5 Obscure Filipino Ingredients to Upgrade Your Palette

By now, it’s no question that Filipino dishes explode with such rich flavor. Even the simplest of dishes are amplified due to the ingredients used by Filipinos. So, what gives? How do these dishes stand out from the rest? Well, to answer that, let’s look at common household pantry staples that are given a Filipino twist. The use of these ingredients in a dish surely leaves one wanting for more!


  1. Asin Tibuok

Is it an ornament? Is it an egg? Is it even something edible? Well, this right here is something that can be used in our everyday meals, but it is not an egg, even if it clearly resembles that of a dinosaur’s or even a dragon’s. The Asin Tibuok is a rare type of salt where its manufacturing process dates back to the precolonial period. Its intricate production leads to a sharp, earthy, and smoky salt flavor which can only be achieved with the use of this one-of-a-kind ingredient. To use, the Asin Tibuok can be powderized, broken into big chunks, or grated. If you’re worried on how to store this, fret not since it can easily be displayed as an ornament in your home, even convincing your guests that it is indeed a Targaryen heirloom.



2. Bu-ow

Photo courtesy of Carlo Enrico's Kitchen

Photo Courtesy of Baguio Gold Connection

In the high lands of the Cordillera region, a type of mushroom named Bu-ow, is known to be as the Philippines’ version of truffles. The Bu-ow is a type of fungi that is typically gathered at the foot of the pine trees, which are abundant in the region, during the rainy season. It is round in shape, and when cut in half displays a porous and black interior. These are not truffles, for sure, but its earthy and nutty taste closely resembles its flavor profile. Locals have been eating the Bu-ow for years and would simply add it in sauteed vegetables or in other Filipino dishes, like tortang talong (eggplant omelet). It can also be prepared the same way truffles are served, maybe in pasta or over some eggs.

3. Kesong Puti

Photo Courtesy of Shubert Ciencia

Kesong Puti or Filipino white cheese is mainly made from the milk of the carabao, the Philippines’ national animal, usually wrapped in banana leaves when being sold. It is fairly easy to make this since it only involves a handful of ingredients: milk, vinegar, and salt. The milk is heated then added with a coagulant (vinegar) to allow the milk to turn into curds. After cooling, the cheese is wrapped in the leaves and stored for a week’s consumption. Kesong puti has similarities to that of other cheeses, like having the texture of the Italian Ricotta, but the closest resemblance to cottage cheese. This Filipino cheese has a lighter taste compared to other cheeses which makes it perfect to be eaten as is or with a piece of pandesal.


4. Tablea

If someone is looking for some comfort food, chocolates would remain as a top choice. Want something better? Have some hot chocolate made from cacao beans completely grown on Pinoy lands. Grinded cacao beans shaped into balls or tablets are called tablea and are usually melted in hot water to serve as hot chocolate. Depending on one’s preference, the tsokolate can be served with a thick consistency or slightly watered down. A version of the tsokolate (chocolate, in Filipino) is also served with milk and ground nuts to add a creamy and nutty flavor to the drink. The earthy, sweet and kind of bitter taste of the tablea not only fits the Filipino preference but has also gained recognition internationally. Dalareich chocolate, from the province of Bohol, was able to win gold at the 2019 Academy of Chocolate Awards in London.

5. Bagoong

(sauteed shrimp paste with pork chicharon)

And last but certainly not least, is our country’s humble but powerful bagoong. Yes, its not as obscure as it aforementioned list mates, but it belongs on this list because there are so many different type of bagoong that the average Filipino may not know about and how using different kinds can elevate both your cooking (and eating!).

What most foodies may not know is that bagoong can be made of just about any fish or seafood, making its umami-adding flavor as intricate as any other hard to find ingredient. Varieties from different regions offer so many renditions outside of the most popular bagoong alamang (krill) : bagoong terong (from the Bonnetmouth fish in Ilocos), bagoong macaebe or sisi (from oysters in the Visaya) or the well known baboong isda (from the Lingayan Gulf and Pangasinan).

Bagoong is usually in a form of red-brownish paste used as a condiment or as an ingredient for cooking a dish. It is made from a fish or shrimp of choice first washed in saltwater then stored in jars filled with salt for several weeks. This then starts the fermentation process of the bagoong which gives the condiment that signature pungent smell and strong flavor.

Western and other global chefs have begun to discover the versatility and amazingness that is bagoong as its popping on menus across the world in dishes like Caesar Salad (replacing the anchovies) and as a steak marinade.

And rightly so, because anyone who’s ever had bagoong with green mango, pinakbet or Kare-Kare knows how having it or not having it with its counterpart can make or break the balance .  So if by chance you’ve never had it, don’t let the smell of bagoong fool you out of even tasting a little bit of it.


Written By Maria Manio


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