ILOCANO

CUISINE
 Ilocos may be a wonderland of heritage sites,
coastal attractions & exquisite handicrafts but it is
always the food that lingers in your travel
memories the most.
 Ilocano dishes are characterized by sweet,
sour or salty taste.
 The food is not heavy on thick sauces or
rich in condiments.
 Ilocano use ingredients that are abundant
in their surroundings and they keep their
food simple.
 Surprisingly delicious, exotic and at the Boiling
same time it is the most intriguing of all
the regional cuisines in the Philippines. Grilling
 Use the basic cooking methods of our
ancestors before the foreign influences on Roasting
our food.
Steaming
 Majority of the Ilocos Region is fueled by
agriculture and the fishing industry,
which go well with the geographical
characteristic of the region—flat plains
beside the sea. Much of this has
contributed to the local way of life and
culinary scene in the past.
 The Ilokanos, who were mostly busy
farmers and fishermen, cooked simple
snacks, delicacies, and dishes with fresh
ingredients from the farm, and used
minimal seasoning. They often used
anything they could find in the kitchen
and threw them together in a pot to boil.
Boiling, as it applies to
cooking, means cooking foods
in boiling water.
Grilling is a fast, dry method
of cookery which uses the
intense heat radiated by an:
electrical element,; gas flame,;
glowing charcoal or an open
wood fire.
Roasting, the action of Steaming is basically a
cooking something in an oven cooking method that employs
or over an open fire. hot steam to conduct the heat
to the food, without disturbing
it in a boiling liquid, leaving
us with tender, moist
results—when done correctly.
Intriguing for the following reasons:
Poqui-poqui / Poki-
poki is a simple
sauteed eggplant. It
is grilled, seasoned
& tossed with
onions, tomato &
egg. It is usually
served for breakfast
but real good
anytime of the day.
Utong (sitaw) are
just your humble
string beans. They
are usually best in
that undying adobo
finish. Or mixed
with other vegies in
pinakbet or
inabraw.
Kabatiti is your
delicious patola or
sponge gourd. I love
kabatiti in misua
soup. How about
you?
Consists of goat
and ox innards and
its meat flavoured
with bile, tamarind
and chillies.
Pinapitan came
from the word “pait”
which means bitter
which in turn uses
the animal bile
liquid as the
flavoring agent.
Dinaldalem comes
from dalem the
Ilocano word for
liver. The dish is
made up of thin
slices of pork meat
and liver stewed in
vinegar and soy
sauce.
Caliente is made up of
cow or carabao skin
boiled for several hours
till tender and
chewable. The boiled
skins are then cut into
slices then tossed with
vinegar, chopped
ginger, chopped onions
some hot chilies and
seasoned with salt and
pepper to taste, similar
to the usual Ilocano
kilawin or kinilaw.
Abuos - "Ilocano
dish of sauteed,
kinilaw, or adobo-
style ant eggs"
This soup-based
dish throws in all
sorts of vegetables,
its young leaves,
fruit or flower. It is
boiled with fish
sauce to add flavor
or sometimes with
tucmem or clams &
shredded left over
fish.
This dish is a beef and beef
offal soup flavoured with
kamias and bile, nearly similar
to pinapaitan.
The differences are:
Sinanglaw is cooked using beef
while pinapaitan is commonly
goat but there are variations
where beef is used.
Sinanglaw meat cut is bigger,
roughly in 2 inch cubes
compared to the pinapaitan
which is chopped in small
strips.
Sinanglaw is sour with a hint
of bitterness compared to
pinapaitan which is bitter with
a hint of sourness.
The Ilocano people are also known to be the first ethnic group in the
Philippines to eat the larvae and eggs of abuos (weaver ants). The
practice has since been infused as well with other ethnic groups in
northern Luzon.
 The two most popular condiments used are bagoong called
aramang (fish/shrimp sauce or paste) and Ilocos vinegar.
 Ilocano vinegar has a higher concentration of acidity compared
to commercially produced palm vinegar.
 Another distinct flavor found in the dishes of this region is
bitterness. This is attributed to their love for ampalaya (bitter
gourd or bitter melon) and the sparing use of bile (bitter-tasting
fluid found in the gallbladder of goats or cattle) on their dishes.
A type of bagoong made from
fish. This type of bagoong is
actually an umbrella term
that encompasses all types of
bagoong made from fish.
More specific bagoong types
under this term include
bagoong monamon
(anchovies) and bagoong
terong (bonnetmouth fish).
The name of the bagoong
could also be derived from
the place it was made, like
bagoong balayan (anchovy
bagoong from Balayan,
Batangas).
A type of bagoong made from
shrimp. This is also known
as bagoong armang, uyap,
ginamos or dayok. They are
made of shrimp fry (baby
shrimp).
In the Visayas, bagoong
made of shellfish are also
available but made rarely.
There is the bagoong
macaebe made from large
oysters and the bagoong sisi
from small clams and
oysters.
Sukang Iloco is a
sugarcane vinegar
made from an Ilocano
wine called basi. The
sugarcane is cooked
into a molasses-like
syrup, where it is
further left to ferment
into a light, sweet
sugarcane vinegar. The
best ways to enjoy
sukang Iloko? With
spiced garlic sausages,
longganisa, or with
empanada!
The making of bagoong is done under very
controlled conditions. This is because several steps
are involved in the fermentation process: one
wrong move could provoke the natural decaying
process of the fish or shrimp, leading to wastage
and health risks if consumed.

