Pinoy Fiesta
August is Buwan ng Wika month. As our national hero Jose Rizal said, “Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika, ay higit pa sa mabaho at malansang isda.” Our love for our language is enough reason to celebrate a Pinoy Fiesta – themed party this August. Let’s go hang banderitas and lay-out those banana leaves because we are ready to fiesta!
1. Lechon
Roasted suckling pig in a platter of delicious roasted vegetables and an apple. Lechon or lechong baboy is an eternal favorite with that crackling brown skin and juicy meat roasted slowly in burning coals. The best and most delicious part of the lechon is near the breast. Lechon is eaten with different kinds of sauce depending on the preference of each person. There are many variations of lechon, beef can also be cooked lechon style.
2. Lumpiang Shanghai
A fiesta is not perfect without the Lumpiang Shanghai. This is made out of ground meat and combination of vegetables rolled in egg crepe. In other terms this is called Spring Roll. The best sauce for this is sweet and chili sauce, partnered with the delicious Pancit Bihon.
3. Pancit
Our Asian neighbors shared us their love for noodles. It is believed that eating noodles will make life longer. There are many variation of pancit, it can be guisado, bihon, canton, and sotanghon. Meat can vary from chicken to pork and even shrimps can be added. Pancit is best eaten with calamansi and toyo. Pancit is not only for fiestas, it can also be eaten for breakfast with pandesal.
4. Bulalo
To complete the Filipino meal there should always be a serving of soup placed in small bowls or cups. It doesn’t only warm the body, it also adds extra flavoring to the rice. Bulalo is a healthy dish made with beef shank and kneecap and some vegetables. This is cooked very slowly for how many hours making the “sabaw” flavorful and healthy. Many say that bulalo is good for the bones. Bulalo is a bit on the expensive side because of the beef, but the flavor of this dish is well worth the money.
5. Adobo
Cooking adobo has many variations. You can use chicken or pork, mixed with a variety of vegetables. But the essential ingredients that make Adobo stand out is the blend of soy sauce, garlic, and vinegar. It takes the right amount of vinegar and soy sauce to achieve the perfect taste. Don’t forget to put some bay leaves and a spoonful of ground pepper. Do you prefer Adobo with the sabaw or Fried Chicken Adobo? Or do you want it shredded then fried to a crisp?
6. Pork Barbecue
Pinoys never forget the “ihawan” wherever they go. And if there’s a grill, there is Pork Barbecue. Barbecue may not be Filipino in origin, we have learned to love this cuisine anyway. Of course, the pork has to marinate inside the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight if time permits, every household has a very special concoction that is used as marinade for their pork barbecue, it is then skewered on a stick and grilled while basting the special sauce every few minutes. If there’s a grill, then most probably there will also be “inihaw na bangus.”