FILIPINO FOOD/CUISINE GLOSSARY

This page provides a list of Filipino cuisine/food glossary, based on Doreen G. Fernandez's Palayok: Philippine Food Time, On Site, in the Pot.   Manila: Bookmark Inc., 2000.   Some definitions were expanded and/or modified.  Terms in italics are the corresponding scientific names of plants, fruits, vegetables, fish, animals.   Click on any of the letters on the left-side frame if you know the beginning letter of the cuisine/food terms in Tagalog/Filipino and you will be linked to the appropriate table. 

A.

achuete, atswete bixa orellana, annato seed; also called lipstick plantadobo a dish of meat, seafood or vegetables cooked in vinegar and spicesadobado cooked in vinegar and spicesagahan breakfastagkud (Manobo) a liquor made from rice, corn, cassava or sorghumalak the generic Tagalog term for liquor or winealibangbang bauhinia malabarica, butterfly-shaped leaves from a tree used for

souringalimango mud crabalimasag blue crabalugbati bassela alba, Ceylon spinachampalaya momordica charantia, bittermelon or bitter gourdanonas annona reticulata, custard apple, bullock heartapa wafer, also cone for ice creamapahap lates calcarifer, silver sea bassaratiles muntingia calabura, a little cherry-like wild fruitarroz caldo rice gruel cooked with chicken, often flavored with kasubhaatis annona squamosa, sugar appleayungin datnia plumbea, silver perch

B. 

babaylan high priest/priestess in the native religionbacalao (a la Vizcania) (Spanish) salted codfish cooked in the style of Biscaynebalbakwa in Luzon, salted fish; in Mindanao, a meat stewbag-o (Waray) tuba newly taken from the coconutbagoong salted, fermented fish or shrimp paste/saucebahal, bahalina fermented tuba weeks, months, or years oldbakuli ophicephalus striatus, murray fingerlingbalangay balanghay, a sailboat with 12-16 rowersbalimbing averrhoa carmbola, star fruit, carambolabalutbalut sa puti

a fertilized duck's egg 16-19 days old, balut sa puti is still wrapped in white membrane and thus literally "wrapped in white", which is what

the phrase meansbanak family magulidae, mulletbangus chanos chanos, milk fish     

 

baon a food package from home taken to work or schoolbarilis (Davao Bisayan) neothunnus macropterus, yellowfin tunabatsoy a dish of pork internal organs in brothbatuan garcinia morella, a small sour green fruit with a large seedbaya high-grade rice wine (tapuy) from the Cordillerabayabas psidium guajava, guavabaye-baye (Ilonggo) a snack made of pinipig (young rice, pounded) and young

coconutbayawak monitor lizardbeche-de-mer (French) sea slug, trepang, sea cucumberbetute (Pampango) a dish of stuffed frogbia, biya family gobiidae, gobybibingka a rice cake often garnished with salted eggs and carabao (water

buffalo) milk cheesebignay antidesma bunius, Chinese laurel binubudan (Ilokano) yeast for rice winebinuro (Ilonggo) fish salted in layersbodbod (Cebuano) glutinous rice cooked iwth coconut milk and wrapped in

banana leafbrazo de mercedes a meringue roll with an egg fillingbuan-buan megalops cyprinoides, tarponbukayo a sweet made from mature coconutbulalo kneecap; a dish of this and other beef bones and meats boiled with

vegetablesbulalohan the eateries that offer boiled bulalobuñuelos de viento (Spanish) wind puff, a pastry served with syrupburong isda fish fermented with ricebuwad (Cebuano) dried salted fish

C.

cadera (Spanish) sirloincaldero (Spanish) cooking potcaldereta (Spanish) goat stewcallos con garbanzos (Spanish) tripe cooked with chick peascamachille pithecellobium dulce, kamachille, Madras thorn fruitcamaron rebozado (Spanish) batter-fried shrimp, a Chinese dishcamote ipomoea batatas, sweet potatocanonigo (Spanish) a dessert of meringue with an egg-butter sauce

carajay a native frying pan with a rounded bottom, a wokcarinderia, karinderia a low-priced eating place, often at roadsides or marketschampurrado a dish of rice cooked with chocolatechicharron crackling made from pork, beef, or carabao skinchico manilkara zapote, a brown sweet fruit with black seeds

chorizo (Spanish) sausagechurros (Spanish) fluted breakfast crullers usually taken with chocolatecocido (Spanish) a stew of mixed meats, sausages, and vegetables

D.

dahon bawang the leaves of the garlic plant, allium sativumdaing fish split open, salted, and drieddalag ophicephalus striatus, murreldayap citrus aurantifolia, limede recado (Spanish) spiced; in the Philippines, it refers to spicy sausagesdikin the woven rattan ring on which the round-bottomed palayok is set

to standdilao, dilaw curcuma domestica, turmericdinuguan at puto a dish of blood stew with steamed rice cakesduhat syzygium kumini, Java plumdulang a low table, formerly for diningdurian durio zybethinus, a fruit with a strong smell

E.

embutido (Spanish) a ground pork rollensaimada (Spanish) a brioche-like roll that is buttered, sugared, and cheese-

sprinkledescabeche (Spanish) fish cooked with vinegar, garlic, onions, and ginger

G.

gabi colocasia esculenta, taro rootgalletas (Spanish) very thin biscuitsgata' coconut milkginataan cooked in coconut milk; the dishes so cookedguisa, mag-guisa to sautéguisar (Spanish) to sautèguyabano annona muricata, soursop

H.

halabos to steam shrimps or prawns in their own juicehalo-halo a mixture of sweetened beans and fruits topped with crushed ice

or ice cream; a refresher served in a tall glass

hamonado ham-cured; usually referring to sausageshapunan supper, dinnerhibe small shrimps, peeled and driedhipon at kasuy shrimps cooked with cashew nutshojaldres (Spanish) a thin pastry, sometimes of puff pastehumba a dish of stewed pork

