Comments on: 11 Unforgettable Ilocos Food to Delight Your Palate in the Philippines

By: Authentic Food Quest

Authentic Food Quest — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 15:13:24 +0000

In reply to joy. Thank you for sharing your insights about Ilocos food. Cheers

By: joy

joy — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 05:36:57 +0000

Hi, I’m an Ilokano and I’m just wondering how “garlic” made it into the list of “Ilocos Food” since it’s an ingredient used in cuisines the world over. I would have appreciated it more if you included “foods” more specific to the region. For example, we have the “dinakdakan” which is grilled pork jowls, ears, and liver slathered in a mixture of Ilocos vinegar, shallots, chilis, and pork brain (NOT MAYONNAISE!). We also have “Ata-Ata,” a local version of beef carpaccio or steak tartare made with thin slices of fresh carabao beef, smothered with carabeef bile (Yup! that green icky fluid), shallots, and chilis. It’s the RAW version of another Ilocano favorite – the “Pinapaitan,” except the latter has a broth. We also have “Sinanglaw,” a “bastardized” version of the “pinapaitan” featuring beef innards.

Moreover, we love our food FRESH. I remember as a kid, we used to go to the seaside in the afternoon to watch and join fisherfolk bring their catch. we’d have sardines, shrimp, albacore tuna, flying fish, and anchovies. we’d eat these right there and then. simply wash them, remove the head and innards, dip in spicy vinegar, and that’s our dinner by the sea.

Also, “Pinakbet” is an original Iloko dish no matter how many “iterations” other regions offer. AND we don’t put pork in pinakbet. Please be mindful that “Ilocanos” are frugal and adding pork in our daily dish is more of an indulgence. So, you can expect locally-caught fish to go into the pinakbet, combined with whatever veggies we could gather from the backyard. That’s the Ilocano way of cooking. we don’t source our ingredients from markets. we make do with what we have available.

By: Authentic Food Quest

Authentic Food Quest — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 17:08:58 +0000

In reply to Beatrice. Thank you :)

By: Beatrice

Beatrice — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 14:38:53 +0000

Your food photographs are beautiful!!

By: Authentic Food Quest

Authentic Food Quest — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 08:57:43 +0000

In reply to Gordie Chase. Great tips, Gordie. You are totally right, asking locals and several of them for the very best always yields tasty results. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers.

By: Gordie Chase

Gordie Chase — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 05:05:26 +0000

I’ve been all over the Philippines and have eaten at hundreds of establishments. The best, safest and most tasty foods come out of someone’s Lola’s kitchen. After 20 plus years of experimentation I could easily say that most restaurants employ young folks that can’t cook. So here’s a tip. Always ask a few locals, not just one. Who makes the best dish of whichever is to your liking. This method has led me to some of the tastiest dishes in the Philippines. Everyone’s dish is not the same, but you can be assured if you follow them to the cooks they think are best, you’ll win every time.

By: Authentic Food Quest

Authentic Food Quest — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 11:56:32 +0000

In reply to Ro. Thank you so much, Ro. Really appreciate your feedback. Cheers.

By: Ro

Ro — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 00:43:30 +0000

Awesome post! Nailed the best of Ilocano food. Cheers.

By: Jammy Hernandez

Jammy Hernandez — Fri, 07 May 2021 07:22:28 +0000

Ilocos souvenir will always be Ilocos Empanada very tasty

By: Authentic Food Quest

Authentic Food Quest — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 17:14:27 +0000

In reply to Geoffrey Saavedra. Thank you for the offer Geoffrey. We will get in touch the next time we plan on visiting the Philippines.