Growing up in a Filipino household means that every day there was always one of three things in my kitchen: rice, banana ketchup, and patis (fish sauce). Rice is a significant staple in Filipino cuisine. My meals at home were almost always served with a steaming cup of rice. Banana ketchup is a popular Filipino condiment and my mom’s favorite, so we’d always have this on the side. My favorite was putting this on eggs and rice in the mornings. Lastly, patis is something found in many Filipino dishes. We use it as often as Americans use ketchup.

Favorite FILIPINO Foods

• Mung Bean Soup My mom has always told me how surprised she is that I love this dish. It is a very bland dish, but that’s exactly what attracts me to it, funnily enough. It has a very toned done sweetness to it, which makes it easy for me to eat without getting sick. I’m the only one in my family who likes it, so I don’t get to eat it often as it takes over 4 hours to cook.
• Singang This is a tamarind based soup dish, with meats and vegetables added in to your liking. I love how sour it can be and how well that sourness compliments the meat and rice. I can’t handle spiciness very well, so sour dishes are what I indulge in. Every family’s sinigang recipe is different, which is what I love so much about this dish.
• Kare Kare This is a peanut based stew with pork and vegetables. This dish is one of my favorite because of how surprised I was to learn the ingredients as a kid. When I first learned that my mom adds peanut butter to make this dish, I was so amazed. I remember thinking, “Filipino dishes are so unique, I love it.”