I.

inday-inday (Ilonggo) a snack made of glutinous rice and coconutinihaw roasted, charcoal-broiled or grilledinihaw na panga roasted or charcoal-broiled jaw of yellowfin tunainuman a drinking sessioninumin a drink (could be plain water, soda, beer, juice, wine) taken

together with a mealinun-unan (Cebuano) fish cooked in vinegar; in Tagalog, paksiwitlog egg

J.

jamon (Spanish) hamjamon en dulce (Spnaish) ham cooked in and/or coated or glazed with sugarjamonado (Spanish) ham-cured

K.

kadyos cadjanus cadjan, pigeon pea

kaimito, caimito chrusophillum caimito, star applekakang gata coconut creamkakanin snacks, light cakes, usually made of ricekalamansi   citrus madurensis, a small lime indigenous to the Philippines;

also called Chinese orange, Panama orange

kalan a clay stove for wood or charcoal fuelkalkag (Ilonggo) tiny shrimps, lightly salted and driedkamachille see camachillekamaru (Pampango) mole cricketkamayan eating with hands instead of Western utensils (see comic strip

below)

LOVEKNOTSmula sa Philippine Daily Inquirer Internet Edition, 25 September 2001

kamias averrhoa bijimbi, a small acidic fruitkanduli family ariidae, sea catfishkangkong ipomoea aquatica, swamp cabbage, also called potato vinekaong the fruit of a sugar palmkari pre-cooked foodkari-kari a stew of ox tail/feet/tripe with vegetables and a sauce thickened

with ground roasted peanuts and ricekarihan an eatery selling pre-cooked foodkarinderia an eatery selling pre-cooked foodkasim lean pork, picnickasubha the dried stigmas of a plant, used for coloring and flavoring food;

a kind of saffronkasuy anacardium occidentale, cashewkaturay sesbania grandiflora, a white flower used in saladskawa a vat used for cooking large amounts of foodkesong puti literally "white cheese", a cottage cheese made of carabao's

(water buffalo) milkkinchay apium graveolens, Chinese celerykinilaw a dish of fish, seafood, meat or vegetables dressed with vinegar

or lime juice, but not cooked over firekiping a rice wafer used for decoration in Lucban and other towns in

Quezon

kolis pisonia alba, lettuce tree, also called maluko in Tagalogkulitis amarnthus viridis, slender amaranthkundol benicasa hispida, wax gourdkutsay allium odorum, Chinese chiveskutsinta a little cake made of steamed mixture of sugar, rice, lye

L.

lagundi vitex negundo, a medicinal plantlaksoy liquor distilled form the sap of a nipa palmlakub the bamboo tube attacked to the coconut bud to catch the sap for

tubalambanog liquor distilled from the sap of coconut palmlangkawas galingale, galenggallanzones lansium domesticum, a small fruit that grows in bunches, with

translucent flesh in segments enclosing seedslapu-lapu family serranidae, grouperlaswa (Ilonggo) a dish of mixed leafy, pod and fruit vegetables steamed

with bagoong and dried shrimpslawot-lawot (Waray) a dish of mixed leafy, pod, and fruit vegetablesleche flan (Spanish) milk custard; creme caramellechon, letson (Spanish) pig; in the Philippines, split-roasted piglechon manok chicken roasted on a splitlengua estofada (Spanish) stewed ox tongueliempo pork bellylina (Ilonggo) newly-gathered tubalomi wide noodles in brothlomo (Spanish) beef loinlonganiza (Spanish) long sausagelugaw rice porridge or gruellumpia Chinese-style eggroll; meat and/or vegetables wrapped in thin

crepe

M.

macapuno sport coconutmameng, maming family labridae, wrassemami a dish of noodles, chicken or beef, and brothmanamis-namis (adjective) mildly sweet, not the sweetness of sugar but of

freshnessmarang artocarpus odoratissima, a large aromatic fruit containing

segements each enclosing a seedmazapan (Spanish) marzipanmechado (Spanish) beef cooked with pork lardoonsmenudo a stew dish of diced pork, chicken, sausage, potatoes, carrots,

peas, and tomato sauce usually eaten with rice on the sidemerienda a mid-afternoon snackmerienda-cena a late afternoon meal; an early supper or dinnerminoron a snack of glutinous rice cooked with a streak of chocolatemiso soybean cake or mashmole (Spanish) a Mexican dish of chicken cooked with peanutsmorisqueta tostada (Spanish) rice fried with vegetables and other condimentsmunggo phaseolus aureus, green mung beanmusang civet catmustasa brassica juncea v. integrifola, mustard greens

N

nata de coco a sweet made by growing a culture on coconut waternilaga boiled; a dish of boiled beef, or pork, or chicken, and vegetables

P

paella (Spanish) a dish of rice cooked with meats and/or seafood and vegetables

pahiyas the feast of San Isidro Labrador on May 15, celebrated in Lucban, Quezon by decorating the houses with food.  In Madrid, Spain, the same feast is celebrated on the same day, and San Isidro Labrador is also the patron saint of Madrid.

pako arthyrium esculentum, edible fernpaksiw a dish cooked in vinegar and garlicpaksiw na pata pork trotters cooked in vinegarpalay unhusked ricepalayok a round-bottomed clay potpalitaw small cakes made from glutinous ricepan de sal, de limon, de coco, de leche, americano

