Filipino Delicacies

Since we are learning so much about Filipino's culture and food, you HAVE to know this, the Filipino delicacies. As much as I would want to be adventurous to try them, I have yet to find the guts to do so...

1) The Bangus (Milkfish)

It is the Philippines' national fish and one of the many staple diets by Filipinos. No matter how you cook it, this fish is delicious! When cooked, the flesh is white as milk, hence the name derived from it is milkfish. However, do be careful because there are a lot of needle-like fish bones on its flesh and swallowing one could make you end up coughing in your meal. Countries such as Indonesia and Taiwan are seen to increasingly include the bangus into their diet as well.

2) The Balut (Half boiled ducklings)

I screamed EWW when I saw this delicacy! No prizes for guessing what this is... half boiled ducklings. As much as many would avoid such a dish, the Filipinos LOVE THIS and regard it as one of their delicacies (an equivalent to the sharks fin for Chinese). So the duck eggs that have been fertilized are allowed to develop until the embryo reaches a pre-determined size, then boiled and eaten in the shell.

Besides, it is popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack. Balut is mostly sold be street vendors at night in the regions where they are made available. Slurping it with beer would make the balut even more tasty

Interestingly, a big contrast to the man above beaming with the balut, the balut was served on Fear Factor and the Americans who saw it called it gross! To see the details of how they tracked down a balut supplier, click here: http://www.nbc.com/Fear_Factor/stunts/stunt_203_balut.shtml

3) Kwek-kwek or tukneneng


This is definitely a more edible snack than the balut, because this ball is made of hard boiled quail eggs which has been deep fried in a batter. It is a snack that is sold by street vendors all over Davao and other parts of the Philippines as well. To make it more delicious, make sure you dip it into vinegar for that extra taste!