The factors that affect the outcome of the

bagoong-making process are:
amount of fish or shrimp vis a vis amount of salt
(75-25 or 50-50 ratios are common)
type and amount of micro-organisms used to
ferment the fish or shrimp
acidity and temperature of the environment or
storage area
presence or absence of air in the storage area
 1. Clean the fish (or shrimp). Sometimes the fish is cleaned with brine (a
mixture of water and salt). Sometimes they are also drained and dried then
grinded for the next step.
 2. Mix the fish with salt uniformly. This is usually done by hand.
 3. Place the mixture inside a tightly sealed container. Traditional makers
usually use covered clay jars for this purpose, but glass jars may also be
used.
 4. Allow the mixture to ferment. The fermentation process could take place
from as short as 3 months to a year. The mixture is stirred once in a while to
allow the salt to spread evenly.
 5. Separate the patis. After fermentation, the mixture separates into two
distinct layers: the patis (top layer) and the bagoong (bottom layer). Remove
the clear, liquid patis and place the bagoong in a separate container.
“Abuos" (soft white larvae of ants)

Jumping Salad
Malunggay / Marunggay or Marunggi
 Pinakbet is the Filipino version of ratatouille. It is a vegetable stew of eggplants,
string beans, bitter gourd (amplaya), and okra. The real Ilocano version uses small
round eggplants and baby ampalaya. Ilocano pinakbet uses the condiment bagoong
isda (fish sauce) to season the dish.
 Pinakbet in other regions south of thePhilippines bagoong(shrimp paste) is used and
squash is added.
 Pinakbet is a popular Filipno dish that originated in Ilocos. Pinakbet comes from the
Ilocano word “pinakebbet” which means “withered” or “dried up”. There are a lot of
ingredients for pinakbet. Most of these are vegetables such as okra, eggplant, chili
pepper, tomato, eggplant, string beans, bitter melon, etc. This dish is usually
flavored with garlic, onion and also ginger. It is considered a very healthy Ilocano
cuisine but this dish is more than that. It is a lasting symbol of the Ilocano taste
and a clear demonstration of the Ilocanos’ history of contestations and struggles
with the physical and social environment. The recipe intertwines intimations of the
cultural productions of the Ilokanos’ transaction to their dry and less productive
land.
It is also called as inabraw
and is classified as a
bagoong soup based dish.
It is similar to pinakbet but
it has less vegetables and
contains more bagoong as
its soup base. The
vegetables that Ilocanos
usually include in the dish
are: bitter melon, squash,
sweet potato, string beans,
sayote, eggplant, chili,
banana blossoms, corn,
okra, winter melon (upo),
mushrooms, cassava, taro
and so much more. Some
even add leftover fried fish,
or other meats, to the dish.
Bagnet is a delicacy
that originated from
Ilocos and is similar
to lechon kawali. The
extremely blistered
skin which literally
transforms the pork
skin into crackling is
what differs Bagnet
from lechon kawali
and any other pork
dishes. This is also a
tourist favorite.
EMPANADA VIGAN EMPANADA BATAC
Longganisa is one
of Ilocos’ most
defining dishes.
This salty &
garlicky sausage of
ground pork fat
stuffed in pork
intestine wrap is
the star on any
Ilocano breakfast
table. The secret to
its fat-oozing
longganisa is in its
marinade.
Ilocos Norte’s miki noodles
is a savory reddish-orange
noodle soup with white miki
noodles and a hard-boiled
egg topped with crunchy
chicharon bits. The miki
broth gets its distinctive
color from achuete or
annatto.
The Vigan miki noodle has
the same ingredients as egg
noodle it is a mixture of
flour, egg and salt. This miki
dish shares similarities with
its Ilocos Norte counterpart.
The noodles are prepared by
hand, the dough is rolled
into thin round sheet and
cut into flat strips and dried
in open air.
Unknown to many, Vigan has a
distinct food called pipian. It is
porridge of ground rice &
chicken similar to Arrozcaldo.
But what makes it unique is
the use of atchuete & pasotes
in its stock.
Pasotes or epazote is an herb
originating from southern
Mexico. It probably came to the
Philippines via the Galleon
Trade, which Vigan was once
an important link in the 16th
century. Interestingly, this age-
old dish has not traveled
outside of Vigan because it isn’t
widely present in other nearby
towns or popular in Ilocano
cuisine.
Lomo-lomo, or lumo-lumo,
is an Ilocano dish made of
pork, and other internal
organs of the pig. Fair
warning: this recipe may
not be for the “faint of gut.”
It is a dish that doubles as
a soup and an entrée and,
as in most everything in
the Filipino cuisine, is best
served with steamed rice.
This dish can also be
prepared without the pig’s
brain, but the flavor will
not be the same. That’s for
sure!