(Spanish) bread respectively with salt, lemon, coconut, and milk; sliced loaf bread

pandan pandanus odoratissimus, screw pinepanga literally jaw; the jaw of yellowfin tunapanghimagas dessert; a sweet taken after mealspancit, pansit a dish of noodles and shrimps, fish, meat, or vegetables, with

many variations, e.g., luglog (shaken in hot water, flavored with sauce), molo (with pork-filled wontons and broth), Malabon (with shrimps, oysters, and squid), habhab (eaten off a banana leaf), Canton (with egg noodles), bihon (with rice noodles), buko (with coconut strips instead of noodles)

pansit-pansitan peperomia pellucida, a scculent herb, the leaves of which have medicinal properties

pantulak, panulak literally "for pushing"; refers to drinks, which "push" the pulutan down

pasalubong a gift brought home from a trippastel de pollo (Spanish) a chicken pie; a dish of chicken with crustpastillas (Spanish) pastilles; usually pastillas de leche, sweets made of milkpata tim a Chinese dish of stewed pork legpatis fish saucepatola luffa cylindrica, sponge gourdpatupat (Ilokano) a rice cake wrapped in banana leafpavo embuchado (Spanish) stuffed turkeypesapesang manok

a dish of fish or chicken cooked with vegetables, often served with a miso sauce

pescado en salsa agrio-dulce

(Spanish) fish in a sweet and sour sauce

petsay brassica chinesis, pakchoy, bokchoypili canarium ovatum, a hard nut indigenous to the Philippines, with an

oil-rich kernelpinya, piña pineapplepimientos morrones (Spanish) red bell pepperspinais a dish native to Quezon province, of shrimps and coconut wrapped

in banana leaf and steamed in coconut waterpinakbet a dish of Ilokano origin, of ampalaya, okra, eggplants, and

tomatoes steamed with fish bagoongpinamalhan (Ilonggo) fish cooked in vinegar, which is allowed to evaporatepinapaitan (Ilokano) a dish of goat meat with goat bilepinaupong manok chicken steamed in a bed of saltpochero (Spanish) a stew of mixed meats, sausages and vegetables with

tomatoespolvoron a sweet of powdery texture made of powdered milk and sugarpostre (Spanish) dessertpuchero a native stew of meat, sausage and vegetables with an eggplant

relishpulutan any cooked dish (meat, chicken, pork, seafood) taken with beer,

wine, liquor during a drinking session; could also be nuts; a pulutuan is similar to Spanish tapas-tapas

punta y pecho (Spanish) beef brisketpusu rice cooked in a fist-sized woven-leaf basket; "travelling" or

"hanging" riceputo steamed rice cakeputo bumbong a cylindrical cake of violet rice (pirurutung) steamed upright in a

bamboo tube

Q

queso de bola Edam ball cheese

R

relleno (Spanish) stuffed food, dishrellenong alimasag crab sauteed and stuffed into the crab shellrellenong manok stuffed chickenrellenong bangus milkfish stuffed with its own flesh that has been sauteed

S

sa malamig cold drinks sold at streetsidesahog the shrimps, meat, etc. used to flavor vegetables or noodle dishsalabat ginger tea/brewsaluyot corchorus olitorius, Jew's mallowsangke star anisesantol sandoricum koetjape, a fruit with a thick rind and pulp enclosing

whitish, furry seeds, sour-sweet in tastesapin-sapin a rice sweet of blanc-mange consistency, made of several layers,

usually of different colorssarten (Spanish) frying pansawa snake; python or boa constrictorsayote sechium edule, chayote, mirliton pearshawarma a Middle Eastern snack of sliced meat (beef, lamb, chicken) and

condiments served with pita breadsili capsicum annuum, chilisinalok (Cebuano) a steamed corned cake eaten with kinilawsinampalukang manok chicken cooked with tamarind leaves and sproutssinangag garlic-fried ricesineguelas, sinegwelas spondias purpurea, Spanish plumsinigang a stew of meat/fish/seafood and vegetables in a sour brothsingkamas pachyrrhizus erosus, yambeansolasi, sulasi ocimum sanctum, holy basilsolomillo (Spanish) tenderloinsotanghon guisado mungbean noodles sauteed with meats and vegetablessuam soups and dishes made of rice watersuha citrus grandis, pomelosuki a vendor from whom one buys regularly; also a regular customersugpo prawnsuman a rice cake from glutinous rice, often wrapped in palm or banana

leaves

T

tabon-tabon hydrophytune orbiculatum, a fruit, the juice of which is used in kinilaw, and for finishing baskets

tagay, tagayan, tagatagayan, tagay-tagay

the measure, the practice, and the one in charge of drinking at a drinking session

taho a drink made of soybean curd and syruptahuri soy bean caketalbos the young sprouts or tendrils of squash, camote or sayote plantstamales a rice cake flavored with peanuts, pork, eggs, etc. and wrapped in

banana leavestanghalian the noon meal; lunchtanglad cymbopogon citratus, lemon grasstapa slices or strips of dried meat; tapang usa is dried venisontapey (Manobo) the yeast for making rice winetapoi (Igorot) the yeast for making rice winetapuy (Igorot) rice winetausi, tawsi salted soybeanstilapia tilapia zili, a fast-growing fishtinapa smoked fishtinolang manok a dish of chicked cooked with vegetable (green papaya, chili

leaves) and brothtinowa (Cebuano) a dish of fish and vegetables in a lightly soured brothtocino (Spanish) salt pork; in Tagalog or Pampango it is sweet cured porktoge, togue mung bean sproutstokwa firm soy bean curd, also fried soy bean curdtorta de cangrejo (Spanish) crabmeat cooked with eggtorta del rey (Spanish) a cake of many thin layerstortilla de patatas (Spanish) potato omelettuba palm toddytupig (Ilocano) a kind of rice cake wrapped in banana leavesturo-turo an eatery in which the pre-cooked foods are laid out, and chosen

by pointing (turo)turon a fried spring roll, either meat, vegetable, or banana; turong

saging (deep fried banana fritter) is usually cooked in oil with brown sugar and some jackfruit strips, and a typical snack or dessert in the Philippines

turron (Spanish) nougattuyo whole fish, dried and salted

U

ubod the core of the coconut palm; heart of palmukoy a vegetable patty, of mixed vegetables, or of flour and

vegetables; a variation is a combination of shrimps, tofu, and vegetable patty

ulam viand, the main dish that comes with riceulang ustacidae, crayfish; also macrobrachium rosenbergii, giant

freshwater prawnupo lagenaria leucantha, bottle gourd

W    

wansoy corindrium sativum, coriander leaf

 

Filipino Food Glossary

Adobo: a rich, dark, well-marinated stew of chicken or pork, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and peppercorns, bay leaf. A good adobo is said to last a week without refrigeration.In Spanish cuisine, adobo refers to a pickling sauce made with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, paprika and salt.

Ampalaya (Tagalog) or Amargozo (Aklanon): Chinese bitter melon or bitter gourd, rich in iron.

Apritada: a tart tomato sauce

Atsara: a chutney-like vegetable preserve

Atsuwete: Annatto oil

Baalut: take a fertilized duck or chicken egg, bury it in the ground for a few weeks

Baboy: pork

Bagnet: fried pork belly, a delicacy in The mountainous Cordillera region.

Bagoong: a fish paste

Baka: beef: beef ribs

Balayan: anchovy sauce

Bangus: the bony but prized milkfish

Batchoy: pork organ stew

Biko: a sweet and sticky rice

Bulalo: a Bisayan soup with veg's and pork liver, intestines, etc], spices, topped with crushed pork skin crackles

Callos: Ox tripe

Chicharong bulaklak: it means pork intestines fried very crisp, goes well with

dip of vinegar, salt, diced/crushed garlic

Daing Na Bangus: Milk fish in garlic a fine textured fish

Dinakdakan: Pig's Ears and Tounge in Pig's Brain

Dinuguan: a stew made with pork blood and flavored with whole hot peppers, livery tasting

Embutido: Pork Roll

Filipino Breakfast: traditionally fried rice, longaniza (native sausage) and dried and salted fish. Together with the tomatoes and patis (fish sauce)

Ginataan: a method of cooking with coconut milk, common in Southeast Asia. Filipino way is much simpler because coconut flavor is not overwhelmed by spices. Seafoods, poutlry, other meat/vegs cooked with cocnut milk and garlic, onions, ginger, chilis and lemongrass.

Ginisang monggo: Mung Beans with pork, contains ampalaya tops

Halo-halo: literally, mix-mix. cubed sweet potato, cut up bananas and jackfruit, some red beans, some ube jam (a gluitnous yam), ice cream, whatever else you want to put in, shaved ice, milk, and sugar, and there you have it.

Humba: soy and sugar flavoured braised pork belly served with hard boiled eggs . The Visayas region

Inihaw na Talong: broiled eggplant with chopped tomato, onions and bagoong

Inihaw: broiled

Kalamansi: the local lemon

Kaldereta: casserole (often a goat stew)

Kare-kare: meaty oxtail stew with pieces of tender tripe and vegetables in peanut sauce served with bagoong, eat with rice

Kinilaw: raw fish marinated in a spicy vinegar dressing from Visayas region.

Labuyo: the fiery native pepper

Laing: Shrimp in Coconut Milk

Leche flan to the brazos: custard wrapped in meringue.

Lechon Kawali: pan-fried Roast Pork

Lechon: roasted whole pig

Lomi: pig's Stomach

Lumpia: fresh (lumpiang sariwa) are like crepes (rice/egg pastry) filled with Chinese vegetables and topped with peanut sauce. fried (lumpiang Shanghai ) are small spring rolls, rice pastry filled with ground beef or pork. Fried lumpias are basically the fresh variety, deep fried. a Chinese-inspired vegetable snack much like the poh-pia of Singapore and Malaysia, and the khan-pyan of Burma. Generally, a mixture of vegetables or meat wrapped in delicate egg wrapper. There are four kinds: lumpiang Shanghai (mixture of pork and spices, served as appetizer), lumpiang labong (made of tender bamboo shoots), lumpia with peanuts, and lumpiang sariwa (made mostly of vegetables). They're dipped in a sauce that consists simply of crushed garlic and vinegar.

Maliputo: sweet fish found in deep-water lakes.

Minatamis Na Saging: Sweetened bananas,

Monok: chicken

Palabok: rice vermicelli

Palitaw: dainty poached rice cakes rolled with grated coconut, sugar and sesame seeds. Palitaw means "float and sink," The ground glutinous rice dough for Palitaw sinks in boiling water and floats when cooked. Its fried version is Pilipit Bulacan (Sweetened ground rice).

Pancit: sauteed noodles with bits of fresh vegetables, thinly sliced savory sausage and tiny shrimps laced throughout. Different types of noodles can be used: bihon (rice noodles), Canton (flour noodles),sotanghon (soybean noodle) and mike (pronounced as mee-kee, fresh egg noodles). incomplete without a squirt or two of fresh kalamansi. pancit miki.

Pata : pig knuckles

Patis: fish sauce

Pili nut brittle: a crunchy sweet made with the luscious pili nuts found only in the Bicol region

Pinakbet: similar to ratatouille: vegetables sauteed with pork and bagoong, or a sautŽed mixture of fresh vegetables (squash, eggplant, string beans and amplaya) in bagoong. mainstay in the Ilocos region

Pinapaitan: Beef Tripe, Beef Sirloin in Beef Bile

Pusit: dried squid

Relleno: boned and stuffed chicken or fish Central Luzon region

Rellenong Manok: a whole chicken, deboned and stuffed with a mixture of ground chicken, pork and ham, plus whole sausages and hard-boiled eggs.

