Pampanga Cuisine

Pampanga is known as the Culinary Capital of the Philippines and this is not
without reason! For the region is filled with great and exquisite foods and
especially, Great Cooks! With their great love with the art of cooking, they
started to add whatever was available and abundant in their area. This love is
also evident as they put the best ingredients in their dishes!

Quick History: Kapampagan’s were trained by the Spaniards in the Art of

Cooking. Thus generation after generation, people would pass down their skills.
Their people even started to prefer Chefs as partners! (Willgarcia, 2013)

List of foods:

1. Butete – or “Buffed Frog” is an exotic deep fried frog, a specialty of the

people of Pampanga! Kapampangans also call this as “Tugak”. It’s was
reportedly similar with that of a chicken, but who knows? You’ll only figure it out
if you try it!

Quick History: During wet seasons,

youngsters would go catching frogs in
the farmlands while the elders
cultivate the land. Eventually, this
practice customarily became a
“Family Bonding” tradition to some
folks (RecipeNiJuan, n.d.)

2. Sisig – The Filipino dish made of Pig

Head parts, usually seasoned with calamansi and chilli pepers cooked on a
sizzling plate! This dish that has entered the
mainstream Filipino Diner actually
originated from Pampanga!

Quick History: The person credited to

the reinvention of Sisg is known as
“Aling Lucing”! Unfortunately, she was
found in her house bludgeoned to
death with 10 stab wounds which was
believed to be done by her husband.
3. Tocinno – A typically cured meat which may be made of pork, beef, or
chicken. The kapampagans has a
special kind of meat called pindang
which has a extra tanginess to it!

Quick History: The maker of the

famous toccino is Mrs. Lolita O.
Hizon. The story goes that her
meat vendor neighbour, asked
her to cook the unsold meat. She
then came up with a formula to
cure the meat resulting in its
sweet flavour!

4. Bringhe - uses pure glutinous rice

(malagkit) in Its creation. Possessing a
rich taste due to the ingredients used
like native chicken, coconut milk and
luyang dilaw (turmeric). A combination
of boiled eggs and green and red
peppers are used to adorn the rice
dish.

Quick History: Bringhe is the

Filipino version of the Spanish Paella
and has been eaten by well known
Philippine Heroes!

5. Burung Bulig – A fermented food

that will probably make you go away
but once you ate it, the smell will really
be worth it! Burung Bulig uses mudfish
and rice while balo balo makes use of
shrimp and rice for the fermentation
process. The two are an acquired
tastes but both are worth it.
6. Kamaru – The dish of the brave!
Kumaru, a dish made of mole
crickets, also known by its handsome
name as tipaklong. Cooked in adobe
style and deep fry, it gieves a crunchy
and delicate texture!

7. San Nicolas Cookies- Also popularly

known as Panecillos de San Nicolas, this
authentic Kapampangan cookie are
made using a carved wooden mold
originally with the image of San Nicolas.

Quick History: Panecillos de San

Nicholas was introduced by the
Augustinian Friars and this cookie used
to be made only for the feast day of
San Nicolas

8. Morcon Kapampangan – A
special dish commonly
presented in gatherings due ot
its decorative deisgn. Unlike the
common morcon where a thinly
sliced beef is used, this morcon
uses ground pork and beef. It is
then wrapped inside in the caul
fat of a pig. It’s steamed until
cooked and it’s very much like
Embotido in appearance but of
a different taste.
9 . Bulanglang Kapampangan - This
dish is a medley of veggies but the
Kapampangan version is more akin
to the sour stew, Sinigang. Guavas
are used as a souring agent in the
Kapampangan version and includes
seafood such as prawns and
bangus belly.

10. Bopis - A dish made of pork or beef

lungs and heart, bopis is also
sauteed in onions, tomatoes, and
chilies and has a distinct piquant
flavor. The deep spiciness of this Dish
has already become a part of Pilipino
life as a usual food during Pulutans
paired with some good-good
alchohol!

Quick History: Both its original

region and original meaning are
losts.