The last article I wrote about Why You Shouldn't Visit the Philippines got a good amount of traction.

Someone commented that I should write more about my country.

So I decided to do just that.

Today, I would like to talk about the food.

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Because who doesn't like talking about it... right?

There is this one time when my cousin from the United States went home to visit our grandparents. He is half Filipino and half American, and the last time he visited was when he was 2 years old. So coming back at 18, he can barely remember the language, the culture, and the food.

When he asks, "what are the best foods I could try?"

My uncle would say "oh try the balut, it's so delicious"

"What is that? Is it a kind of dish or something?" my cousin asks curiously.

"It's a duck egg that didn't hatch, they boil it and then you eat it" my Uncle replied.

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My cousin's reaction?

He said he is not interested. And he asks for a "real food" recommendation as he calls it.

Oh well, there are many other foods available like the famous Adobo and Kare- Kare. But I would leave it there for now.

Instead, I will be sharing you more about the insider secret of Filipino food. Not the normal food though, how about something different.

Exotic as others may call them.

Below are some of the lists of foods you could try if you have an adventurous tongue to taste out of this World Delicacies.

1. Chicken Intestine, blood, neck, gizzard, feet and all chicken parts that they think can be eaten (everything, haha)

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We call them "Isaw". This is a kind of street food that can be found all over the country. They are usually being fried or being barbequed like skewers. You can then dip it into different kind of sauces. It is personally one of my comfort food. It's delicious, cheap and hopefully, it's clean 😉

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The other parts of the chicken are being sold separately too. They are being cooked the same way as Isaw, and you could usually find them in just one store, a barbeque place.

2. Frog

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I don't see this being sold more often, but in my hometown in Pampanga, it is quite regular for people to serve them in Fiesta (Festivals), parties and occasions. Usually, the inside of the frog is stuffed with different kind of flavorings. It can be a ground meat, some spices or vegetables.

It can also be cook as fried. And in my opinion, it just tastes like chicken.

3. Sea Urchin

The Philippines is a tropical country and it is surrounded by bodies of water. Beaches feel like you are in heaven, as well as the fresh seafood.

One of the exotic that they offer is the sea urchin. They will give it to you fresh, and they will cut it in half so you can get what is inside. You just sip on its content without cooking or anything.

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They said it's a great aphrodisiac, better try to find out.

4. Coconut worm

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Based on its name, they come from coconuts, dead coconut logs to be specific. The locals would get and sometimes eat them raw while they are alive. Or they cook them as a normal dish. I tried eating one piece, and it squirts in my mouth feels so weird. The taste is like a milk, maybe because they eat coconut.

5. Bugs

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In some provinces, people eat bugs. They would remove the hard parts, and the feet.. and they will cook them like Adobo (seasoned with pepper and soy sauce).

6. Snake

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Snake isn't always available. But when it is, people would love to share it with a glass of beer together with their friends "kumpare" And at times, they would drink the fresh blood too.

7. Rat

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These aren't the rats you can find at home or at the drainage. They are the farm rats who eat the crops. Farmers are not happy when these pests are ruining their fields , so they started catching them. And as they thought about it, they said that the rats eat organic foods, and are living in a clean area. That's when they started using them in cooking just like a normal chicken or pork.

8. Crickets (Kamaru)

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Same as the rats, crickets are also found in the farmer's field. Since my province is mostly agricultural, people can get kilos and kilos of these crickets every day. They've started experimenting and cooking several dishes from it. There's even a festival contest where they need to use crickets as their main ingredients.

It is crunchy, but once you break it out, the inside will be soft and gooey.

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Those are just some of the lists if you tasted any of them, let me know in the comments how was your experience.

You can also suggest things you would like me to write.

And make sure to FOLLOW ME at @marypineda

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