Sago: tapioca, served like halo-halo or in water with molasses as a special

drink,

Siapao: steamed bread.

Sinigang: lightly boiled fish in a sour stock with vegetables and fish sauce. Considered the most representative dish of the Filipino, the sinigang is a slightly sour soup with broth the color of peach, comparable to the French boullabaise. There are no fixed ingredients. Fish, shrimp, or meat, any kind of vegetable, as many as you wish, all according to your tastes. The broth is soured not by using vinegar, which is considered unimaginative, but by using the fruits and leaves of sour plants.

Sinilaban Na Baka: Charbroiled beef marinated with a mixture of chillies and calamansi juice

Sinugba: grilled mixed platters, The Visayas region

Sisig: grilled pig cheeks & ears, chopped w/chicken liver, onions, chili &pepperserved on sizzling plate. popular in flatlands

Tinola: fish or chicken soup with ginger The Visayas region

Ukoy at Camarones: deep-fried vegetables and prawn fritters.

Filipino Food Glossary

-=A=-

Achara - Pickled vegetables usually in a sweet-sour solution.

Achuete - Dried seed of the annatto tree mainly used as red food coloring. The seeds are either soaked and squeezed in water or tossed in hot oil to get the red coloring. Achuete is now available in easy to use powder and liquid forms; just add a tsp. to color a dish.

Adobo - Regarded as the Filipino national dish; made of pork beef, poultry, seafood, vegetables (or a combination of these) in a tangy sauce.

Afritada - Braised meat (pork or chicken) in tomato sauce.

Alamang - Very small shrimps usually made into bagoong.

Almondigas - Meatballs.

Ampalaya - Bitter melon, also known as amargoso. A gourd-like vegetable with green wrinkly skin that has a bitter taste.

Alugbati - Fragrant, leafy green vegetable with purple stems.

Apulid - Water chestnuts. The Philippine varieties are smaller than the Chinese ones which are more popular.

Arroz caldo - Philippine thick soup with rice, chicken or tripe.

Asado - To roast in Spanish; in Filipino cooking, to cook like a stew.

Atay - Liver.

Atis - Custard apple; sweet with many seeds, similar to chirimoya.

-=B=-

Baboy – Pork.

Bacalao – Dried salted codfish sold by the piece.

Bachoy – A thick soup of variety meats and noodles.

Bagoong – Shrimp or fish paste fermented in salt and used for seasoning.

Bangus – Milkfish, the most popular fish in the Philippines, mainly cultivated in brackish fish ponds; the wild ones caught in the ocean are called cabala. It is bony with a taste quite similar to white fish.

Bawang- Garlic.

Binagoongan – Any dish cooked with bagoong (shrimp paste).

Bibingka – Rice cake with glutinous rice (malagkit) or rice flour (galapong).

Bihon – Thin, white rice noodles, also known as rice vermicelli or rice sticks.

Bilo-bilo – Marble sized balls of glutinous rice powder usually cooked in coconut milk and brown syrup with pandan flavor.

Binagol – A dessert of shredder taro, coconut milk, condensed milk, and eggs.

Binalot – A meal wrapped in banana leaves; called maluto in Laguna.

Bistek – Beef steak, sliced thin, marinated in soy cause and lemon juice, stir-fried and served with sautéed  onions.

Budin - Bread pudding.

Buko – Fresh, whole young coconut with tender meat; meat of young coconut.

Bulaklak ng Katuray – large flowers of a native tree called katuray. The flowers are used in salads with vinaigrette dressing.

Bulaklak ng Saging – Purplish banana blossoms, usually sold dried and used as seasoning.

Bulanglang – A regional dish mainly of vegetables boiled with broiled or fried fish and seasoned with bagoong.

Bulalo – Clear beet broth soup from beef shank and shin bones.

Buro – Pickled

Butuan – A variety of cooking banana with lots of tine black seeds when ripe.

-=C=-

Cadereta – Spicy stew of beef or goat meat usually thickened with liver paste.

Caldo – Spanish for broth, stock or soup. The term is commonly used in the Philippines to mean soup.

Callos – Spanish for tripe; the Filipino term is goto.

Camatis – Tomato. Also spelled as Kamatis.

Camaro – beetle-like insects about 2 inches long, usually found embedded on riverbanks during the rainy season, a delicacy in Pampanga.

Camaron – Spanish for shrimp; the Filipino term is hipon for small and medium shrimps; larger ones or prawns are called sugpo.

Canton noodles – deep fried, crisp, yellow egg noodles.

Carne – Meat, usually beef.

Castañas – Chestnuts.

Champorado – Chocolate flavored rice porridge usually eaten with fried dilis (dried anchovies), tuyo (dried salted fish) or tapa (dried meat).

Chitcharo – Snow peas. Flat green peas eaten pods and all.

Chorizo de Bilbao – Spicy sausage from Bilbao, Spain.Maybe substituted with  an equal amount

of garlic sausage or pepperoni.

Cilantro – Coriander or Chinese parsley.

Cocido – Spanish stew adopted by Filipinos; a sautéed version of nilaga.

-=D=-

Daing – Sun-dried cured fish.

Dalag – Mudfish. A common fresh water fish in the Philippines.

Dalandan – Native oranges, small but sweet; green skinned even when ripe.

Danggit – samara fish, dried flat, usually fried crisp.

Dayap – Lime.

Dilao or dilaw – Turmeric. Yellow, mild flavored ginger called galangal in Thai.

Dilis – Small long jawed anchovies usually salted and dried. They are toasted in a small amount of oil until brown and crispy and served as appetizers. Also available fresh.

