Food & Travel [Solved] Filipino Food

Mashed avocados mixed with milk (or evaporated milk) and sugar (and ice) is another popular Filipino drink or dessert especially in the past.  I'm not sure if this dish is exclusive to Filipinos.  Avocados are not native to the Philippines or Asia as it originates in the Americas.  But there were no cows or goats in the Americas before Columbus except for Bison (which is usually found north of Mexico, although some existed in Mexico).  Llamas are found in the Andes of South America.  The Desert Bighorn Sheep exist in Mexico, but were they used to extract milk?   

Another similar dish, is strips of Canteloupes and milk (or evaporated milk) and sugar (and ice).  Again I don't know if this dish is exclusive to Filipinos.  Mexicans and perhaps other Latinos have a drink that mixes strips of canteloupes with water as part of their "agua fresca" lineup.  With a quick check on the internet there appears to be some mixed with milk and even condensed milk, but most appear to be just mixed with water and sweetened with sugar.  

Of course after Columbus, cows and goats were introduced, and milk could have been mixed with avocados and canteloupes in Mexico and other parts of Latin America.

The following pies may have been invented during or after the American Period since pie making is an American introduction from what I've read.  According to Wikipedia, the Buko pie was invented in the province of Laguna (Southern Luzon).  Buko means coconut, and the Buko pie specifically uses young coconut meat.  It's unsure where the Egg pie was invented.  My guess would be Southern Luzon region.  Both pies are very delicious.  These are the two pies that I'm familiar with in the Philippines.  

Buko Pie

Egg Pie

Filipino Leche Flan was actually one my favorite desserts growing up.  I would eat this custard dessert before the main dish some times at a Filipino party. Somehow Filipinos never made enough Leche Flans for everyone at the party.  If you want your share of Leche Flan then take a slice during meal time before it's gone.  

Leche Flan is made of eggs, milk, condense milk and caramelized sugar.  The dish is known as Creme Caramel in other countries and it's popular in Latin European and Latin American countries.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A8me_caramel

Leche Flan

Filipino Food is similar to what we eat. 

you guys eat plantain, pasteitos empanada, longaniza, chicharron just like we do. Our food has similar cooking. 

Lumpiang togue is lumpia that's predominantly made with mung bean sprouts as its inner filling, although a little bit of pork meat (or chicken, beef, shrimp), carrots, onions, and garlic, and possibly string beans or green beans and jicama can also be added.  This type of lumpia is generally shorter but thicker, and very crispy due to its larger surface area.  It is dipped in a vinegar and soy sauce dip consisting of salt, pepper, and garlic but also some onions and chili peppers if you prefer.  It's a very addicting dish as it compliments the vinegar and soy sauce dip very well.  You'll find yourself eating a lot of it quickly with lots of rice, and dipping often.  You can often see the inner filling from the outside.  Sometimes the wrapper gets warped or slightly unwrapped when fried, but it's these imperfections that gives it a crispier texture, and is great for dipping.  Apart from the wrapper, the mung bean sprouts and carrots lend themselves very well to frying which gives this dish an overall crispy texture, and again great for dipping.  Lumpiang togue is all about crispiness and dipping.    

You can learn more about lumpiang togue from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumpiang_gulay#Lumpiang_togue

Just like any Filipino dish, people cook lumpiang togue slightly differently as you'll see in the following videos: