Foods of The Philippines

In this article I'll talk about the food I ate while living in Cebu, a city in The Philippines.

My First Visit to the Philippines

Before I visited the Philippines for the first time I had no idea what to expect. The first time that I went was around Christmas, so it we a very festive time of the year. I didn't know this because in Japan, it's not very festive at all. They do have ads for the fried chicken, but that about all. Oh, and they also do illumination and put up lights and put up Christmas trees. They have the decorations on lock, but the feeling is just different.

Before I went to Cebu, I did research to see what some of the popular foods were. I came up with Lechon. It's a roasted pig. While in Cebu, I saw a lot of ads in the malls. The ads were for Christmas buffets, and I was extremely excited. In the malls of Cebu, it was gorgeous. Decorations everywhere, a big tree, and the atmosphere was just happy. I hadn’t felt that since leaving the US.  I think I ate Lechon for the first time around Christmas. It was so so good! The skin is crispy, and the meat is juicy. It tasted exactly like a fried turkey I once ate. It was delicious, and I suggest it to anyone who wants to try it.

Does the Philippines Have Foods from Other Countries

Absolutely! I went to the Ayala mall in Cebu. In Ayala, there was Korea food, Japanese food, American food, Tex-Mex, and Greek food. They did have Indian restaurants, but I wasn't able to visit any. They also had Thai food as well.

I was of course excited about the American food they had. Particularly, the desserts! Now in Japan they do have their take on American desserts, and I absolutely loathe them. I loathe all of them. Some things are great as is, and don't need to be re-imagined. I love Japanese desserts, don't get me wrong. But I like my American desserts to taste the way they are supposed to LOL. If you go to an American restaurant like TGI Fridays, the desert will taste good. Also, I’ve gotten cheesecake, pumpkin pie, and apple pie from Starbucks. They are so delicious, and they taste the way I want them to taste. However, if you go to a cake shop, or bakery the taste will be off.

American Food

So, the Philippines had the best American cheesecake I had outside of the US... At the time. It tasted authentic. The American food just tasted like American food, and it was perfect. It took me awhile to get used to their Tex-Mex though. But they also had cold stones, and it was yummy yummy!!

I went to a grocery store and was surprised to find that they had an assortment of American candy! They had Reese’s pieces, Skittles, cotton candy. Japan does have Snickers and of course Hershey chocolate. But a lot of candy from America is banned in Japan due to the ingredients... unfortunately.

I was also surprised to find the Velveeta mac and cheese. I was so so so so happy. In Japan, to get Velveeta is super expensive. It was a little expensive in the Philippines, but definitely worth it for me. They also had jarred sauces from America. For instance, jarred spaghetti sauce, and jarred fettuccine sauce.

Getting Sick

I was so excited to see all the American food they had. But I will say that if you are living outside of the US, and haven't eaten such foods in a while, please take it show. I ate some Skittles, and my stomach hurt for the whole day afterwards. I made spaghetti with the sauce and the same thing happened.
American food is banned in some countries for a reason, so please be aware of that. It's not completely healthy. Even though I have to make my food from scratch in Japan, I notice that I definitely don't feel as sick as when I eat sauce from a jar. Even though our jarred food is convenient, it's also not healthy. But every once in a while, shouldn't hurt

If you go to Cebu, please enjoy the weather, beaches, and culture. But if you want a taste of home as well, then you won't be disappointed.
Have fun and safe travels!