Dinengdeng – Assorted vegetable stew seasoned with bagoong.

Dinuguan – A pork or chicken dish cooked in pig’s blood or blood pudding.

Duhat – Purplish berries often made into wine.

Dulong – Very small white fish common in Southern Tagalog provinces.

Durian – Fruit with a spiny shell and strong aroma; a delicacy in Mindanao.

-=E=-

Embutido – A large sausage-like roll stuffed with meat, vegetables and eggs.

Empanada – Turnovers with meat, poultry, seafood or jam filling.

Empanaditas – Bite-sized turn overs.

Ensaymada – Cheese buns usually topped with cheese, sugar and salted egg.

Escabeche – Fried fish in a sweet-sour, spicy sauce.

Espasol – Also called baybaye in the Visayas; toasted sticky rice flour and fresh young coconut meat pounded or ground together and formed into long 6”x1” cylinders, then rolled on toasted rice flour and wrapped.

Estofado – Spanish for braised  meat dished with vegetables.

-=F=-

Fidelos – Spanish for paste or noodles.

Five-spice powder – Chinese spice mixture of ground star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, cloves, and cinnamon.

Frito – Spanish for fried; the term commonly used by Filipinos is prito.

Flan – Spanish for custard, as in Leche Flan – milk and egg custard.

-=G=-

Gabi – Taro root.

Galangal – Thai for yellow ginger or turmeric, called dilaw in the Philippines.

Galapong – Dough made from rice soaked in water, ground and drained in muslin cloth; used for rice cakes.

Garbanzos – Chick-peas.

Gata – Coconut milk. Not the coconut water inside the coconut but the milk extracted when coconut meat is grated and then pressed between the palms to squeeze out milk. A blender will the job with less fuss.

Goto – Filipino term for trip.

Guinamis – a dessert made of pinipig (sticky rice pounded flat) and coconut.

Guinamos – Salty fish paste commonly used in the Visayan Islands.

Guinataan – Dishes cooked in coconut milk.

Guiniling – ground, as in guiniling na karne or ground beef.

Guisa – To sauté; guisado – sautéed dish; guinisa – sautéing mixture. 

Guisantes – Peas.

Gulaman – Gelatin from seaweeds called agar-agar. Sold in 6”x1” dried strips or bars; keeps indefinitely. Unflavored. Some are colored red or green.

Gulay – Vegetables.

-=H=-

Halabos – To steam-fry in a small amount of salted water until almost dry; no fat or oils is used. Fresh shrimps are usually cooked this way.

Haleya – Native dessert made of sweetened mashed purple yams or squash.

Halo-halo – A mixture of sweetened fruits, gelatin, and beans served with shaved ice and milk, and often topped with a scoop of ice cream.

Hamon – Ham.

Hibe – Dried shelled shrimps.

Hinalo – A black rice cake usually prepared during the Christmas season in Laguna. It is made with violet rice (pirurutung), which gives it its black color, glutinous rice flour, sugar and coconut milk. It is stirred for hours (thus called hinalo meaning to stir) over very low heat until think and chewy; takes almost a whole day to cook.

Hipon – Shrimps.

Hito – Cat fish or bull fish; black in color.Hoisin – Thick, reddish brown, sweet and spicy Chinese sauce usually used in Peking duck and barbecue pork. It is made from soybeans, sugar, sesame, garlic, chili, and other spices.

Humba – pork pieces stewed in fermented black bean or tangy soy sauce.

-=I=-

Inabrao – a dish of broiled fish or pork boiled with vegetables and bagoong.

Inantala – a salty snack made of glutinous rice, slat, and coconut milk, stirred over low heat; thus the name inantala which means delayed.

Inasal – Broiled.

Inihaw – Charcoal-broiled or roasted.

Isda – Fish.

Itlog – Eggs.

Itlog-alat – Salted eggs; usually duck’s eggs pickled in saline solutions and then hard cooked. The shell is usually colored in reddish maroon.

-=K=-

Kabute – Mushrooms.

Kadios – Purple pigeon pea pods popular in the Visayas.

Kakanin – Native snacks.

Kalabasa – Squash.

Kalamansi – Very similar to lime in appearance but closer to lemon in taste.

Kalamay – Native sweets usually made of sugar, coconut milk and glutinous rice. Also spelled as Calamay.

Kalkag – Dried whole shrimps, very small, usually stir fried. Also called calcag.

Kamias – A small acidic fruit usually used in sinigang to give it a sour flavor.

Kamote – Sweet potato or sweet yam, a common root crop in the Philippines. The tender leaves also make an excellent vegetable or salad when steamed.

Kamoteng-kahoy – Cassava. A root crop or tuber used as a staple in some regions in the Philippines. Also used in desserts.

Kangkong – A water plant the tender stems and leaves of which are commonly used as a vegetable. Also known as swamp cabbage.

Kanduli – A variety of catfish, gray and white in color.

Kaong – Palm fruit usually cooked in syrup.

Kape – Coffee. Well known local carieties are grown in Batangas.

Kare-kare – A stew of oxtail or pork hocks and vegetables in peanut sauce; at times with tripe. traditionally eaten with sautéed bagoong.

Kasubha – Dried petals of safflower plant used as yellow food coloring.

Kasuy – Cashew. Pear-shaped, it is orange in-yellow when ripe with the seed from which cashew nuts are taken growing outside the fruit.

Keso de bola – Cheddar cheese shaped like a ball; queso de bola in Spanish.

Kesong Puti – soft, elastic white cheese (somewhat similar in taste to cottage cheese) made from carabao milk to which salt and vinegar are added to curdle it. Originally produced in Laguna and sold wrapped in banana leaves.

Kilawin – Uncooked pickled dishes, similar to kinilaw.

