Traditional Filipino Dishes I Eat During Filipino Parties
Submitted by Ellaine Abad
As with every culture, there are traditional dishes that you’re likely to find at every party or holiday event that you can always look forward to eating. At Filipino parties and holidays, you’re for sure going to find a few (or maybe even all) of the following dishes on the kitchen table. You may have heard of these dishes before or may even have variations of these dishes in other cultures as well. Here’s a list of a few of my favorite dishes that I look forward to indulging in at every family party, but especially during the holidays!
Lechon Kawali
This is a dish consisting of crispy, deep fried pork belly pieces served in large square servings. It’s great paired with Mang Thomas, a brand of Filipino gravy, or any type of dipping sauce of your choice (like a mixture of vinegar and garlic). This is definitely not a healthy everyday meal, which makes it even more special to look forward to when the holidays or parties roll around!
Menudo
This is a tomato-based stew filled with pork or chicken, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, peas, and potatoes. What makes it stand out is the addition of raisins and small pieces of hot dog, which are not usually heard of as ingredients in stew. But trust me, don’t knock it ‘till you try it! It is surprisingly a great blend of flavors that makes you feel a sense of comfort.
Lumpiang Shanghai
This is the Filipino version of Chinese fried spring rolls consisting of minced meat and vegetables! Usually, about 95% of the time, you will see a mountain of these (or maybe only a few left if you arrive on Filipino Time) at any Filipino party. They’re great with any sweet-n-sour dipping sauce and are the perfect snack to just munch on! I personally enjoy rolling hundreds of these with my mom, which makes the effort feel much more rewarding when they’re gone in an instant at parties.
Pancit
This is also the Filipino version of Chinese noodles, which consists of thick, thin, or a combination of both types of noodles–depending on the region you’re from–in a dish with carrots, lettuce, slices of pork or meat of choice, and more. I especially like this dish with a drizzle of lemon or calamansi juice on top as the extra acidity helps bring out the flavor. This dish is especially common at Filipino birthday parties because “noodles = long life”!!!
Leche Flan
Also a popular dessert in Spanish culture, leche flan is a smooth, creamy custard made of milk, sugar, and egg yolks topped with a syrup that brings out a sweet caramel flavor. This is a very difficult dessert to prepare as it is hard to get the right consistency of the custard that still allows it to hold its structure once served. But, if made right, it is so addicting to eat that you won’t be able to put it down!
I hope you recognized some dishes and found the others interesting! I definitely recommend trying these staples at the next Filipino event you go to (if they’re serving Filipino food) or even at a local Filipino restaurant! I can guarantee that you won’t be disappointed and will find yourself wanting to try more food from our culture. Enjoy!
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