HOW TO SURVIVE BIZARRE FILIPINO FOOD
If you have met and talked to Filipinos, you will know how proud they are of Filipino food. They would insist that you try it. It was shocking that there are a lot of bizarre Filipino foods that others seem to love, but I did not enjoy it. Here is my story and how I Survived Bizarre Filipino Food.
“You will love Filipino food,” “Our food is full of flavor,” “Everything goes with rice!”. Hearing them say this made me curious and excited to try their food when I visited the Philippines. Yet, when I went there, I found a lot of bizarre Filipino food and did not like it.
BIZARRE FILIPINO FOOD
Will you eat chicken feet (Adidas), chicken intestine (Isaw), chicken blood (Betamax), or an egg embryo (Balut)? Because I did and it was not fun at all. I felt disgusted seeing them. You can see there’s hair in the duck embryo. I was not able to eat it because I could already feel its hair passing through my throat. And who knows if the chicken organs were appropriately cleaned. I could imagine the parasites in those organs. These are street foods, and you can see many vendors in the busy streets of Manila City. So, there are clouds of dust in the food.
These are street foods, so they are unbelievably cheap. Adidas is 20 PHP, Isaw is 15 PHP, Betamax is 15 PHP, and Balut is 30 PHP. These are ridiculously cheap food since $1 is equal to 50 Php. If you buy one of each, it will just be 80 PHP! But, is it worth the risk of diarrhea and maybe hepatitis? I do not think so. You can see these being sold in the busy streets of Manila City. So, there are clouds of dust everywhere. The sauces are wide open, and sometimes people double-dip their food. Meaning, you guys might have been sharing bacteria from each other’s mouth. There are cleaner street food-areas, but I cannot guarantee how they prepare those.
TIPS TO SURVIVE BIZARRE FILIPINO FOOD
I was starving and could not eat Filipino foods because of the mental images I was having. If you are like me, not adventurous enough to eat bizarre Filipino food, this blog is for you! Here is a list of tips on how to meet your cravings in the Philippines.
1. ASK THE LOCALS
Filipinos are well known for their hospitality. You can find approachable Filipinos in the street socializing with other people. Most of them are not shy about answering your questions. There will be giggles, and sometimes, they will tell you you’re handsome. Some of them will even invite you into their homes to eat. The locals are fun to talk to!
2. DOWNLOAD A RESTAURANT-FINDING APP
When you are the shy type, who would rather starve than ask strangers, you can always look for restaurants online. Several websites helped me to find Western Restaurants in the Philippines. With a click, a lot of restaurants near-by will show up on your screen. You can also view the reviews and the directions on how to get there. You may use Zomato, Tripadvisor, and Google Maps.
3. EAT-IN A FAST FOOD CHAIN
There is so much comfort when you are eating familiar food. When I found that there were a lot of McDonald’s around, my stomach thanked me. Finding a western fast-food chain in the Philippines is not a problem because they are everywhere: malls, corner of a street, in your neighborhood.
4. JUST EAT LOCAL FOOD
Yes, I know that I said that I could not eat them. But there are a lot of delicious Filipino dishes as well. There are a lot of Filipino restaurants around that give excellent service. Most western restaurants here have Filipino touches also.
We are traveling not to see excellent views and have fun only, but also to experience different cultures. Most countries showcase their culture through their food. As said by the locals, Filipino cuisine is tasty, but it gets better when you have people to share it with! But of course, if you’ve got a healthy gut, you can eat a gut too, well, chicken’s gut.
If you have eaten bizarre Filipino food, share it in the comments and tell me if it’s a Yes or a Meh. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog to read more traveler’s stories!
Traveler78
Hello, My name is Yahya. I am 39 years old and soon will be 40. I was born and lived in the historic city of Cairo, Egypt. I Work as a doctor; cardiologist. Traveling is my passion. I am proud to be the owner and creator of Traveler78 website. If you like the material on my website, please subscribe to my website and share it with your friends. Also, you can follow me on your favorite social network. For further information, please contact me either in the comments or via E-mail.