Dinakdakan or Warek-
Warek is a “killing me
softly” dish made of
motley of pig parts
(usually the mascara) &
brain. The meat is
boiled, cooked in
vinegar & seasoned
with lots of onion &
garlic. If you don’t mind
your uric acid level, this
one makes a really good
beer partner.
Dinardaraan is the
Ilocano variation of
“dinuguan” or pork
blood stew. What
makes the Ilocano
version exciting is the
use of crunchy bagnet
in a stew of coagulated
blood. This pudding
runs on the dry side
compared to the gravy-
ish preparations in
other regions.
Okilas is a native variant of
the classic chicharon of the
Filipinos. To make such
Ilocano snacks, pork skin
is hung and sun-dried. It is
then fried until golden and
crispy. You can enjoy
okilas more when you dip it
on a dinardaraan.
Dinardaraan, on the other
hand, is a delectable stew
made up of pork blood.
Ilocanos usually serve this
set of snacks as a pulutan
(finger food or appetizer).
 The delicacies that you have seen above are only some
of the foods that you can try when you’re in Ilocos. But
if you are looking for thrill through foods, then try to
eat these very odd delicacies of Ilocos!
This is actually just
like the usual adobo
that we often eat. The
process of cooking it
is the same. However,
unlike pork and
chicken as the main
ingredient, Inadobo a
Tukak has freshly
caught frogs serve as
the adobo’s meat.
Bogi Ti Ikan is actually
fish roes that are
seasoned. But, what are
fish roes? Well,
according to Wikipedia,
fish roes are egg masses
found in the ovaries of
certain sea creatures
like fishes and shrimps.
This delicacy, being
cooked with fish eggs, is
really something that’s
very unusual to eat.
This dish is truly exotic!
It’s definitely an alien to
all of us! Who would have
imagined that Ilocanos
would eat this Adobo Nga
Abuos which is cooked
with mountain ant
larvae?! These ant larvaes
were even harvested from
the tropical rainforests of
Abra. Despite its strange
ingredient, this dish would
also have the usual adobo
flavor but with a slightly
buttery and nutty
taste.This is also a
seasonal dish which
usually available during
summer.
In foreign countries
such as China, crickets
are considered as street
foods. Well, the Ilocanos
has their own version
for that. Kinirog Nga
Ararawan is fried mole
crickets. In Ilocos, mole
crickets or field crickets
can be seen in plowed
rice field during rainy
season. Ilocanos enjoy
chasing ararawans so
they could cook it
afterwards.
Then there’s the Abal-
abal or commonly
known as salagubang
(June beetle). Now this
is the first time I’ve
tasted this delicacy and
it has to pass through
my mental barrier first.
The dry and toasted
abal-abal is crunchy
and mildly juicy with a
squishy texture. The
wings have been
removed before cooking
but it still has this
gooey innards that’s
slightly sweet and sour.
ILOCANO SWEETS
FOR
YOUR SWEET
Kalamay is a sticky sweet
delicacy made of coconut
milk, glutinous rice, and
brown sugar. It has been
traditionally wrapped in
banana leaves or coconut
shells. However, kalamay
has since been wrapped
with cellophane plastic
due to the
commercialization of such
product. Packed in a
brown paper bag,
Calamay is a usual
pasalubong by tourists.
Balikutsa is a very sweet
candy-like delicacy made
from cooked sugarcane
molasses stretched and
curled into its shaped. As
a snack, this saccharine
delicacy melts in your
mouth. However, many
Ilocanos use balikutsa as
an alternative of sugar
for their coffees.
Made from glutinous rice and
coconut milk, Tupig can serve
both as a snack and a
dessert. Rice soaked with
water is mixed with coconut
milk, and then a small
amount of mixture is wrapped
in a strip of banana leaf like
shanghai rolls. Afterwards,
these are cooked in a grill.
The result: a slightly charred
and smoky taste of a sweet,
coconut-ty and sticky dessert.
The small amount of serving
will actually leave you craving
for more. Sadly, this exotic
taste cannot be replicated by
what is served in restaurants.
The Vigan Royal Bibingka
is not the usual puffy
bibingka that everybody is
familiar with. It is a sticky
rice cake closer to a cross
of tikoy and cassava cake.
Long before the
commercialization by the
bibingka bakers of Vigan,
bibingka then were baked
in circular clay pot lined
with banana leaf under
flaming charcoals and
covered with sheet iron on
top with flaming charcoal
for even cooking.
Patopat is sticky rice
cake wrapped in
banana leaves cooked
in rice producing areas
of the province.
Tinubong is a delicacy
found all throughout the
Ilocos Region. The name is
derived from the container
“tubong,” which the inter-
node of a bamboo.
This sweetie is generally
made of grounded
glutinous rice, sugar,
coconut milk, coconut
strips and other
ingredients that are
inserted in the tubong.
 THANK YOU
(AGYAMANAK)

FOR LISTENING
(TI PANAGDENGNGEG YO)