Two Filipino Pulutan Favorites
0, August 4, 2009
1) Chicharon
There are many types of Chicharon and practically all of them would make for great pulutan. Chicharon is usually salty and has a rough exterior and its crunchiness makes it fun to it. The crunchier, the better. Of course it isn’t exactly healthy to eat. But let’s talk about health issues and food some other day shall we? After all, drinking isn’t exactly the healthiest of activities.
My personal favorite type of chicharon is the bituka or the intestines. I love the taste of it and with extra salt, the flavor really comes out. Usually, the dip for any type of chicharon is suka or vinegar with lots of onions and chili. I, however, prefer not to use a dip as it takes away from the crunchiness of the chicharon. The other types of chicharon are also quite delicious and I believe that the favorite among other people who like it is the one with “laman” or the one that is not purely the puffy part. This is actually like ten times more oily than the regular chicharon but t is just about ten times better as well.
In Davao, I ate Tuna Chicharon, which is essentially made from Tuna skin. It was one of the best types of chicharon I ever tasted and it was also very inexpensive! Part of the reason why I want to go back there is because of it and for the longest time, I’ve been trying to find it here in Manila. If anyone of you knows where to find it, contact me!
2) Lechon Manok
In Metro Manila alone, there’s probably more than a thousand Lechon Manok stores that can be found. Filipinos love chicken because it’s meat and cheaper than the other types of meat. Lechon manok is one of the favorite types of chicken dishes for Filipinos as it is very juicy and very tasty. The most popular stores in Metro Manila are Baliwag and Andok’s. By far, these two have the most number of stores.
However, in the past few years, numerous Lechon Manok stores have come out. These are Sr. Pedro and Bounty Fresh Chicken. There are also several mom and pop Lechon Manok stores as well. These are all quite good and it all depends on the type of Lechon Manok that you want. Several big supermarkets such as Robinson’s and SM Save More also have Lechon Manok being sold. They have a variety of it like honey roasted and garlic flavors.
“Pulutan” is something that is inherently Filipino. Only in the Philipines is there a true concept of food that would go along with the alcoholic beverage. For sure, in other countries or cultures, there is an idea as to which food will go with a certain type of wine or other liquor, but only in this Nation where there is even a term for a type of food accompanying a drink. Filipinos love to drink. Filipinos love to eat. Necessity is the mother of invention. Pulutan is the product.
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