. It goes for 2 pesos with the usual dips.

4. Isaw. This is chicken intestines on a skewer, barbequed and also dipped in a sauce. Other regions call it IUD because when is skewered, it does look like that female contraceptive. It is priced at only 2 pesos

5. Adidas. Not the shoe nor the shirt. This is actually chicken feet that is either barbequed or battered and deep fried. It is served with the same sauce as the other barbeques. Price: 2 pesos.

There you go. All the five fares will only cost you 90 cents. These are unusual food treats and eating them is already an adventure, and journal material at that. Something you may not forget and a good topic for discussion with your friends back home. "Won't you believe it? I have eaten a balut in the Philippines! Eew!