Kinchay – Cilantro or coriander, Chinese parsley.

Kinilaw – Fresh shelled shrimps or raw fish, sliced thin, marinated in lime juice or vinegar and hot peppers; sometime with coconut milk.

Kroketas – Croquettes.

Kulawo – A dish common in Pila, Laguna, especially after a typhoon when many banana plants are blown down by the wind. It is shredded fresh Butuan banana heart cooked in smoked coconut.

Kutsay – Chives.

Kutsinta – Steamed rice cake flavored with a very small amount of lye water.

-=L=-

Labong – Bamboo shoots.

Labanos – Icicle of white radish.

Labuyo – tiny hot pepper. Also called siling labuyo.

Laing – Taro leaves cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with bagoong.

Lambanog – Distilled coconut or nipa palm wine.

Langka – Jackfruit, also called nangka. An aromatic fruit related to the bread fruit found in the tropics.

Lanzones – A tropical fruit that comes in grape-like bunches, has thin yellow skin when ripe and sweet white flesh in sections. Seasonal.

Latik – Brownish residue when coconut milk is cooked to the point where it turns to oil; used as a tasty topping for native rice cakes.

Leche – Spanish for milk.

Leche flan –0 Milk and egg custard baked or steamed in a caramel-lined pan.

Lechon – To roast; also a while pig roasted over live coals.

Lengua – Spanish for tongue; ox or calf tongue is commonly used.

Lihiya – Cooking lye water used to flavor rice cakes.

Linga – Sesame seeds.

Lomi – Hawaiian for to knead” as in Lomi Salmon Salad; in the Philippines, it is a type of flat and wide Chinese noodles usually used in soups.

Lomo – Tenderloin.

Longanisa – Native sausage.

Lugaw – Rice porridge; similar to the Chinese congee.

Lumpia – A dish similar to the Chinese spring roll or the Indonesian loempia but the dough wrapper used is paper thin and almost transparent. Rolls may contain vegetables, meat or seafood.

Luya – Ginger. May be kept frozen indefinitely.

-=M=-

Macapuno – A variety of coconut containing soft sticky meat instead of coconut water; a coconut sport, usually sweetened and used for dessert.

Mais – Corn. Introduced to the Philippines by the Spaniards via Mexico.

Maja Blanca – native snack made of coconut milk thickened with rice flour or cornstarch and flavored with lime zest or aniseed or anise.

Malagkit – Glutinous, sticky, or sweet rice.

Mami – Chicken noodle soup, Chinese style.

Mangga – Mango, both unripe and ripe fruits are eaten.

Manok – Chicken.

Maruya – Sweet fritters usually of ripe cooking bananas or sweet potatoes.

Matamis na bao – Coconut jam made of coconut milk and panocha.

Mechado – Boneless roast with fat lardoons, braised and served with a spicy tomato sauce; garnished with fired potatoes or bananas.

Menudo – Dish of sauced diced pork and liver with chick peas.

Merienda – A snack or a light meal eaten between regular meal.

Merienda Cena – A late afternoon or early evening meal combining an afternoon snack and supper.

Miki – Broad wheat noodles made with egg.

Milagrosa – A variety of long grain rice with an aroma like jasmine rice.

Minukmok – A snack of mashed boiled unripe saba bananas, sugar, and young coconut; also called nilupak.Miso – Think paste made from fermented soy beans and rice.

Misua – Very fine, white noodles.

Mochiko – A Japanese brand of sweet rice flour.

Morcon – Stuffed rolled beef.

Munggo or monggo – Mung beans. Tiny green beans sold dried by weight.

Mustasa – Mustard greens.

-=N=-

Nata de coco – Clear gelatin-like substance, but firmer, made from cultured coconut water; usually sold bottled as cubed preserves in syrup.

Nata de piña – Gelatin like preserves from cultured pineapple skins and sugar.

Nilaga – Boiled; a simple boiled dish of mean or chicken with vegetables.

-=P=-

Paella – Rice dish with chicken and seafood; of Spanish origin.

Paksiw – A pickled dish of fish , pork hocks or left-over lechon.

Palayok – Unglazed earthen cooking pot.

Palitaw – Sticky rice dumplings, coated with grated coconut and served with sugar and toasted sesame seeds.

Paminta – Black pepper.

Paminton – Paprika.

Panara – A meat turnover popular in Pampanga.

Pancit – A dish of noodles with meat and vegetables; may be dry or with broth.

Pandan leaf – Frond of and aromatic pandanus plant usually cooked with rice and native cakes to give them a unique fragrance, similar to vanilla, and a leafy green color.

Pan de sal – A Small, oval shaped, salty buns, usually eaten for breakfast. It is top brown and crusty outside but soft and fluffy inside.

Pan Americano – White load bread also called pan de unan (literally, bread shaped like a pillow).

Panocha – Unrefined brown sugar usually sold in solid round shapes.

Pastillas – Molded candies in the shape of little rolls or bars.

Pata – Pork of beef hocks.

Patis – Clear amber colored sauce, usually a concentrate, from fermented salted fish or shrimps; used as seasoning or as a dipping sauce.

Pato – Duck.

Patola – Gourd-like vegetable but with a thicker skin; about the size of a cucumber and tastes like zucchini.

Pechay – Vegetable with dark green leaves and think white stalks; usually has yellow flowers. Also called bok choy.

Pesa – A soup dish of fish or chicken with vegetables and ginger root.

Pili – Almond-like nuts but soft in texture, grown in the Bicol region.Piña – Pineapple.

Pinakbet – A dish of boiled vegetables and pork seasoned with bagoong.

Pinaltok – Sticky rice balls cooked in syrup. Also called pinindot or palitaw.

Pinamarhan – Pickled fish cooked until almost dry.

