You can capture the hearts of the Filipinos through their stomachs. It means that Filipinos are food lovers and will forever be food lovers. In the Philippines, food is also being associated with religious, cultural, and regional preferences, one best example is the Filipino-Muslim foods. This will give you a brief discovery of the list of dishes that you must try.
First in our list is the Lokot-lokot. It is also known as “Zambo Rolls” (Zamboanga Rolls) which is an indigenous food from Zamboanga. It is sometimes called “Jaa ” by the locals, depending on the area they lived in. Lokot-lokot is made of glutinous rice mixture poured in a halved coconut shell with holes directly to the hot pan, resulting in a crispy rolled mats of rice. It is famous during Hari Raya festivities during Eid Fitr. This delicacy is one of the foods you should look into as pasalubong when visiting Zamboanga.
Next is the Tiyula Itum which means “black soup” in Tausug. The etymology of its name came from the black and grayish color of the broth because of the burnt or blackened coconut meat. Tiyula Itum is considered as Filipino braised beef, goat soup, and stew which is likely associated with the viands like tinola or nilaga. Like Lokot-lokot, Tiyula Itum is served also in Hari Raya festivities of the Eid Fitr and is also known for the Tausug as “Food for the Royalty.”
The third from our list is the Beef Kulma of the Tausug people in Mindanao. It is a combination of peanut-based Kare-Kare stew and coconut-based beef curry, resulting in thick and spicy sauce. The dish may have a similarity in beef caldereta but with a twist having a rich flavor which is somehow associated with some delicious foods from Mindanao.
The fourth and last from our list is the Pastil which is popular because of its cheap price but worth it among Filipinos. It became trending in Muslim town in Quiapo but this dish was originally from Maguindanao and is considered as cheap and popular breakfast meal among Muslims in Mindanao. Pastil is made of steamed rice wrapped in banana leaves topped with shredded chicken, beef, or fish. The popularity of this dish in Manila became a stepping stone for the Muslim food to place in the spotlight.
No wonder Filipino-Muslim food can be a new trend in this coming days. Given its cultural and religious background, food from Mindanao is considered as of the best that might put it in the international spotlight in the future.
