Chinese Cuisine In The Philippines

Chinese Cuisine In The Philippines
By Ralph Mendoza

Other than the more apparent Spanish and Malay-influenced cooking, Chinese cuisine has also been a staple in the Filipino diet.

Most meals in the Philippines are rice-based; hence, it hasn't been difficult for Filipinos to cross over to Chinese food from time to time. One will notice that Filipinos almost always include rice in their daily dishes, whether it's steamed rice or Yang Chow Fried Rice.

A lot of the Filipino's favorite viands are inspired from Chinese cuisine as well. Some of these Oriental hits include:

Peking Duck - a popular roasted duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the Imperial times. It is now hailed as one of China's national foods.

Roast Pork Loin - marinated in fresh herbs, this succulent dish is given a superb Chinese treatment in most restaurants.

Grilled Shrimps - fresh from the sea, these shrimps and prawns are grilled right before your eyes and served with vegetables and sauces.

Poached Crabs - equally fresh, these big King Crabs are boiled in salt and prepared with a sauce of your choice.

Snacks can also take the form of various, easy-to-eat Chinese delicacies called dim sum. Literally meaning "small snacks" in Cantonese, the dim sum is a favorite among Filipinos. Examples of these bite-sized Oriental treats are siomai (dumplings composed of pork, beef, and shrimp), turnip cakes, buns, rice rolls, lotus leaf rice, and stir-fried green vegetables. Soup-based dim sum such as congee porridge and other broths are also traditionally served as appetizer or snack. Not to forget are the equally popular fried noodles and siopao, or steamed buns with meat fillings of pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, or salted eggs.

Beverages include myriad forms of tea. You have green tea, oolong tea, black tea, scented tea, white tea, and compressed tea, among many others.

You'll find that it's not uncommon for Filipinos to include a taste of China in the local menu. During Chinese New Year, however, the distinctive Chinese cuisine is given much more emphasis than usual. Restaurants such as The Richmonde Caf� in Ortigas and Eastwood Caf� in Quezon City serve a selection of delectable Chinese specialties to celebrate the new lunar year.

But that's not to say that sumptuous Chinese cuisine can only be enjoyed during grand occasions. Here in the Philippines, Chinese fare can be savored all the time, as its unique flavor can be found everywhere from households to hotels. The country has long been a melting pot of different cultures, so it's no surprise how it has become a go-to place for exploring authentic Chinese cooking.

Ralph Mendoza is an experienced writer who works in music and advertising. Based in Quezon City, Philippines, he runs a music blog called Whole Oats and has written for a few publications.

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