Pinangat – A regional fish dish which is boiled in the Luzon area but steamed in the Bicol and Visayan regions.

Pinasugbu – Sun-dried banana chips glazed with caramel.

Pinipig – Roasted unripe glutinous rice pounded flat; also called green rice.

Pipino – Tagalog for Cucumber.

Pollo – Spanish for chicken.

Pochero – Beef or chicken or pork stewed with Spanish sausage, chick peas, potatoes and other vegetables; served with a tangy eggplant sauce.

Pusit – Squid.

Puto - Steamed muffins.

Puto bumbong – Purple rice cake cooked in bamboo tubes.

Puto maya – Sticky rice cakes topped with grated fresh coconut.

-=R=-

Rebosado – Breaded or dipped in batter and then fried.

Relleno – Any stuffed fish of seafood.

-=S=-

Saba – Cooking bananas similar to plantain but smaller and sweeter.

Saging – Bananas.

Sago – Tapioca.

Salabat – A native beverage made by boiling ginger root, water and panocha or brown sugar.

Salitre – Saltpeter used as a preservative for meats; now considered unhealthy.

Saluyot – A leafy green vegetable similar to spinach in appearance but turns slippery like okra when cooked.

Sampaloc – Tamarind.

Sangke or Sangque – Chinese star anise with a licorice taste.

Santol – Thin-skinned tropical fruit with large seeds and white, sweet-sour pulp, eaten fresh; the yellow skin is usually candied.

Sapin-sapin – Multi layered, multicolored sticky rice cake.

Sarsa – Gravy or sauce.

Sauté – Fresh for stir fry; the term is often used the Philippines for stir fry.

Sayote – Chayote.

Sibuyas – Onion.

Sibuyas Tagalog – Shallots. Small reddish onion with a sweet-pungent flavor.

Sibuyas Mura – Green onions.

Sigarilyas – Winged beans. Also spelled as sigarillas or sigadillas.

Sili – Pepper.

Siling Labuyo – Small hot chili pepper.

Sinangag – Fried in a small amount of fat or oil; usually referring to fried rice.

Sinanglay – A dish of broiled fish cooked with coconut milk, pechay and chilies.

Sinapaw – Tender leafy greens placed on top of cooking rice to steam them.

Sinigang – A sour soup of meats or seafood and vegetables.

Sinugba – Visayan for broiled.

Sinukmani – Sticky rice slowly cooked in coconut milk and brown sugar, stirred continuously until dark brown and chewy.

Siopao – Steamed buns with meat filling; of Chinese origin.

Sitao – Thin yard long beans usually green or purple; also called snake beans.

Sitsaron – Crisp pork rind or pork cracklings usually made from pork belly or skin; called sitsarong bulaklak when made from fried intestines.

Sofrito – A sautéed mixture of garlic, onions and tomatoes, similar to guinisa.

Sotanghon – Noodles made from ground mung-beans; transparent and slippery when cooked. Also called cellophane noodles of bean thread.

Suman – Sticky rice and coconut milk steamed in banana or palm leaves.

Suka – Vinegar; has many varieties made from rice, coconut water, coconut sap, sugar cane, or other palm spas.

-=T=-

Taba ng talangka – Reddish yellow fat from a variety of small crabs.

Tahure or tahuri – Fermented soy beans paste.

Taingang Daga – Cloud’s ears or black wood ears. A cultivated fungus sold dried by weight. When soaked, it doubles in size and turns velvety brown; gives a crisp texture to dishes.

Tahong – Mussels.

Talbos – Young, tender leaves of vegetables, usually the tops.

Talong – Eggplant.

Tamales – A dish of heavily spiced rice paste with pork, chicken and hard cooked eggs usually steamed in banana leaves or corn husk.

Tanglad – Lemon grass.

Tapa – Dried cured meat, usually fried in a small amount of fat.

Tausi – Strongly flavored and salted fermented black beans.

Tempura – Japanese style fritters of seafood or vegetables in very light batter.

Tilapia – Tropical fresh water fish, mainly cultivated in ponds.

Tinapa – Smoked fish.

Togue – Mung bean sprouts.

Tokwa – Firm soy bean curd sold in square caked; also called tofu.

Torta-  Omelet; tortilla – small omelet.

Tosino – Philippine bacon.

Totong – Guinataan snacks of sticky rice and toasted mung beans.

Toyo – Soy sauce. Salty, almost black liquid made from fermented soybeans, wheat, yeast and salt. Philippine cooking uses Chinese, Japanese or Philippine soy sauces which are naturally aged and have a special flavor not found in chemically made soy sauce.

Tsaa – Tea.

Tsokolate – Chocolate.

Tuba – A mildly alcoholic drink from coconut sap; also called coconut toddy.

Turrones – Rolls of honey and net paste which are wrapped in paper-thin egg white wafers; of Spanish origin.

Tuyo – Small fish, dried and salted whole, often fried in a small amount of oil; traditionally considered a poo man’s meat. Kanin at tuyo (rice and tuyo_ being the proverbial peasant’s daily meal.

-=U=-

Ube – A variety of sweet yam that is purple in color.

Ubod – Heart of pith of a palm tree or coconut tree used as a vegetable.

Ukoy – Vegetable and shrimp fritters.

Ulam – Food usually eaten with plain boiled rice – can be meat, fish, vegetable, fruit or even salt; commonly referred to in the Philippines as viand.

Untosinsal – Leaf lard or cold fat.

Upo –Bottle-shaped gourd, similar to chayote or sayote in taste.

Utap – A type of crisp biscuits popular in the Visayas.

-=W=-

Wansoy – Fresh Chinese coriander.

-=Y=-

Yemas – Caramel coated candies made of egg yolks and condensed milk.